Onan or Generac?

Onan, probably. It has always been a higher-grade product than Generac.

But when you introduce cost, and what could fit in the 20” compartment of
my 23’ coach, Generac made one that fit and was affordable.

I followed Ken Henderson down that rabbit hole. :) Both had a problem in
the first 100 hours. He replaced his with a well-conceived conversion of a
contractor generator, but I was able to repair mine by replacing the shaft
speed sensor, which required a lot of disassembly.

A reliable original Onan is a great choice, but getting to that point
depends on the starting point. And it’s extremely heavy—mine was 400
pounds, and the Generac 100.

Rick “still using the Generac 14-15 years later” Denney

On Sun, Sep 22, 2019 at 7:38 AM tonka6cuda6--- via Gmclist <

> So given the choice....would you go Onan or Generac in the same KV rating
> and why?
> --
> Rich Mondor,
>
> Brockville, ON
>
> 77 Hughes 2600
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>
--
'73 X-Glacier 230 "Jaws"
Northern Virginia
Offlist email: rick at rickdenney dot com
 
When we evaluated radio properties for potential purchase, the lack of a genset capable of pulling the plant and one capable for the studio was
needed. If there were none or a Generac (fondly called junkerac by a lot of my peers in the industry)the price of a genset(s) was part of the
evaluation.

--johnny

--
Foolish Carriage, 76 26' Eleganza(?) with beaucoup mods and add - ons.
Braselton, Ga.
I forgive them all, save those who hurt the dogs. They must answer to me in hell
 
> When we evaluated radio properties for potential purchase, the lack of a genset capable of pulling the plant and one capable for the studio was
> needed. If there were none or a Generac (fondly called junkerac by a lot of my peers in the industry)the price of a genset(s) was part of the
> evaluation.
>
> --johnny

So your basically saying the price is directly proportional to the quality?
--
Rich Mondor,

Brockville, ON

77 Hughes 2600
 
My 2 cents worth. It kinda comes down to the question, "Are you the kind of
guy who wants to just fix it to get through today, or a Once and it is done
forever guy". Generac runs at 3600 rpm, Onan at 1800 rpm. One is a pot
metal engine, one old school cast iron. One will outlive you, one won't.
Your choice.
Jim Hupy
Salem, Oregon

On Sun, Sep 22, 2019, 8:04 AM tonka6cuda6--- via Gmclist <

> > When we evaluated radio properties for potential purchase, the lack of a
> genset capable of pulling the plant and one capable for the studio was
> > needed. If there were none or a Generac (fondly called junkerac by a
> lot of my peers in the industry)the price of a genset(s) was part of the
> > evaluation.
> >
> > --johnny
>
> So your basically saying the price is directly proportional to the
> quality?
> --
> Rich Mondor,
>
> Brockville, ON
>
> 77 Hughes 2600
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>
 
> My 2 cents worth. It kinda comes down to the question, "Are you the kind of
> guy who wants to just fix it to get through today, or a Once and it is done
> forever guy". Generac runs at 3600 rpm, Onan at 1800 rpm. One is a pot
> metal engine, one old school cast iron. One will outlive you, one won't.
> Your choice.
> Jim Hupy
> Salem, Oregon
>
> On Sun, Sep 22, 2019, 8:04 AM tonka6cuda6--- via Gmclist <

>

> >> When we evaluated radio properties for potential purchase, the lack of a
> > genset capable of pulling the plant and one capable for the studio was
> >> needed. If there were none or a Generac (fondly called junkerac by a
> > lot of my peers in the industry)the price of a genset(s) was part of the
> >> evaluation.
> >>
> >> --johnny
> >
> > So your basically saying the price is directly proportional to the
> > quality?
> > --
> > Rich Mondor,
> >
> > Brockville, ON
> >
> > 77 Hughes 2600
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > GMCnet mailing list
> > Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> > http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
> >
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org

Gotcha Jim.....go Honda.....lol. :lol:

--
Rich Mondor,

Brockville, ON

77 Hughes 2600
 
We didn't concern ourselves as much about price as about longterm reliability. When I retired, one of our plants had a Dear John and one had a
Kohler. They were reliable but cost a bit more in the long run to maintain than the Onans we had at the other three plants and studios. Most
reliable was a 30KW Onan which had a 300 CID Ford truck motor running on natural gas with a propane backup system.

