How much do you use your generator?

[dbs944]

We are trying to sell our motorhome and the generator wasn't working so I took it in. Turns out my Onan 7500 generator is totaled. Probably $10K to fix or replace and this on a 1999 Fleetwood. So I'm thinking of dropping the price several thousands and selling it w/o a generator. The generator has 1050 hours on it or about 65 hours per year. (excluding fuel and maintenance it has cost almost $10/hour to run - although this was probably and unusual failure).

So I was wondering, how much generator use do you average per year?

For most people, is not having a generator a big deal? It wouldn't have been for us as we only would have used it for a few hours in the past 3 years. Would sticking a portable generator in a storage bin be a good option?

Thanks

[consumeratlarge]

It's hard to believe that every bit of the genset is trashed, but as a buyer, I would like to know up front that it is considered no value, and plan for a replacement of some kind. Even with solar, being able to crank up some Air conditioning is necessary driving with family in the summer for many folks.

[hawkeye-08]

For Sale, generator ready, but no generator included, call with questions.

[dahkota]

Honestly, if I were in the market for a MH and I saw an ad for a used MH that had non-working components, I probably wouldn't go look at it or even think about buying it unless it was way underpriced to comparable MHs (kind of like the real estate market). My thought would be, if this part/component doesn't work and they aren't bothering to fix it, what other part/component doesn't work that I won't know about until it is too late? I would think it wasn't well cared for. Not that any of that would be true but, with so many RVs on the market, I probably wouldn't bother with the listing.

[dbs944]

Matt_Colie wrote:
DBS,

Leave the generator in place, say it does not work and will need a complete rebuild. Any prospective buyer that is also a wrench will be glad to buy the coach with a dead APU (genset). Any park camper will just ignore the issue and probably doesn't understand the value anyway.

I am an engine professional. I very much doubt that the true cost to repair any Onan with 1K hours would be 10K$. If you are paying RV or Onan shop prices, it sure could be, but then there is real world and aftermarket parts to be had.

Good Luck.

Matt

Not sure the exact cause but probably an overspeed issue. The rotor shattered taking out the stator. During the overspeed, the inverter may have been damaged but no way of telling until all the other repairs are done. There may also be a problem with the governor. Kind of a cascading effect. Parts alone are potentially up over $6K and if you got it all done and it worked, it would still be a 16 year old generator. I asked about core value of the engine but was told there wasn't much there due to age. As I mentioned it is already out so putting a broken genset back in is not happening. It is near impossible to get to so to do any work on it after a re-install would be very difficult.

I like - "For Sale, no generator, call with questions".

[Okie_in_Wyoming]

We use ours almost every camping trip. Whether it is to power the microwave, tv (for a movie or two) or if it is hot enough, of course, the air conditioning. We have loved having a generator, if we use it or not, it's nice to know it's there when we need it.
That said, if the ad says no generator, it would not be a deal breaker for us if the RV is in good shape and what we want.

[Matt_Colie]

DBS,

Leave the generator in place, say it does not work and will need a complete rebuild. Any prospective buyer that is also a wrench will be glad to buy the coach with a dead APU (genset). Any park camper will just ignore the issue and probably doesn't understand the value anyway.

I am an engine professional. I very much doubt that the true cost to repair any Onan with 1K hours would be 10K$. If you are paying RV or Onan shop prices, it sure could be, but then there is real world and aftermarket parts to be had.

Good Luck.

Matt

[tpi]

2oldman wrote:
The only thing I would say in the ad is: No generator. The usage would be totally up to the purchaser.

Agree.

What exactly is wrong with the generator? A "total' may be in the eye of the beholder. It indeed may be a good idea to put the generator back in.

[ScottG]

2oldman wrote:
The only thing I would say in the ad is: No generator. The usage would be totally up to the purchaser.

I like this idea. You might also mention there's a place for one and that it is pre-wired.

[Gjac]

I look for ways to use my generator so I don't have to exercise it each mo. I dry camp 95% of the time also but never stay in one spot more than a week where I need it to recharge my batteries. The MH is 19 years old with 350 HR's on the Genset. So for me personally I would buy a MH with out the 5.5K Genset for a reduced price and buy a portable one like the Honda to use in it place.

[dbs944]

BTPO1 wrote:
We use ours a lot when traveling down the road for the roof top A/C when it is hot. I like to keep the DW happy. The dash A/C just cannot keep the MH cool, so the generator is a must for us. JMO

I mentioned that potential use to the mechanic at Cummins and he said it was a bad idea as road debris gets sucked up into/around the unit. I guess that was just his opinion but he had no reason to falsify anything. I agree though the dash A/C can only keep 2 people comfortable. Ours is a DP so engine heat is in the way-back.

[2oldman]

The only thing I would say in the ad is: No generator. The usage would be totally up to the purchaser.

[BTPO1]

We use ours a lot when traveling down the road for the roof top A/C when it is hot. I like to keep the DW happy. The dash A/C just cannot keep the MH cool, so the generator is a must for us. JMO

[tmm2good]

I would hesitate to say they dont get used much in your ad, different people use the generator differently. I would note that you had a built in that quit working, so there is space for a replacement. I would not spend the generator repair money on something I was going to sell.

[dbs944]

ScottG wrote:
I would just sell it with the gen in tact and tell people it doesn't work.
Someone may buy it that can work on it or they may choose to remove it or just ignore it. I would not spend any money on it though.

It is already out (no small feat) and sitting on the floor at a Cummins repair facility.

I'm trying to figure out how to phrase the sales ad - "no generator but they don't get used much anyway so no big loss"

[ScottG]

I would just sell it with the gen in tact and tell people it doesn't work.
Someone may buy it that can work on it or they may choose to remove it or just ignore it. I would not spend any money on it though.