Help with Generac Generator

[sleepy]

Help

Generators

I have a Generac propane generator in my 2003 Lance 1161 truck camper.

It runs fine once it is started

Boatycall analyzed it’s problem for me... some of the external wiring has been corroded as we parked for months along the salt water beaches all around North America

He installed a by-pass rocker switch that lasted several months as we returned home From Seattle area and then part of our later trip to Florida.

Well... we need it for our air conditioning

I think removing the generator from the camper scares many of the people that are capible of doing an overhaul

I dread trying to take the generator out myself as I near 80 years old

Any ideas... please?

I think that cleaning and rewiring the external wiring fittings may be all thats needed

Sleepy

[AnEv942]

If it (Generac not Onan) clicks but starter doesn't turn either main board not sending full constant 12v to starter contactor (starter solenoid)-
or contactor bad and not connecting battery power to starter motor.
Lastly the starter motor dead.
All easy to verify IF you were mechanical- but you said you were not and is not an option which leaves only finding someone to work on it. So only obvious option is increasing search area for someone to look at it.

That, I read, was Hawk12s question- suggestion for someone who may work on his generator in the Seattle area.

[mellow]

This is a great thread with plenty of pictures of the onan 2500 over at Lance owners: https://community.lanceowners.org/topic/generator-tear-down-again

another one: https://community.lanceowners.org/topic/tips-on-dropping-onan-generator

It isn't that bad dropping it, it is managing all the connections that is a bear and making sure the propane line is not messed up in the process.

[Hawk12]

I have a 2000 Lance 1140 camper. The Generac generator won't do anything, just clicks. Am in the Seattle area and can not find anyone to look at it. Any suggestions?? I am not mechanical, so doing anything myself will not be an option.

[Kayteg1]

So how is the Lance holding after the trouble with rebuild?
Been to TN last summer. The planned destination was Florida Keys, but Irma beat us to it.
Happy camping

[sleepy]

Kayteg1 wrote:
Well.. it cool down in Las Vegas.
Now it is only 105F so I can work on my pool project as long as I am not in direct sun. California still sends us some smoke, but my house is high at the base of the mountain and looks like the wind keeps the smoke in the valley, when we have cleaner air.
One of the reasons I moved from California is desert climate who cured my joint pains.
You were due to stop here for few days last spring?

We came through your area about a week before Thanksgiving... stayed in North Las Vegas with close friend that had recently been reassigned there.

We had hoped to have Johnnie Walker RV look at the Generac for us... our timing wasn’t good. We did use their dump station and filled our fresh water tank.

We cut through the mountains heading east, dropped into Phoenix... then followed US-60 again through the mountains and on to Roswell, NM where we got on US-380 and a three day, straight across Texas with no other traffic. Thanksgiving was Turkey Lien Cuisine dinners from Walmart in Louisiana ... and on to Vicksburg, Ms

When we left there we had been on the road a long time from Seattle....

Now you’ll have to visit us here in TN

Chet

[Kayteg1]

Well.. it cool down in Las Vegas.
Now it is only 105F so I can work on my pool project as long as I am not in direct sun. California still sends us some smoke, but my house is high at the base of the mountain and looks like the wind keeps the smoke in the valley, when we have cleaner air.
One of the reasons I moved from California is desert climate who cured my joint pains.
You were due to stop here for few days last spring?

[sleepy]

Kayteg1 wrote:
Dropping generator on Lance 1161 is child's play. Yes I did it couple of times. You use camper jacks to raise the camper few inches off the ground, put some pallets or boxes, or whatever under generator pan, lower camper slowly to touch the pallets, pull the control plugs, disconnect hard wire, exaust and propane line, than loosen 4 bolts that hold generator to the camper (long socket extension very handy) and then lift the camper to let the generator sit on the pallets.
I was then pulling the generator by sliding it on make-shift ramps from the palets, but now thinking - I might just back up the truck under the camper and try if I can drive the camper out.
Generator is 80-90 lb so not that hard to carry once you can grab it comfortably.

You give me courage...

The heat and air quality is my excuse for waiting...

Truth is... I’ve got a few medical things dragging on me... but I just keep planning.

Allergies
Pins and needles feeling in my skin when I’m in the sun... or other bright lights and even during a CAT scan
AFib

I had stress test yesterday

Janet is recovering from knee surgery

I share this to incourage all of you to load those wonderful truck campers and hit the roads to comfortable places.

Janet and I have certainly had a wonderful life in our camper and we have met many wonderful people.

I’d do anything for all of you... and many of you know it

Chet

BTW... I’m going to lick this generator problem one way or another if I have to let the truck and camper squat and to “drop” the dang thing on the ground behind the camper

Now there is a vision

[sleepy]

Hello

macdale4 wrote:
Good luck. Mine started running out of control. I looked all over and found someone that said he could fix it and I wasted a couple of grand before he admitted he couldn't fix it and I ended up installing a Onan 2500lp. I wish I would have done that in the first place. I don't know about yours but our 1998 Lance 945 must have been built around the generator as it was a ***** to remove.

Thanks for responding...

I don’t know much about the Onan 2500 LP... actually nothing.

I’d like to ask some questions:

Was it hard to get the old generator out and were you able to use any of the wiring over.

