Onan Marquis Gold 5500 LP generator - Reviews ????

[TenOC]

I am thinking about buying a used fifth wheel that is equipped with an Onan Marquis Gold 5500 LP generator that has ran for about 200 hours. I know nothing about propane generators and have spent the last day searching the Internet for advantages of propane over gasoline engines. I have even been able to find a few reviews on this generator. At least one of the reviews I felt was by a salesman that was motivated to sell the generator.

I would welcome some comments from any of you that have actually use this generator on your RV.

[Johndorn]

Do not let the unit go for more than a month without cranking and let it run for about an hr. Or it might not work good after that 

[johnhicks]

My 6500LP is still happy at 27 years. Had to replace the regulator a couple of years ago.

I have a motorhome that came with a huge propane tank so I'm not as restricted as I would be with small portable tanks plus I only run it on travel days. I don't boondock other than at repair shops when something breaks (13 days at a transmission shop) so fuel usage isn't really a problem although propane can be hard to find sometimes. Also I very rarely run the propane-guzzling furnace.

It really depends on your intended usage. If you forsee a lot of boondocking depending on a generator, propane isn't for you simply because it's lots easier to transfer gas or diesel into a day tank as often as needed. If you forsee boondocking with lots of solar etc, no air conditioner, and generator usage would only be for the occasional rainy day then it'll be fine.

[cummins2014]

TenOC wrote:

cummins2014 wrote:
T I always took my Honda 2000 to run if we needed hours of use .

Are you saying that even with the LP generator you used the gas Honda?

Absolutely, when we hunted we needed the propane to run the furnace not that hungry propane generator 🙂 If my wife went on the hunts, then the TV was going a good portion of the day as well as the furnace running. So was the Honda generator, if we ran the Onan ,we would be out of propane in a couple days with the hours we run the Honda.

As said not an option to run that 5500 if we were not close to a propane source. Honda a much better option for what we needed to run in the fifth wheel. No air conditioner needed.

[Puddles]

Have the same generator... 19 years old... replaced the drive belt once... always starts and runs good... I agree that it burns lots of propane.

[jdc1]

TenOC wrote:

cummins2014 wrote:
T I always took my Honda 2000 to run if we needed hours of use .

Are you saying that even with the LP generator you used the gas Honda?

Using a Honda eu2000i or eu2200i, ou can power everything in your RV with the exception of the AC. Honda 2000/2200's are fuel sipping generators. Mine is 17 years old and still starts on the first pull. Has never been in the shop. Really quiet too.

Don't be afraid of the Onan LP generator. It will last 50 years or more.

[dedmiston]

The only complaint I've seen about LP generators over the years is that they use much more fuel than gasoline gens do. I've never seen complaints about their functionality or durability, just their fuel consumption.

[JAC1982]

We are on our third rig, and third Onan 🙂 First was a bumper pull toyhauler with the 4000 gas. Next was a 5th wheel toyhauler with the 5500 gas. Now we have a regular 5th wheel and the 5500 LP. We didn't have the dealer install it, we got a referral from Cummins for an indepedent dealer. We haven't used it much yet but are going to give it some hours on an upcoming trip.

When doing our research, we did discover that they can be a bit more fuel sucking than the gasoline version. We bought two extra tanks (so 4 total) so we can easily swap them out, refill etc. But, the maintenance in general appears to be easier, and since we don't camp year round, it will be nice to not have to worry about draining the gas when we winterize.

I don't see any negative to one with 200 hours on it, and it's a nice thing to have already installed and ready to go if you ever need it. We are spoiled since we've never had a rig without one, but I like that we can literally camp anywhere and run anything we want in the camper without being limited (other than by the amount of propane I guess).

[ford_truck_guy]

I installed one in my last Redwood because we did a lot of DRY camping at the NASCAR races.. the ease of just pushing a button from inside when you needed it was awesome !

They DO get thirsty is used at capacity for long periods of time... Back in 2016 I was at a race and it was upper 90's all weekend... arrived 1pm Friday.. ran them till 6am Sunday.. used 5 of the 40# tanks...

The following year we upgraded to a site with electric/water/sewer..

Now I have an Onan 6500 with less than 100 hours that has not been used for anything other than the exercise monthly in a few years...

BUT, I wont be without it, JUST IN CASE !

[TenOC]

cummins2014 wrote:
T I always took my Honda 2000 to run if we needed hours of use .

Are you saying that even with the LP generator you used the gas Honda?

[cummins2014]

Top of the line ,can't be beat. Sold my Montana fifth wheel with one in it a few months back, I had ordered it new with the fifth wheel . Although I have yet to miss it in this new fifth wheel , there will probably come a time I will . Mine was 12 years old ,and had less then 200 hours. So we didn't use it much.

Here is my take, I most likely would never order another fifth wheel with one, but would not pass up one if it was in the fifth wheel. They are not practical to run for hours on end, they like their propane. If you have a nearby propane source it is the only way I would have run it for hours. Great for emergency use or loss of power for an hour or so. If we camped ,and needed the power, I always took my Honda 2000 to run if we needed hours of use . IMO they are a nice connivence to be able to just push the button to start, and have temporary power.

[Turtle_n_Peeps]

Another down side of propane is it has a lot less energy than gasoline so you will use a lot more fuel for the same amount of run time.

[lampooner]

Since you probably have propane on 5th wheel this is a no brainer.
Onan is top of the line. 200 hours on an Onan should e no problem assuming they demo it starting and running for awhile.

[jdc1]

Propane +
No gas residue to clog carb jets.
Less pollution.
One less fuel to carry.
Cost is less than gasoline.
Less maintenance.

Propane -
Restricted purchase areas.
Can't refill yourself.
Decreased output (10% less amperage)