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Old 07-18-2017, 12:35 PM   #41
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The fuel pump on our genny died the 2nd trip out with the new coach. Genny wouldn't run until we got the pump replaced.

In those cases, though, the Onan/Cummins guys said the pump just dies and doesn't run again.

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Old 07-18-2017, 01:11 PM   #42
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Originally Posted by dstankov View Post
I wouldn't rule out the fuel pump. Onan had a run of bad fuel pumps a while back and they could still be making appearances. The Onan in my prior class c required a new fuel pump with less than 10 hours on the generator.

I had my coach out this passed weekend and ran the generator out and back home for AC purposes. 95 degrees outside and the generator ran both directions (2 hours each way) with no issues.
Wouldn't a bad fuel pump also cause the genset to not run wben parked.....or at least idle roughly under a full load? Genset runs flawlessly when parked.
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Old 07-18-2017, 02:43 PM   #43
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yes, perhaps but so will the heat. I had my genny shut down lots when parked....and I'm convinced it was heat. heat form the V-10 that had just been running.... heat from the hot parking lot inches below the genny...etc...
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Old 07-18-2017, 04:43 PM   #44
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I've read on other forums about owners adding an inline electric pump before the Onan pump and it has cured their problems. Electric pumps are not expensive and it would be a simple addition. Might be worth investigating and doing, nothing else seems to be working.

We just made a trip to Galveston and back, generator and both AC's running the entire time, about 4 hours each way, generator never hiccuped once.
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Old 07-18-2017, 05:13 PM   #45
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that was going to be the next thing I was going to try, auxiliary low pressure pump closer to the fuel tank.....may still be up next on my hit list if my issues turn out to not be resolved after all.... but after a 19 day trip through the desert I'm feeling pretty good about it....
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Old 08-11-2017, 03:38 PM   #46
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THOR #3510
Generator pump running

We posted our problem on another feed in June . However, it seems appropriate to post our outcome here.
We experienced our generator pump running, when we had not attempted to turn on the generator . Ron could not get it to stop, and he could not turn on the generator to alleviate the problem....none of the generator related switches responded.
Ron disconnected the power supply to stop the pump.
We had not needed the generator in subsequent trips/outings during July.
Today, Ron re-attached the power supply bundle to the generator..and it fired up and the pump ok. Problem solved....an apparent glitch somewhere !

Passing along this information, in case someone experiences the same problem, before jumping in and working on the switches, fuses etc....or worse,taking it to an RV Repair !!
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Old 08-11-2017, 05:42 PM   #47
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Thanks for the update and solution. Hope it doesn't act up again on you.
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Old 08-15-2017, 03:07 AM   #48
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Generator Overheating

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Originally Posted by Rodger View Post
HI.....Rodger here. We have a 2012 Hurricane..Bought Brand New...Since day one there have been same issue as you are having. HAve gone back and forth with Thor and Cummis..Thor says call Cummis. Cummis say poor installation...5 years later after trying to give more air venlation and dollars spent. Still can't get the 5500 Genset to stay on in ordertorunthe AC in the main cabin while driving on Hot days. THere is no error to the system other than there should have been proper air circulation...This is a Manfacture defect and Thor / Cummins won't own up too it..... WHy should we as consumes have to find a fix to their problem UNHAPPY CAMPER.
Rodger,

You are not alone. I live in the Phoenix area and of course our temperatures are on the extreme side in the late spring, summer and early fall (if there is a fall). Camping World (CW) and Thor have kicked the can back and forth as I have had the same generator issue from day one in July of 2014. My generator will overheat, shut down, and then have the dreaded "36" error. After having it in an out of service with no resolution from CW, I finally told CW that I was going to parallel park it across their driveway and would not move it until someone helped my. CW's Regional VP got involved and eventually got the Thor Service Manager involved and he came to Mesa, AZ to look at my RV (a 2015 Thor Challenger 37KT with an Onan 5500). He stated that "During the drive that was performed the exhaust temperatures at the Ford tailpipe were approaching 475 degrees, and the intake temperature of the generator was already 123 degrees, which is the upper limit of the testing specifications by Onan for the generator at 120 degrees". At this point in time he passed the buck to Onan.

After not being able to use my RV for the past three summers, I was able to get some assistance from CW's Regional Service Manager who got me an appointment with the Cummins/Onan dealer here in town. When I first explained to him what was happening, he told me that the generator can not sit in the middle of the RV, surrounded by the exhaust (it runs behind and beside the generator on my RV), and not overheat. He explained that the heat is causing the fuel to boil and vapor locking the generator. He also said that people have cut ventilation holes in doors, put insulation and fans in the compartment, and wrapped the fuel lines, but that none of those items are a fix. In his opinion, the generator is in the wrong location to function properly. His only suggestions were to move the generator to the rear of the RV, or to install a new Onan 5500 with electronic fuel injection that is not subject to vapor locking.

