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

[Ductape]

Used ones are about 5k on Ebay. So if I was an interested buyer I'd be looking for 6-7k discount to have one of those installed to bring it back to par.

[Earl_E]

I wouldn't put it back in and I wouldn't even mention "no generator" in the ad. No need to call attention to what isn't there. If you get a call and they ask, then certainly explain the issue. Price it fairly, meaning lower the price. Don't try to hide the issue, just don't call attention to it as an issue. I know many people who never use their generator.

[TyroneandGladys]

IMHO take it to another repair center and get there opinion. We were told by a Cummins repair facility that our was toast also but took it took it to another Cummins repair facility and it was repaired for under $500.00 and that was 2 years ago. Same thing has happened on our refrigerator and the furnace.

[darsben]

When on the road I use my genny about 4 hours a day and I am on the road about 100 days a year.

In the AM for coffee and in the evening for Movies

[mlts22]

I wonder what is exactly wrong with it. Carbs are a few C-notes but that is the first thing that fails. I can see a generator "totaled" if the copper windings are so corroded that they have snapped, but even then, it might just be a set of brushes. If it isn't giving electricity but the engine is running, it might need a "field flash", and there are plenty of instructions on YouTube to re-energize that.

[mfox20]

I'm with the OP. I would not put it back in, BUT have it available for the buyer. Someone may want take on the rebuild project.

[marcsbigfoot20b]

My TT has an Onan 2500 Microlite LP
It is 15 years old and has 167 hours on it.
Since it is LP, it fires right up every time.

[gbopp]

I have a 96 Fleetwood. The Onan 5500 runs great, no problems.
The generator is used while driving, no problems. I've never had road debris sucked up into/around the unit.

What exactly is wrong with your generator that it is 'totaled'?

I use the generator often, I would not buy a RV without a generator. Unless the price was too good to resist.....meaning really, really cheap.
If the generator did not work, I would wonder what else was abused... or not working

[tpi]

I agree with the others, put it back in, say it doesn't work, and it needs complete rebuild. It is a 17 year old motorhome and anytime I have bought stuff of that age, I've always counted on extensive work. For many potential buyers, this is par for the course. Maximize the stuff that is good, make it look as nice as possible and sell it for what you can.

It is very unlikely a buyer will spend $10K on the generator. Most likely he will find something used, or somehow get some new/used parts to get it working. The retail cost of new unit is unlikely to be in play here.

[byrdr1]

I dont have a built in generator but agree with most all on here. Put it back in say in the ad generator doesn't work..leave it at that, set the price to where you are comfortable selling and go with it.
That being said I just bought a 4000 watt Champion with a dedicated 30 amp plug on the front of for just occasion that I need it, May never use it for anything but having is giving me piece of mind.
it will ru nthe 15k ac and a microwave but not at the same time. So it will cool me when needed and warm it needed too.
randy

[wildtoad]

We don't use ours at all but run it monthly. I have it as an insurance policy for when the power goes out either at home or on the road. Price your MH based on no gen and see what happens.

[mlts22]

Maybe this is just me, but I seem to notice that the generators with the higher hours on a used rig tend to mean that the genset will be in good working order, as opposed to a five year old rig with 10 hours logged.

[tatest]

Maybe not much on the coast, but here on the plains, and down into Texas and the Gulf states the generator gets run for cooling off the house anytime we have to travel carrying people back there. From about May through September it quickly gets to 100F and higher anytime the RV is in high sunlight, and for at least three months of that it does little good to try cooling it off by opening the windows.

But we also have people in our RV club who never ran their generators. They had no more than two persons traveling, those rode up front using the cab A/C, and once they got to a RV park and hooked up, they stayed outside the RV for two to four hours until it cooled off. Usually around sunset.

So how important to the buyer will depend on where it get used and how it gets used.

[mlts22]

I'd include the genset, dead or no. There will be some shop that can give that thing a second life.

As for generator use, I've logged over 2500 hours (I should have put a meter on the genset, so am offering an estimate with time used) on mine, and it has done well with the usual maintenance (oil and filter changes.) Using Star-Tron and Chevron gas also has helped.

[BurbMan]

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

Agree with this. Matt you must be an A&P guy using terms like APU LOL.