Onan 4.0 BFA - Continuous Power?

The NO LOAD rating of your BFA is 126 to 132 volts at 1800 RPM. The Governor keeps the Unit at 1800 RPM under any load. The drop in current from Loads will usually be no less than 122 volts at almost full load. The breaker on your Onan is 30 amp. But that usually means you can go as high as 33 to 34 before it trips. SPEED governs Htz and current output, hence the Governor to keep it at 1800. Newer (WAY NEWER) Onans have a Electronic regulator but still require the Governor. You can run 2 AC units with this Onan, BUT, that is about all. The problem is, 30 amp RV's rarely(almost NEVER) have 2 AC's on the 30 amp circuit. But the Onan can handle 2 if they do NOT cycle the compressors at the same time. Doug

No- only one air conditioner, along with charger, refrigerator, etc, plus another rig with fans, charger, refrig, etc.
The 45 was pretty quiet- a Ford industrial 300 ci straight 6, running at 1800 rpm. The loudest part was the solid radiator fan.

Yeah, that yarding generators is a game for the young.

OK. I just rechecked your profile. Now it's starting to come back to me. Thanks for weighing in.

Man, that 45KW must've put out a few more decibels than a portable Honda, eh? And 55K on a unit rated for 45??? Ahhhh, the salad days... when machinery was rated more conservatively.

So you're saying you powered 2 A/Cs off of one BFA, yes?

Any other power consumption on the circuit?

I had a BFA for quite a while, and would run it flat out for days- though probably not right at 4000 watts. I would power 2 rigs, with one running the A/C. (More than 2 rigs, and I would fire up the Onan 45kw, which I carried in the same truck, which I called the generator truck. The 45 kw I load tested to a 55 kw load. It carried it, but wouldn't quite maintain 60 hz, and the exhaust manifold got *really* hot).
I really liked the BFA, except when I sold it and had to wrestle it out of the truck. Those suckers are heavy.

Chris Bryant wrote:
I do not think you will find a newly minted BFA :), but 4000 watts is continuous, not surge. There is a lot of copper and iron in a BFA.

Sweet!

And yeah, probably a little bit difficult to find. With the smiley, I'm guessing you got my point, though. A newly minted BFA just MAY have a little more power than mine with 30 years and a few hours.

Just wanted to know what the original specs would have been.

It's been awhile, Chris, but I recall you as someone to trust with this kind of info. That said, would you mind sharing how you know this?

I do not think you will find a newly minted BFA :), but 4000 watts is continuous, not surge. There is a lot of copper and iron in a BFA.

When I was with Kohler we used 80% for 24/7
Art.