I am supposed to get all this in writing so that I can go back to Thor with evidence of their design defect. I would be more than happy to share these results with anyone that is interested.

It has been a very frustrating three years with an RV that has spent more time at CW than actually camping!
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Old 08-15-2017, 05:48 AM   #49
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Rodger,

You are not alone. I live in the Phoenix area and of course our temperatures are on the extreme side in the late spring, summer and early fall (if there is a fall). Camping World (CW) and Thor have kicked the can back and forth as I have had the same generator issue from day one in July of 2014. My generator will overheat, shut down, and then have the dreaded "36" error. After having it in an out of service with no resolution from CW, I finally told CW that I was going to parallel park it across their driveway and would not move it until someone helped my. CW's Regional VP got involved and eventually got the Thor Service Manager involved and he came to Mesa, AZ to look at my RV (a 2015 Thor Challenger 37KT with an Onan 5500). He stated that "During the drive that was performed the exhaust temperatures at the Ford tailpipe were approaching 475 degrees, and the intake temperature of the generator was already 123 degrees, which is the upper limit of the testing specifications by Onan for the generator at 120 degrees". At this point in time he passed the buck to Onan.

After not being able to use my RV for the past three summers, I was able to get some assistance from CW's Regional Service Manager who got me an appointment with the Cummins/Onan dealer here in town. When I first explained to him what was happening, he told me that the generator can not sit in the middle of the RV, surrounded by the exhaust (it runs behind and beside the generator on my RV), and not overheat. He explained that the heat is causing the fuel to boil and vapor locking the generator. He also said that people have cut ventilation holes in doors, put insulation and fans in the compartment, and wrapped the fuel lines, but that none of those items are a fix. In his opinion, the generator is in the wrong location to function properly. His only suggestions were to move the generator to the rear of the RV, or to install a new Onan 5500 with electronic fuel injection that is not subject to vapor locking.

I am supposed to get all this in writing so that I can go back to Thor with evidence of their design defect. I would be more than happy to share these results with anyone that is interested.

It has been a very frustrating three years with an RV that has spent more time at CW than actually camping!
First thing I would do is add an inline electric fuel pump, this will stop the "vapor locking" problem. Adding an electric pump has cured many Onan generator problems.

Another solution would be go to a good custom muffler shop and have your exhaust rerouted.

Moving your generator is not really an option so you are going to have to work around the problem. IMHO
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Old 08-15-2017, 02:27 PM   #50
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Originally Posted by SuperD View Post
First thing I would do is add an inline electric fuel pump, this will stop the "vapor locking" problem. Adding an electric pump has cured many Onan generator problems.

Another solution would be go to a good custom muffler shop and have your exhaust rerouted.

Moving your generator is not really an option so you are going to have to work around the problem. IMHO
SuperD,

I agree, moving the generator is not an option.

I should be speaking to the CW Regional Service Manager and the Onan/Cummins dealer today (hopefully) and I will discuss adding an electric pump. We have such extreme temperatures here in AZ that the air below the generator is always above the temperatures the unit was designed to operate in. It has been a frustrating three years with Camping World and Thor pointing fingers at each other and nothing being done. Hopefully Onan/Cummins will be able to shed some light on this and provide a solution, even if it is replacing the current 5500 with one of the newer electronic fuel injection units. At this point in time I am considering trading this unit in on a diesel but I am not excited about taking a loss on a three year old RV.
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Old 08-16-2017, 02:28 PM   #51
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as a follow-up, I recently grabbed a picture of the vent I made up. I think I described it earlier, but it's basically two square louvers I bought at west marine, cut and epoxied together to make a rectangular louver

Then I fabricated a baffle using some silicone rubber and aluminum angle and bar form the hardware store. I'd say any flexible or semi flexible "rubber" or plastic would do for the baffle. Even something like plastic cut from an old tupperware container would work
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Old 08-16-2017, 02:31 PM   #52
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While maybe not the fix that Onan is telling you, I'm confident at this point that this, along with insulating and rerouting the fuel hose has together resolved my issue.