--johnny

--
Foolish Carriage, 76 26' Eleganza(?) with beaucoup mods and add - ons.
Braselton, Ga.
I forgive them all, save those who hurt the dogs. They must answer to me in hell
 
Why put in units that are discontinued,
We can quote very competitive price on Onan.
Plus ski you what to do to install

On Sun, Sep 22, 2019 at 8:51 AM Johnny Bridges via Gmclist <

> We didn't concern ourselves as much about price as about longterm
> reliability. When I retired, one of our plants had a Dear John and one had
> a
> Kohler. They were reliable but cost a bit more in the long run to
> maintain than the Onans we had at the other three plants and studios. Most
> reliable was a 30KW Onan which had a 300 CID Ford truck motor running on
> natural gas with a propane backup system.
>
> --johnny
>
>
> --
> Foolish Carriage, 76 26' Eleganza(?) with beaucoup mods and add - ons.
> Braselton, Ga.
> I forgive them all, save those who hurt the dogs. They must answer to me
> in hell
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>
--
Jim Kanomata
Applied/GMC, Newark,CA
jimk
http://www.appliedgmc.com
1-800-752-7502
 
> Why put in units that are discontinued,
> We can quote very competitive price on Onan.
> Plus ski you what to do to install
>
> On Sun, Sep 22, 2019 at 8:51 AM Johnny Bridges via Gmclist <

>
> > We didn't concern ourselves as much about price as about longterm
> > reliability. When I retired, one of our plants had a Dear John and one had
> > a
> > Kohler. They were reliable but cost a bit more in the long run to
> > maintain than the Onans we had at the other three plants and studios. Most
> > reliable was a 30KW Onan which had a 300 CID Ford truck motor running on
> > natural gas with a propane backup system.
> >
> > --johnny
> >
> >
> > --
> > Foolish Carriage, 76 26' Eleganza(?) with beaucoup mods and add - ons.
> > Braselton, Ga.
> > I forgive them all, save those who hurt the dogs. They must answer to me
> > in hell
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > GMCnet mailing list
> > Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> > http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
> >
> --
> Jim Kanomata
> Applied/GMC, Newark,CA
> jimk
> http://www.appliedgmc.com
> 1-800-752-7502
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org

Jim i would love a new one but the OWMBO says that the windshields come first so used its has to be....and just to be fair i would be very happy to
support your business but at 30% exchange, duty, tax plus shipping the price would be crippling.

--
Rich Mondor,

Brockville, ON

77 Hughes 2600
 
Back when I still was gainfully employed by the Oregon Department of
Corrections as a Vocational Instructor in the Small Engine/Power Mechanics
trade program, I had many occasions to work on projects from other
government agencies. One of the more common projects were back up
emergency generators in various sizes, from 10 KW to 30 KW. Various fuels
powered them, Natural Gas, Propane, Diesel, Gasoline, and Bio-gas, a
by-product of the sewage treatment process. Far and away, the most popular
plants were Cummins/Onan running on natural gas or propane from 1000 gallon
tanks.
Requirements for emergency back-up equipment required a quick startup
procedure that was triggered by an interruption of electricity. All of the
plants had included as part of their maintenance schedules, at least
monthly testing. Some in sensitive agencies were more frequent. So, I saw
them fairly often. Frequent oil changes on a calendar timetable, not hours
of use. Battery maintenance, cables, switch gear all got their fair share.
I saw very few Generac or Honda plants. Waukesha and Cummings
predominated the market.
Should tell you something about reliability.
Jim Hupy
Salem, Oregon

On Sun, Sep 22, 2019, 9:28 AM Jim Kanomata via Gmclist <

> Why put in units that are discontinued,
> We can quote very competitive price on Onan.
> Plus ski you what to do to install
>
> On Sun, Sep 22, 2019 at 8:51 AM Johnny Bridges via Gmclist <

>
> > We didn't concern ourselves as much about price as about longterm
> > reliability. When I retired, one of our plants had a Dear John and one
> had
> > a
> > Kohler. They were reliable but cost a bit more in the long run to
> > maintain than the Onans we had at the other three plants and studios.
> Most
> > reliable was a 30KW Onan which had a 300 CID Ford truck motor running on
> > natural gas with a propane backup system.
> >
> > --johnny
> >
> >
> > --
> > Foolish Carriage, 76 26' Eleganza(?) with beaucoup mods and add - ons.
> > Braselton, Ga.
> > I forgive them all, save those who hurt the dogs. They must answer to me
> > in hell
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > GMCnet mailing list
> > Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> > http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
> >
> --
> Jim Kanomata
> Applied/GMC, Newark,CA
> jimk
> http://www.appliedgmc.com
> 1-800-752-7502
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>
 
RickM,
While the Honda’s are damned good units, they won’t outlive an old school onan, and they cost as much or more than the Onan to fix when they fail.

