My RV has an Onan Microlite 4000 generator that has been well maintained. It now starts but stops running as soon as I release the Start button. My mechanic identifies the problem as electrical and mostly likely due to wires being chewed by a rat or mouse. To fix the problem he says he'll need to drop the generator out of the RV to get access to all the wiring and check for other damage, and I suspect the work won't be fast or cheap.In the interim, I can run my inverter with the RV engine idling and get the same power I get from the generator. At idle, my Ford E350 Triton V10 burns about 0.7gph, while running the generator burns about 0.5gph. At $3/gallon for gas, that extra 0.2 gallons costs me 60 cents per hour. BUT... for every 150 hours of generator usage I pay Camping World $150 for a generator service - which means NOT running the generator saves me $1 per hour in maintenance. In other words, looking only at these factors, it is 40 cents an hour cheaper for me to run the inverter with the engine idling than it is to run the generator. And for what it's worth, the RV engine runs quieter than the generator, and its exhaust is less of a nuisance. So my question is:IS AN RV GENERATOR WORTH IT?The replacement cost for my generator is over $3,000. And if the RV didn't have a working generator it would lose a lot of resale value, so that alone justifies going forward with repairs. But other than that, once it's repaired:WHY RUN THE GENERATOR IF RUNNING THE INVERTER WITH THE ENGINE IDLING COSTS LESS PER HOUR?One response I'd expect is that running the engine has a maintenance cost too, but at $75 per WalMart oil change every 3 months or 3,000 miles regardless, I'm not sure the incremental wear and tear would even be measurable.WHAT AM I MISSING HERE?

bikerv1369 wrote:My RV has an Onan Microlite 4000 generator that has been well maintained. It now starts but stops running as soon as I release the Start button. My mechanic identifies the problem as electrical and mostly likely due to wires being chewed by a rat or mouse. To fix the problem he says he'll need to drop the generator out of the RV to get access to all the wiring and check for other damage, and I suspect the work won't be fast or cheap.In the interim, I can run my inverter with the RV engine idling and get the same power I get from the generator. At idle, my Ford E350 Triton V10 burns about 0.7gph, while running the generator burns about 0.5gph. At $3/gallon for gas, that extra 0.2 gallons costs me 60 cents per hour. BUT... for every 150 hours of generator usage I pay Camping World $150 for a generator service - which means NOT running the generator saves me $1 per hour in maintenance. In other words, looking only at these factors, it is 40 cents an hour cheaper for me to run the inverter with the engine idling than it is to run the generator. And for what it's worth, the RV engine runs quieter than the generator, and its exhaust is less of a nuisance. So my question is:IS AN RV GENERATOR WORTH IT?The replacement cost for my generator is over $3,000. And if the RV didn't have a working generator it would lose a lot of resale value, so that alone justifies going forward with repairs. But other than that, once it's repaired:WHY RUN THE GENERATOR IF RUNNING THE INVERTER WITH THE ENGINE IDLING COSTS LESS PER HOUR?One response I'd expect is that running the engine has a maintenance cost too, but at $75 per WalMart oil change every 3 months or 3,000 miles regardless, I'm not sure the incremental wear and tear would even be measurable.WHAT AM I MISSING HERE?Running the engine and the inverter is no where nearly the same as running the generator. Limits plugs will be working, you can't run your A/C AT ALL and if you are using much more than lights and the TV, the engine alternator will not be able to keep up with the losses from the battery.

"In the interim, I can run my inverter with the RV engine idling and get the same power I get from the generator."Doubt that. What about air conditioner?Anyway, your inverter cannot run the converter to recharge the battery bank, like your gen can. To do that with no gen, you need to turn off the inverter and use alternator charging. Solar can help with that too.Our used C came with no gen so we use a portable inverter-gen to run a battery charger.

