A year ago when we purchased our 2005 Northern Lite with Onan generator, I was a bit apprehensive because of negative comments I had read about Onan generators. But we have been quite pleased with the (propane fueled) Onan. We love the convenience of pushing a button and having the generator come alive. And while not as quiet as we would like, it is much less noisy than we expected. When we are inside with the door closed, it is no more noisy than our furnace. And dry camping is much easier than before we had the Onan.

My experience is the same as Hedgehopper. Zero problems, not too loud, and the ultimate in convenience. Regarding fuel consumption, normal use for microwave, battery charging, etc. is fine. But extended running of the AC off the generator on a really hot day will show you the inconvenience of refueling propane. Since most of my traveling does not involve extensive dry camping on extremely hot climates like Georgia in August, it has not been an issue. I usually don't run the air much during the heat of the day, because I am outside enjoying life. but I will run it in spurts when I go inside. When it cools off at night, I open the windows and turn on the fantastic fan. For 2019, my modus operandi will change a bit, I will be spending more time at the drag strip in Jun, July and August. Extended ac use will probably be needed. I just picked up my new (used ) camper, it came "generator ready", so I might consider an Onan mocrolite 2800 powered by gasoline. Then install a side tank in the bed of the truck, with a marine outboard style fuel connector. Then I can easily top off the generator fuel whenever I am fueling up the truck. THe draw backs vs. propane would be stinkier exhaust and carb gummed up after sitting unused.

+1 to what the OP said. We had an Onan Propane generator installed when we bought the camper in 2006. We had one problem which was brought on when the propane continued to 'refine' in the fuel line, thus gumming the carburetor up with oil. I had to remove the generator and take it in for service.As for fuel consumption.... I have never run it for such a time that I have sucked the tanks dry. Running the A/C on the generator is occasional as we are typically not in those types of situations. Much more common is DW wants to run the microwave or hairdryer when along the road somewhere, and the convenience of a built-in push-start really pays off. I imagine a gas generator would also burn through plenty of fuel if it was left on for an extended period of time cranking the A/C.Would I take this rig out to the desert in August and run the generator 18+ hours a day to keep the A/C running? Nope. That would certainly empty the tanks on a daily basis. Would I run the generator to cool off the camper when we arrive at a hot dry-camping location after a day of driving? Sure. And I may run it an hour or two the next day when we return to the camper after a day of activities. But frankly that hasn't happened to us yet. Those times we have gone camping in hot locations we paid for hook-ups, so I just let the A/C run on the campground's power.Not sure what the OP's purpose is for starting this thread....but I will have to say I have not experienced all the problems the negative hype told me to expect.Thanks,-Eric

We love our Onan as well for the same reasons, the convenience of powering our entire coach as if plugged into the power pedestal sure comes in handy as we tend to do most of our RVing off the beaten path without hookups. To that end, we are planning to get a new rig which will not have a built in Onan, we picked up a Champion inverter generator and made sure it was a remote start model to have the same one button convenience we are accustomed to.We have sufficient solar and 12 volt reserves on our rig, but when consumption is abnormally high or weather is not cooperating, having a generator along ensures we get to enjoy all the amenities we purchased our RV for.

I'm on my third Onan built into RV's and the last two were in TC's powered by LPG. Both my TC's had dual 30 lb tanks, so I really do not worry about running out with the TC. When I bring my trailer along, I have an additional 100 lbs of LPG used for outside heaters, fire pit and cooking which can also be swapped into the TC if needed. We boon dock up to a week and never have worried about LPG supply due our setup.

hedgehopper wrote:A year ago when we purchased our 2005 Northern Lite with Onan generator, I was a bit apprehensive because of negative comments I had read about Onan generators. But we have been quite pleased with the (propane fueled) Onan. We love the convenience of pushing a button and having the generator come alive. And while not as quiet as we would like, it is much less noisy than we expected. When we are inside with the door closed, it is no more noisy than our furnace. And dry camping is much easier than before we had the Onan.What model is the Onan? I may be looking for a small one to replace the Generac in the motorhome.

Onan Generator | Good Sam Community

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Hemi_Joel
Explorer
Nov 04, 2018
My experience is the same as Hedgehopper. Zero problems, not too loud, and the ultimate in convenience.
Regarding fuel consumption, normal use for microwave, battery charging, etc. is fine. But extended running of the AC off the generator on a really hot day will show you the inconvenience of refueling propane. Since most of my traveling does not involve extensive dry camping on extremely hot climates like Georgia in August, it has not been an issue. I usually don't run the air much during the heat of the day, because I am outside enjoying life. but I will run it in spurts when I go inside. When it cools off at night, I open the windows and turn on the fantastic fan.

For 2019, my modus operandi will change a bit, I will be spending more time at the drag strip in Jun, July and August. Extended ac use will probably be needed. I just picked up my new (used ) camper, it came "generator ready", so I might consider an Onan mocrolite 2800 powered by gasoline. Then install a side tank in the bed of the truck, with a marine outboard style fuel connector. Then I can easily top off the generator fuel whenever I am fueling up the truck. THe draw backs vs. propane would be stinkier exhaust and carb gummed up after sitting unused.

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Onan Generator

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