As I suggested a while back, check Craigslist, Facebook market place, Kijiji etc. In the northern NY areas I frequently see Onan gensets suitable for use in our coaches. I also see the occasional EV series Honda water cooled, but they still sell on the high side, and are getting harder to find in good shape. There are a couple of Onan 4000w RV units for ~$500 currently on FB Marketplace in the New England area. There is also a 2800 microlite unit available.

A road trip is the best way to get them because you get to evaluate the genset before committing.

Les Burt
Montreal
'75 Eleganza 26'

>
> Back when I still was gainfully employed by the Oregon Department of
> Corrections as a Vocational Instructor in the Small Engine/Power Mechanics
> trade program, I had many occasions to work on projects from other
> government agencies. One of the more common projects were back up
> emergency generators in various sizes, from 10 KW to 30 KW. Various fuels
> powered them, Natural Gas, Propane, Diesel, Gasoline, and Bio-gas, a
> by-product of the sewage treatment process. Far and away, the most popular
> plants were Cummins/Onan running on natural gas or propane from 1000 gallon
> tanks.
> Requirements for emergency back-up equipment required a quick startup
> procedure that was triggered by an interruption of electricity. All of the
> plants had included as part of their maintenance schedules, at least
> monthly testing. Some in sensitive agencies were more frequent. So, I saw
> them fairly often. Frequent oil changes on a calendar timetable, not hours
> of use. Battery maintenance, cables, switch gear all got their fair share.
> I saw very few Generac or Honda plants. Waukesha and Cummings
> predominated the market.
> Should tell you something about reliability.
> Jim Hupy
> Salem, Oregon
>
> On Sun, Sep 22, 2019, 9:28 AM Jim Kanomata via Gmclist <

>
>> Why put in units that are discontinued,
>> We can quote very competitive price on Onan.
>> Plus ski you what to do to install
>>
>> On Sun, Sep 22, 2019 at 8:51 AM Johnny Bridges via Gmclist <

>>
>>> We didn't concern ourselves as much about price as about longterm
>>> reliability. When I retired, one of our plants had a Dear John and one
>> had
>>> a
>>> Kohler. They were reliable but cost a bit more in the long run to
>>> maintain than the Onans we had at the other three plants and studios.
>> Most
>>> reliable was a 30KW Onan which had a 300 CID Ford truck motor running on
>>> natural gas with a propane backup system.
>>>
>>> --johnny
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Foolish Carriage, 76 26' Eleganza(?) with beaucoup mods and add - ons.
>>> Braselton, Ga.
>>> I forgive them all, save those who hurt the dogs. They must answer to me
>>> in hell
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> GMCnet mailing list
>>> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
>>> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>>>
>> --
>> Jim Kanomata
>> Applied/GMC, Newark,CA
>> jimk
>> http://www.appliedgmc.com
>> 1-800-752-7502
>> _______________________________________________
>> GMCnet mailing list
>> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
>> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
 
The only onan I would pass on is a used Microlite. They're 3600RPM units, and the first ones had a bit of a problem making moving parts round, which
led to early failures. We went through four or five before they got their act together and quit failing commutators/ignition stuff and the like. The
last ones we got seemed to be OK. Before I'd buy a used one, I'd find out when it was made and if it's an early one, shine it on. I took one back to
Ricky (best Onan tech ever) and he quietly pointed to a pile of them in the corner of the shop. His advice was skip it for a few months, they're
supposed to be correcting the problem. I bought a two-bit Ryobi and let the remote kids use it until it croaked about a year in at which point Ricky
said the new Onans were solid. They were. Jimmy the K may have a better insight into this, it's merely our experience with them in Georgia heat in
the big city running five - six hours at a time, but a couple of dog friends who had them had the same troubles till they got newer ones.

--johnny
--
Foolish Carriage, 76 26' Eleganza(?) with beaucoup mods and add - ons.
Braselton, Ga.
I forgive them all, save those who hurt the dogs. They must answer to me in hell
 
> The only onan I would pass on is a used Microlite. They're 3600RPM units, and the first ones had a bit of a problem making moving parts round,
> which led to early failures. We went through four or five before they got their act together and quit failing commutators/ignition stuff and the
> like. The last ones we got seemed to be OK. Before I'd buy a used one, I'd find out when it was made and if it's an early one, shine it on. I
> took one back to Ricky (best Onan tech ever) and he quietly pointed to a pile of them in the corner of the shop. His advice was skip it for a few
> months, they're supposed to be correcting the problem. I bought a two-bit Ryobi and let the remote kids use it until it croaked about a year in at
> which point Ricky said the new Onans were solid. They were. Jimmy the K may have a better insight into this, it's merely our experience with them
> in Georgia heat in the big city running five - six hours at a time, but a couple of dog friends who had them had the same troubles till they got
> newer ones.
>
> --johnny

Yah i saw a microlite and though to myself "that isnt going to cut it"....lol.