Did you have to make any modifications to the existing space to get the Onan 2500 LP to fit?

Does it run your Air Conditioner easily.... is there any electricity left over.

When I look at the pictures of the Onan Airconditioners they all appear to be mountable with the long side toward the back.
And to have the internal/ or operations access area along the side facing the campers generator access door.

I wish I had a picture... did anyone ever do a installation report on the Onan 2500 LP?

Would you do it again? Would you suggest any other solutions?

Thanks Chet

[NRALIFR]

Holy guacamole! I’d say you got your money’s worth out of that puppy, Chet! :E

My Yamaha doesn’t have an hour meter, but I know it has hundreds more hours on it than the Generac does. I’ll probably wear it out like you’ve worn out your Generac.

My ideal generator setup would be two small portable generators. A 1000 watt unit like I have, but pairable with another unit of about 2500 watts. Unfortunately, my Yamaha isn’t pairable with anything so I may have to go to two Honda’s to get that. The small one would get 90% of the use, but if I just had to run the AC, the bigger one could be paired with it. The larger unit would probably see more “exercise” hours put on it than actual usage hours, but it’s there if needed.

:):)

[sleepy]

BTW NRALIFR

To answer your question

We have thousands of hours on our Generac.... sometimes 18 or 20 hours a day

and other times a few hours a week in cool weather... just for the microwave oven

The hour meter broke many years ago at more than 5000 hours.

Full time boondocking ain’t free.... HaHa...

[sleepy]

NRALIFR

You and I are like a lot of our friends on the forum that belong to a fairly large group that only look at the cost last if at all.

After all... A new truck camper and a new truck with our initial modifications, taxes, insurance, etc can and often do run upwards of $150,000.

So!

When we are repairing or upgrading....

We look at function, convienence, fit, comfort, serviceability and many other things and we find that a few thousand dollars here are there don’t bother us.

Knowing this... we will go for the best solution... just like our friend NRALIFR

Note to all... NRALIFR is a perfectionist... that puts his all into every project he has ever touched. I am amazed.

Sleepy

[JoeChiOhki]

sleepy wrote:
I don’t want anything I can’t stop and Surat from inside rather camper

Or anything I have to plug in... except at home.

We have traveled for more than 6 months at a time... never opening the extension cord door.

Thanks.... your way would work for most people.

If I decide to buy a new Onan it will be because I’m not sure how many Generac specific parts will be available in the future... I have a world of trouble finding repairmen or parts now.

I am carefully weighing ever suggestion now.

I have that with a portable we got for our 5th wheel as backup power. Battery start, has a key fob that you click to start/stop the unit. It starts up, does a warm up, then connects the 30 amp plug.

Downside, its an open cage Champion and definitely not quiet (4500watt generator).

[NRALIFR]

sleepy wrote:
I don’t want anything I can’t stop and Surat from inside rather camper

Or anything I have to plug in... except at home.

We have traveled for more than 6 months at a time... never opening the extension cord door.

Thanks.... your way would work for most people.

If I decide to buy a new Onan it will be because I’m not sure how many Generac specific parts will be available in the future... I have a world of trouble finding repairmen or parts now.

I am carefully weighing ever suggestion now.

I think you’re on the right track, Chet. You just can’t beat the convenience of a built-in gen set. Considering how you use your TC, it makes a lot of sense to replace the Generac with an Onan.

Just out of curiosity, how many hours are on your Generac? I have the same unit in my 1121, just a couple years older than yours. Mines a model 941-1, and yours is probably a dash 2 or 3. Mine has about 125 hours on it. But, our traveling styles differ.

While you and Janet are never in a campground, we are typically in a campground about 90% of the time, and about half of those times are in campgrounds that at least have electricity. When we camp without hookups, it’s almost never anywhere that AC is necessary just to get a decent nights sleep. I have and will continue to run the AC off the Generac when needed, but as you can tell from the hours on it, that hasn’t happened very often.

Our biggest electric need is for the microwave, and that’s only for 10-15 minutes. Over 95% or our electricity needs can be met with my Yamaha 1000 generator, which I always have with us. To keep from having to unplug from the Yamaha, plug in to the Generac and fire it up just to zap a frozen dinner, then shut it down again and swap back to the Yamaha, I installed a 1500 pure sine inverter that can run the microwave while the Yamaha is running.

You gotta do what fits your style best. I’ve kept an eye on the parts availability for our Generacs, and you’re right, they are getting scarce and expensive. Some aren’t available at all as a new part, only refurbished or used. If anything major breaks on mine it’s coming out. When you pull yours out, don’t forget about the separate inverter unit that will be installed somewhere close to the generator. Not sure where they put them on the 1161, but it won’t be very far away. The connecting cable is only about six feet long. It’s in the step below the dinet slide in my camper.

Good luck, and let us know how the replacement works out!

:):)

[sleepy]

I don’t want anything I can’t stop and Start from inside rather camper

Or anything I have to plug in... except at home.

We have traveled for more than 6 months at a time... never opening the extension cord door.

Thanks.... your way would work for most people.

If I decide to buy a new Onan it will be because I’m not sure how many Generac specific parts will be available in the future... I have a world of trouble finding repairmen or parts now.

I am carefully weighing ever suggestion now.