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Old 06-24-2018, 11:38 PM   #1
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Model: A.C.E. 30.2 Bunkhouse
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Road so rough generator stopped working

Anyone ever experienced this? Coming back thru Georgia, driving north from Savannah, those highways are EXTREMELY rough and in disrepair. In fact, we hit at least three “holes” in the road that shook our 30.2 ace so severely and so violently that the generator stopped running/producing electricity. I told my wife that everyone that works in the Georgia highway department needs to be fired! I’m just hoping that everything works when we take her out again next weekend...I don’t see how they stay together, and how anything still works after a shaking like that. Anyhoo, is the generator shutting off a normal/safety issue? Any of y’all ever experienced the same?

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Old 06-26-2018, 09:48 PM   #2
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No one else has experienced this? Replying hoping to get a bite...
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Old 06-26-2018, 10:17 PM   #3
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I've never seen it happen... but there might be some sort of safety sensor that shuts things down in extreme angle situations.
Perhaps the bumps just upset that sensor??
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Old 06-26-2018, 10:18 PM   #4
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It's all those trucks full of moonshine from Kentucky tearing up our roads...go through Alabama.
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Old 06-26-2018, 10:25 PM   #5
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...Or stop and stay a while: at a local distillery!

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Old 06-26-2018, 11:57 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LockChuck92 View Post
....cut.... Coming back thru Georgia, driving north from Savannah, those highways are EXTREMELY rough and in disrepair. In fact, we hit at least three “holes” in the road that shook our 30.2 ace so severely and so violently that the generator stopped running/producing electricity. ....cut....
It's not to excuse poor roads in any way, but those conditions are exactly when CHF causes more of a problem than a fix.

It may have not made it that much worse (it's impossible to quantify without measurements), but CHF certainly didn't help. Suspension tuning involves compromise, and you experienced one of them.
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Old 06-27-2018, 12:44 PM   #7
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It's not to excuse poor roads in any way, but those conditions are exactly when CHF causes more of a problem than a fix.

It may have not made it that much worse (it's impossible to quantify without measurements), but CHF certainly didn't help. Suspension tuning involves compromise, and you experienced one of them.
I get what you’re saying, and stiffening up the suspension with the chf no doubt changes the ride, but I also added Sumo springs and a rear sway bar. The sumos DRAMATICALLY help to absorb bumps and humps, and that’s one of the reasons I was concerned about the gennie cutting off. Like most of us (I think), I usually stay below the speed limit (I’m never in a hurry driving my rig &#128521 so excessive speed isn’t an issue. I might contact onan and see if they can shed some light on it.
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Old 06-27-2018, 01:02 PM   #8
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Originally Posted by Bob Denman View Post
...Or stop and stay a while: at a local distillery!

http://www.thorforums.com/forums/att...1&d=1530051923
And yes, Bob, if you’re trekking through the bluegrass you’ve gotta hit the Bourbon trail! But if you’re gonna partake of the samples, just make sure somebody else is driving your rig!!
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Old 06-27-2018, 02:18 PM   #9
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It’s indeed possible that the Onan would have cut out even if suspension was completely stock. You’re right in pursuing that separately.

I was mostly commenting about the negative aspects of improving one area (like roll stiffness) which comes at the expense of a rougher ride. The F-53 chassis already lacks independent wheel travel, and adding stiffer sway bars makes the sprung mass move even less independent (from side to side). Additionally, adding springs like Sumos makes the suspension stiffer, which transfers higher forces for a given amount of wheel travel, as when driving over a hole in the road.

I don’t doubt you feel the Sumos help “absorb” bumps, but they are not shock absorbers. On a large suspension impacts, they have to be more jarring. It’s simple physics that can’t be overcome.