Sounds like you chassis exhaust might be on the same side as the generator. Fortunately mine is opposite. You might need to also include some insulating reflector to the back side of the genny itself if it's close....
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Old 08-16-2017, 02:56 PM   #53
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Originally Posted by blw2 View Post
as a follow-up, I recently grabbed a picture of the vent I made up. I think I described it earlier, but it's basically two square louvers I bought at west marine, cut and epoxied together to make a rectangular louver

Then I fabricated a baffle using some silicone rubber and aluminum angle and bar form the hardware store. I'd say any flexible or semi flexible "rubber" or plastic would do for the baffle. Even something like plastic cut from an old tupperware container would work
blw2,

That looks like a good fix. I noted that you have a grate or vent on your generator cover, did you do that also or did your generator come like that? My generator has a solid cover and even if I vent the compartment it will not necessarily get to the generator. I spoke to Onan/Cummins yesterday and part of the problem is the difference in ambient heat and the intake temperatures. The technician indicated that the ambient heat was approximately 111 degrees while they were testing, but the intake heat was between 135 and 140 degrees. Mind you this was sitting at Onan/Cummins and not on the road where the engine actually revs increasing exhaust temperatures that adds additional heat. Also, it was only in the 90s yesterday in Phoenix, not the 100s or 100-teens we often see here. Right now I still do not have a solution from Camping World, Thor or Onan/Cummins and it is frustrating to say the least to lose the use of my RV for months at a time.
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Old 08-16-2017, 03:17 PM   #54
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Originally Posted by kickingaz View Post
blw2,

That looks like a good fix. I noted that you have a grate or vent on your generator cover, did you do that also or did your generator come like that? My generator has a solid cover and even if I vent the compartment it will not necessarily get to the generator. I spoke to Onan/Cummins yesterday and part of the problem is the difference in ambient heat and the intake temperatures. The technician indicated that the ambient heat was approximately 111 degrees while they were testing, but the intake heat was between 135 and 140 degrees. Mind you this was sitting at Onan/Cummins and not on the road where the engine actually revs increasing exhaust temperatures that adds additional heat. Also, it was only in the 90s yesterday in Phoenix, not the 100s or 100-teens we often see here. Right now I still do not have a solution from Camping World, Thor or Onan/Cummins and it is frustrating to say the least to lose the use of my RV for months at a time.
If you mean the green part, then no that's Onan
You'rs must then be a different model and set-up.

That is the opening that my generator pulls all air in for.... it's a plenum, where the induction air pulls into the carb, and also the big fan connected to the engine pulls in all the cooling air through here.

In cases like mine, all that air is pulled through a space of an inch or two between the generator and that access door. It's just open below and around, so the air pulls in from under the chassis up through that narrow gap. Cutting a matching hole in the door and making up that baffle so that it can't pull air from under, just forces all the air to come from overboard....cooler and fresher air.

I have to wonder, where is your air intake then?
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Old 08-16-2017, 03:37 PM   #55
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blw2,

My air intake is on the bottom of the generator. As such, it takes in the heated air off the road which is why we are seeing temperatures of 140 degrees at the intake. this is probably an effective system in many states, but it doesn't do a lot for me in Arizona where you can fry eggs on the pavement.
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Old 08-16-2017, 04:18 PM   #56
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just thinking out loud, but maybe that is just a configuration onan produces
so
perhaps you could buy the door like I have
and a plate made to block off the bottom
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Old 09-22-2017, 06:10 PM   #57
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I am new to this forum as I just purchase a Chateau 29G in June. From day one, my Onan 4000 (mounted directly behind the driver next to the exhaust manifold) overheats after driving on the highway for about 45 minutes. Runs forever if stationary. I have been going back and forth with Cummins and Thor and get different answers each time I talk to someone different. My dealer first installed a fabricated heat shield from Thor which covered the back, sides and bottom of the genset... failed. They were then going to installl the vent in the door like some other posters here have done, but right before they were going to do it, another customer who they had just installed the vent for came back and said it still failed. I called Thor again and was first told the solution is to move the gen set away from the engine (obviously easier said than done) but received a call back later that day from Thor with the rep saying he had just been told there is a fix called a "Side Diverter Discharge Kit" that is an Onan part sold by Thor. I am awaiting the part to arrive and get installed. No idea what it is and find it funny that not even some of the Thor reps knew about it but he said his manager told him they have fixed several units with the same problem. I'm just frustrated that they keep selling these with this problem and no one seems to be on the same page about how to fix it.
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Old 09-22-2017, 06:22 PM   #58
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yeah, it does seem like something that Onan could do is to work better with the RV makers to steer the designed installations better. Maybe they are and the RV makers are hard headed / lazy....
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Old 09-22-2017, 06:32 PM   #59
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I'm just amazed that Thor's own people don't seem to have a clue what's going on or how to fix it. And it seems they have been having this problem for the past 4 or 5 years.
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Old 09-22-2017, 07:12 PM   #60
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yeah, it does seem like something that Onan could do is to work better with the RV makers to steer the designed installations better. Maybe they are and the RV makers are hard headed / lazy....
Onan does provide installation specifications for its generators; Thor just ignores them. Consequently their coaches designed with the generator installed directly behind a front wheel have this problem of shutting down while traveling. Thor has had to go so far to fix this problem after the fact that in some cases they have moved the location of the generator to the back of the coach.

Maybe they should take the cost of these fixes out of the design team's salary?
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