--
Rich Mondor,

Brockville, ON

77 Hughes 2600
 
Les im on the hunt trust me....been burning through the sites and following up on a few of interest but there is so much conflicting info on the sites
about what is "best", even on here....lol. Im not really in a rush but we need one.

And to compound the issue im going to put 2 heat pump-A/C units on the roof...the PO took the furnace out a long time ago and that should kill 2 birds
with one stone.

Les Burt[1

> While the Honda's are damned good units, they won't outlive an old school onan, and they cost as much or more than the Onan to fix when they fail.
>
>
> As I suggested a while back, check Craigslist, Facebook market place, Kijiji etc. In the northern NY areas I frequently see Onan gensets suitable
> for use in our coaches. I also see the occasional EV series Honda water cooled, but they still sell on the high side, and are getting harder to find
> in good shape. There are a couple of Onan 4000w RV units for ~$500 currently on FB Marketplace in the New England area. There is also a 2800
> microlite unit available.
>
> A road trip is the best way to get them because you get to evaluate the genset before committing.
>
>
> Les Burt
> Montreal
> '75 Eleganza 26'
>
>

> >
> > Back when I still was gainfully employed by the Oregon Department of
> > Corrections as a Vocational Instructor in the Small Engine/Power Mechanics
> > trade program, I had many occasions to work on projects from other
> > government agencies. One of the more common projects were back up
> > emergency generators in various sizes, from 10 KW to 30 KW. Various fuels
> > powered them, Natural Gas, Propane, Diesel, Gasoline, and Bio-gas, a
> > by-product of the sewage treatment process. Far and away, the most popular
> > plants were Cummins/Onan running on natural gas or propane from 1000 gallon
> > tanks.
> > Requirements for emergency back-up equipment required a quick startup
> > procedure that was triggered by an interruption of electricity. All of the
> > plants had included as part of their maintenance schedules, at least
> > monthly testing. Some in sensitive agencies were more frequent. So, I saw
> > them fairly often. Frequent oil changes on a calendar timetable, not hours
> > of use. Battery maintenance, cables, switch gear all got their fair share.
> > I saw very few Generac or Honda plants. Waukesha and Cummings
> > predominated the market.
> > Should tell you something about reliability.
> > Jim Hupy
> > Salem, Oregon
> >

> >
> >> Why put in units that are discontinued,
> >> We can quote very competitive price on Onan.
> >> Plus ski you what to do to install
> >>

> >>
> >>> We didn't concern ourselves as much about price as about longterm
> >>> reliability. When I retired, one of our plants had a Dear John and one
> >> had
> >>> a
> >>> Kohler. They were reliable but cost a bit more in the long run to
> >>> maintain than the Onans we had at the other three plants and studios.
> >> Most
> >>> reliable was a 30KW Onan which had a 300 CID Ford truck motor running on
> >>> natural gas with a propane backup system.
> >>>
> >>> --johnny
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> --
> >>> Foolish Carriage, 76 26' Eleganza(?) with beaucoup mods and add - ons.
> >>> Braselton, Ga.
> >>> I forgive them all, save those who hurt the dogs. They must answer to me
> >>> in hell
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> _______________________________________________
> >>> GMCnet mailing list
> >>> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> >>> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
> >>>
> >> --
> >> Jim Kanomata
> >> Applied/GMC, Newark,CA
> >> jimk
> >> http://www.appliedgmc.com
> >> 1-800-752-7502
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> GMCnet mailing list
> >> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> >> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
> >>
> > _______________________________________________
> > GMCnet mailing list
> > Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> > http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org

--
Rich Mondor,

Brockville, ON

77 Hughes 2600
 
Problem is, the Microlite was the only one designed to be fitted under the floor of a van like an Econoline or Chev. Everything else is too big in
one domension or another and had to be mounted inside the van.