Objectively, for any vehicle to handle rough roads with pot holes better, it needs a lot of suspension travel and relatively soft springing. Unfortunately, if they built basic motorhomes that way, they would lean so much on turns that drivers would freak out. Basically, it’s a compromise between less lean (roll) and rougher ride on bad roads.
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Old 06-27-2018, 03:01 PM   #10
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Originally Posted by LockChuck92 View Post
And yes, Bob, if you’re trekking through the bluegrass you’ve gotta hit the Bourbon trail! But if you’re gonna partake of the samples, just make sure somebody else is driving your rig!!
Isn't that what "Cruise Control" is for?
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Old 06-27-2018, 07:20 PM   #11
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Most small engines I've owned have a low oil sensor switch. These are safety measures that prevent running with low oil and damaging the engine. The bumps can cause the sensor to detect low oil. I've also seen this happen just from parking on the side of the road where the RV slopes to the side. Check issue running on flat smooth surface and also check to see if the oil is low.
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Old 06-28-2018, 01:40 AM   #12
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Originally Posted by The Gritz Carlton View Post
It's all those trucks full of moonshine from Kentucky tearing up our roads...go through Alabama.
How much fuel did u have

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Old 06-28-2018, 02:33 AM   #13
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I didn't realize that about Georgia. Louisiana has the worst roads we've ever seen. We drove through the state 3 weeks ago on our way to Texas from from Florida. We traded our 2016 Thor Hurricane 31S for a 2017 Thor Venetian A40. We're in love with our new coach but I-10, I-49 and I-20 tore our gas coach apart. The dash board lifted on the driver's side. It was so loud banging down the highway we couldn't talk to each other for 184 miles. Who ever designed they're interstate system should be out of a job. We were actually worried they would find damage and dock our trade-in value. Luckily they didn't dig very deep and all worked out. The diesel pusher on the way back was a dream, I actually slept through that mess as the seems in the roads rocked me to sleep lol.
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Old 06-28-2018, 11:11 AM   #14
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there are few roads 'north' of Savannah.... do you mean South Carolina??

17 and 21 from Savannah are quickly into South Carolina
I95 from Savannah is also quickly into South Carolina...
these are all also major shipping/trucking lanes from the port of Savannah
(Port Wentworth)
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Old 06-30-2018, 08:00 PM   #15
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One reason that we don't return to the NE very often are the roads. Of course most urban highways are the pits (literally).

I am curious about the location of the generator on you RV. Is it close to the front or rear axel? If so, it is located where the ride is the roughest. My bus students used to like to sit over the rear axle during frost heave season for the fun of flying off the seat at times.

I wonder if the carburetor float is bouncing like the kids and if it doesn't come down properly, the float bowl can run out of gas.

I have hit awfully rough roads with our RV and never had the generator turn off by itself.

Why doesn't Onan go to fuel injection? My zero turn mower and most of my motorcycles are fuel injected...zero problems in several years.
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Old 07-01-2018, 12:00 AM   #16
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I concur. Gotta check the oil level every time you use the generator. I keep a quart in the generator compartment at all times.
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Old 07-01-2018, 07:46 PM   #17
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Had it happen one time, I found that the generator has a kill switch if it detects low oil and it doesn't take much.
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Old 07-07-2018, 08:55 PM   #18
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Angry Generator quit

I know the road. Some roads in MS the same. Down hill with low gas tank will stave Genny too.
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Old 07-07-2018, 09:51 PM   #19
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Yes. Happened 2016 in our then brand new Windsport, on the Interstate in Arizona. Talk about a rough road! The error code on the generator showed a fuel problem, so we had the fuel pump replaced under warranty in Lake Havasu. Did not fix the problem. Later that year we had the RV back at the factory for a long list of repairs, most of which were done quite well, but they could not duplicate the problem. My local RV tech recommended we install another hanger for the genny exhaust, said the factory install was not sufficient to support it. We did that, but have not yet had it out on the road to test. I read a lot on other forums about bits of plastic from the factory installation clogging the fuel filter, or washing around the intake in the fuel tank. We replaced the fuel filter, found no visible clogs, so that was probably not the issue. Going camping soon, hope the issue is fixed, or we'll have another hot trip.
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Old 07-07-2018, 10:33 PM   #20
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Question: why are you running your generator while driving down the
highway? To run the A/C?

If you have less than 1/4 tank of fuel the generator will shut down, also
if the road is rough that bouncing will cause float to bounce.

Heat is also a factor, we tried running the generator to run the A/C in
Arizona in the heat (104 degrees) and the generator shut down. This was
in a 2015 Thor Hurricane 34E gas class A MH.
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