Running generator while driving in the rain

smkettner wrote:

msmith1199 wrote:

smkettner wrote:
Unless the tech gave a real reason I would also dismiss the advice.
That or maybe the main engine should also not be run while raining?

The main engine and air intake are designed to be run in the rain.

So you get my point. ;)

No I don't actually. It appears to be as if a generator was designed to be run in the rain by putting the air intake on the bottom. That may be because it's designed to be stationary in the rain and not having water slashed up from the bottom. I did some google searches and I found people on other forums who had said they were also told by RV technicians that they shouldn't run the generators while on the road when it's raining. It's kind of a moot point for me because I rarely run my generator when on the road anyway and when I do it's only to run the AC's. I don't have a lot of need to run the AC's when it's raining.

msmith1199 wrote:

smkettner wrote:
Unless the tech gave a real reason I would also dismiss the advice.
That or maybe the main engine should also not be run while raining?

The main engine and air intake are designed to be run in the rain.

So you get my point. ;)

I just downloaded and looked through the Onan Diesel Generator owners manual. I don't see anything in the manual that talks about operating in the rain. What I did find is that the air intake for both the air into the air filter, and the air for cooling the engine come in from the bottom at the front. This is the same generator I have in my motorhome so the air intake going into the generator engine is just behind the front bumper of my motorhome. So it is very likely that in the rain water could be splashed up into the air filter if the motorhome was driving down the road, but not while the motorhome was stopped. Will that hurt anything? I have no idea. But you would have to ask why put the air intake on the bottom? Why not on the sides or on the top? Could it be that the designer of the generator wanted to make sure that no matter how the generator was installed in whatever vehicle it was to be used in, that the air intake would be on the bottom so rain wouldn't get into it? Seems to me like that would be the main reason to put it on the bottom to make sure it was waterproof.

V10guy wrote:
I can tell you the Utility Company I work for has well over 15,000 Aerial Lift Trucks with Onan 5500s and 7000s...we run them in every known weather condition there is...they're a lifeline...Never heard of a single issue with running it in the rain. To be honest, they're probably ran more in adverse weather than clear sunny days.

The covers we have on those Onans are the same as the 5500 in my MH...and my Onan is in a covered compartment. On our aerial lifts, they're exposed.

Are the generators run while the trucks are driving on the road and are the generators mounted underneath the trucks and exposed to the elements from the road?

Where is the air intake for the gen engine?

IF it has an open bottom and air intake pulls from that open bottom and you have road grime on bottom then YES........rain could be sucked up into air intake, clog air filter and possibly get wet air ingested into gen engine.

The generator will be fine...the engine??


Utility company power plant generators are sealed and pressurized with hydrogen.
Nothing leaks in....but if seals go bad hydrogen can leak out. Very, very rare event.

I can tell you the Utility Company I work for has well over 15,000 Aerial Lift Trucks with Onan 5500s and 7000s...we run them in every known weather condition there is...they're a lifeline...Never heard of a single issue with running it in the rain. To be honest, they're probably ran more in adverse weather than clear sunny days.

The covers we have on those Onans are the same as the 5500 in my MH...and my Onan is in a covered compartment. On our aerial lifts, they're exposed.

I'd say you had a pretty poorly designed coach if that happened.
Coaches are designed in all kinds of configurations. What happens to one doesn't necessarily happen to any others. I can't see how rain could get into my front mounted QD7500 on my Dutch Star and certainly would think nothing of running it in the rain.

These things are put in RVs to use...when sitting and when running. I'd like to know where the mechanic got his information...makes no sense.

smkettner wrote:
Unless the tech gave a real reason I would also dismiss the advice.
That or maybe the main engine should also not be run while raining?

The main engine and air intake are designed to be run in the rain.

Unless the tech gave a real reason I would also dismiss the advice.
That or maybe the main engine should also not be run while raining?