BikerRV, If this is your coach, then keep this up. I hope you know that nothing good happens to an idling engine. Running at idle from a cold start may allow the engine to collect internal moisture and the HEGO will have to heat itself and this shortens its life. This may not be a bad plan if you rarely dry camp. I am guessing that the 150 at CW is just an oil change. This is something that you could learn to do yourself. Then the cost would be about 10$ for the oil (No oil filter). The new tools would also cost less than 20$. Tools: A funnel, a Torx tool for the drain plug cover, a set of rubber mats to lie on.We don't use our generator to watch TV. We use it to run the microwave or the A/C. Both of these would take a serious inverter. If you do this to charge the house bank as required, then that is also part of your plan. I never let any body work on my coach, but then it is different than most. Matt

What you are experiencing with you Onan generator is a common phenomenon with gas burning Onans. It is electrical but usually it's something like brushes, voltage regulator, armature, circuit board, oil level or oil pressure sending switch. If rats chewing wires are your mechanic's first guess, you may want to seek other expertise.Richard

Consider a portable generator. Long-term idling isn't a good thing. That 40 cents/hour may end up costing you a lot more.

Is an RV generator worth it? | Good Sam Community

Matt_Colie
Explorer II
Feb 08, 2019
BikerRV,

If this is your coach, then keep this up. I hope you know that nothing good happens to an idling engine. Running at idle from a cold start may allow the engine to collect internal moisture and the HEGO will have to heat itself and this shortens its life. This may not be a bad plan if you rarely dry camp.

I am guessing that the 150 at CW is just an oil change. This is something that you could learn to do yourself. Then the cost would be about 10$ for the oil (No oil filter). The new tools would also cost less than 20$. Tools: A funnel, a Torx tool for the drain plug cover, a set of rubber mats to lie on.

We don't use our generator to watch TV. We use it to run the microwave or the A/C. Both of these would take a serious inverter. If you do this to charge the house bank as required, then that is also part of your plan.

I never let any body work on my coach, but then it is different than most.

Matt
BFL13
Explorer II
Feb 08, 2019
"In the interim, I can run my inverter with the RV engine idling and get the same power I get from the generator."

Doubt that. What about air conditioner?

Anyway, your inverter cannot run the converter to recharge the battery bank, like your gen can. To do that with no gen, you need to turn off the inverter and use alternator charging. Solar can help with that too.

Our used C came with no gen so we use a portable inverter-gen to run a battery charger.
Bill_Satellite
Explorer II
Feb 08, 2019
bikerv1369 wrote:
My RV has an Onan Microlite 4000 generator that has been well maintained. It now starts but stops running as soon as I release the Start button. My mechanic identifies the problem as electrical and mostly likely due to wires being chewed by a rat or mouse. To fix the problem he says he'll need to drop the generator out of the RV to get access to all the wiring and check for other damage, and I suspect the work won't be fast or cheap.

In the interim, I can run my inverter with the RV engine idling and get the same power I get from the generator. At idle, my Ford E350 Triton V10 burns about 0.7gph, while running the generator burns about 0.5gph. At $3/gallon for gas, that extra 0.2 gallons costs me 60 cents per hour. BUT... for every 150 hours of generator usage I pay Camping World $150 for a generator service - which means NOT running the generator saves me $1 per hour in maintenance. In other words, looking only at these factors, it is 40 cents an hour cheaper for me to run the inverter with the engine idling than it is to run the generator. And for what it's worth, the RV engine runs quieter than the generator, and its exhaust is less of a nuisance. So my question is:

IS AN RV GENERATOR WORTH IT?

The replacement cost for my generator is over $3,000. And if the RV didn't have a working generator it would lose a lot of resale value, so that alone justifies going forward with repairs. But other than that, once it's repaired:

WHY RUN THE GENERATOR IF RUNNING THE INVERTER WITH THE ENGINE IDLING COSTS LESS PER HOUR?

One response I'd expect is that running the engine has a maintenance cost too, but at $75 per WalMart oil change every 3 months or 3,000 miles regardless, I'm not sure the incremental wear and tear would even be measurable.

WHAT AM I MISSING HERE?

Running the engine and the inverter is no where nearly the same as running the generator. Limits plugs will be working, you can't run your A/C AT ALL and if you are using much more than lights and the TV, the engine alternator will not be able to keep up with the losses from the battery.

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