Onboard and Air Conditioner.

[Glacier_D]

Recently ran into this issue with my air conditioner running off my onboard generator.
While at a rest area I went to run my AC off the Onan Camp 2500 onboard and as soon as the compressor kicked in the generator shutdown. Tried this a few times and same issue, checked to make sure nothing else was on and still the same issue. Pulled out my Honda 2000 and fired it up, ran the AC just fine.
The Onan runs great and will power my coffee maker or microwave with no issues, it's only when the AC runs that I have this problem. The onboard ran my AC last Summer, however, my onboard was pulled out this winter to replace the entire exhaust system (thank you WSDOT).
Any Ideas? As I said the AC runs great and the onboard runs great, just not together.

[lonegunman]

jimh425 wrote:
It's a 2500 watt generator. How does 1500 x 2 work?

Yes. Some combination of switches should equal 2500 +/-

[jimh406]

It's a 2500 watt generator. How does 1500 x 2 work?

[lonegunman]

The easiest way to check it for max power is two 1500 watt space heaters. They are a straight resistive load and will suck the life out of a poorly performing gennie. Plug one it to full power and then the other at low, then high. If it bogs down and dies go yell at the Cummins goon.

[Ski_Pro_3]

So the ONLY thing that's changed is Cummins NorthWest put their meathooks into it. I still believe the fuel isn't adjusted right; can't put out enough propane to handle full load, but enough is there for partial load.

Try this;

It's a 2500 watt genny. Plug in stuff that adds up to 2500 watts. Start with a small space heater for example; maybe 1500 watts. Then a blow dryer at 1000 to 1500 watts. If your genny handles a full 2500 watts from those, then try turning them on at once, not one at a time. If your genny can handle that but not the AC and the Honda 2000 can handle the AC, then
...................................

you might want to check the genny polarity of the outlet plug. They may have swapped hot and neutral or neutral and ground. Being as this is a built in genny, all three, hot, neutral, ground are probably all hooked up. A portable genny like the honda won't be hard tied to the ground, so it wouldn't realize a fault and not trip.

Hope something here helps.

[Glacier_D]

It's propane and worked fine last Summer with the AC and worked all Winter running things such as the microwave and coffee maker, just won't run the AC and shuts down.

[Ski_Pro_3]

If it's a propane generator, they need to be adjusted for full load or they will starve for fuel. Most people set 'em for best idle or best high RPM with little to no load. When adjusted for full load, they are not the easiest start though.

I would bet it's just not set right. IF it's propane that is.

[Bedlam]

I would have Cummins NW load test your Onan - They didn't put things back together properly. It can be something as simple as a poor conducting connection or the regulator springs being damaged while being repaired.

[Glacier_D]

All repairs were done by Cummins Northwest in Yakima and when I post about WSDOT it's for all the salt they use on the hwy passes.

[Bedlam]

Did you replace your header and muffler with an OEM Onan or did you use something else? Maybe your new exhaust is more restrictive and not allowing the engine to ramp up quick enough when a load is applied.

[Fastbrit]

Had the same problem.
I found out that on the RPM adjusting screw the spring was not making contact so the RPM decreased with the vibrations to 2800. I Simply give more tension to the spring and adjust the RPM back to 3600 problem solved;)

[jimh406]

Weird that WSDOT cared about your onboard generator. Sounds like a generic generator problem. I'd say it's more likely that the air intake is clogged or you have some insects in the hose. http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/17725793/print/true.cfm for one thread. But, also I'd try the cold weather adjustment as well.