--johnny
--
Foolish Carriage, 76 26' Eleganza(?) with beaucoup mods and add - ons.
Braselton, Ga.
I forgive them all, save those who hurt the dogs. They must answer to me in hell
 
Will that fit in a 23’ GMC ? :) :)

>
> We didn't concern ourselves as much about price as about longterm reliability. When I retired, one of our plants had a Dear John and one had a
> Kohler. They were reliable but cost a bit more in the long run to maintain than the Onans we had at the other three plants and studios. Most
> reliable was a 30KW Onan which had a 300 CID Ford truck motor running on natural gas with a propane backup system.
>
> --johnny
>
 
Emory, it won't fit, it's an inline six and the fan would be in front of the grille. And compared to the 455 as prime mover it's a little short on
oomph. :)

Question for Jim K - is the current Emerald series the belt drive system with the vertical shaft V twin running 2400 RPM? Fitted one in our bread
truck and it worked well.

As to heat pumps, I put one in the front of the 23'. Which still had the furnace fortunately, because below 40 degrees, they shut down. Perfect for
a chilly morning to get the chill out while the coffee perks but not much for cold unless there's a heat strip- in there too. I'd keep the furnace
'just in case'.

And as to Generac, they built a variable speed 3600 Watt genset with multiple windings to get the best of both inverter and inertia sets. It was a
great idea, and if it hadn't been built to a price point it might of been a practical one as well. Disfortunately, it was lacking some circuitry and
windings to keep it working over time. Ask Ken Henderson about his trials and tribulations with one. I gave mine to Briere along with the 23' which
had a Freight, Harbor genset installed in place of the Generac. He may have changed back, or may not have. He wanted it, I sure didn't, it's gone.

--johnny

--
Foolish Carriage, 76 26' Eleganza(?) with beaucoup mods and add - ons.
Braselton, Ga.
I forgive them all, save those who hurt the dogs. They must answer to me in hell
 
Johnny
You missed the point of my post. You had posted "most reliable was a 30KW Onan which had a 300 CID Ford truck motor running on natural gas with a propane backup system.”

I was responding, tongue in cheek, to that sentence. I was asking if the 30KW Onan would fit into the Onan compartment on a 23 foot.
It was meant to be humorous. I was not asking if the engine would replace the 455 or 403 engines in our motorhomes. I know a 300 cid Ford engine would not work in our motorhomes.

I also knew that a 30 kWh generator would’t fit either!

Emery Stora
77 Kingsley
Frederick, CO

>
> Emory, it won't fit, it's an inline six and the fan would be in front of the grille. And compared to the 455 as prime mover it's a little short on
> oomph. :)
>
> Question for Jim K - is the current Emerald series the belt drive system with the vertical shaft V twin running 2400 RPM? Fitted one in our bread
> truck and it worked well.
>
> As to heat pumps, I put one in the front of the 23'. Which still had the furnace fortunately, because below 40 degrees, they shut down. Perfect for
> a chilly morning to get the chill out while the coffee perks but not much for cold unless there's a heat strip- in there too. I'd keep the furnace
> 'just in case'.
>
> And as to Generac, they built a variable speed 3600 Watt genset with multiple windings to get the best of both inverter and inertia sets. It was a
> great idea, and if it hadn't been built to a price point it might have been a practical one as well. Disfortunately, it was lacking some circuitry and
> windings to keep it working over time. Ask Ken Henderson about his trials and tribulations with one. I gave mine to Briere along with the 23' which
> had a Freight, Harbor genset installed in place of the Generac. He may have changed back, or may not have. He wanted it, I sure didn't, it's gone.
>
> --johnny
>
 
Ha! If GMC made a 23’ flatbed trailer, maybe.

A local ham club I play radio with was gifted a 30KW Kohler, which used a
(large) four-cylinder diesel. We put it on a flatbed trailer, installed a
tank, restored it, and for a while we used it to power a contesting site
occupied by 20 people, all with campers and RVs, and not to mention the
1500-watt radios. Tom Phipps will remember that. That trailer required a
substantial tow vehicle.

But what fits in a 23’ coach is the $64 question. Nothing does. That
Generac Impact 36G was the only one that was designed for RV use. The
Impact “Plus” version was not that bad, once the birthing issues were
resolved. But I use it about two dozen hours a year, while Johnnie’s
radio-station gig trucks probably did that every week for 40 weeks a year.
Actually, it’s less than that—I don’t think I have 200 hours on it yet.

26’ coaches present more options.

Rick “who designed his generator compartment to provide relatively easy tip
access” Denney

On Sun, Sep 22, 2019 at 6:08 PM Emery Stora via Gmclist <

> Will that fit in a 23’ GMC ? :) :)
>
> --
'73 X-Glacier 230 "Jaws"
Northern Virginia
Offlist email: rick at rickdenney dot com
 
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