Generator Question, OH Boy, setting myself up Im sure,,,,,

guglielmo6160 · Post by **guglielmo6160** » Fri Dec 07, 2012 7:55 pm

I basically already know what most of you guys will say about this, and way back when, some of you will remember we spoke about this already but lets re-cap. My boat came with a damaged Generator which I already removed and sold for a core. My question is I have the opportunity to purchase almost the exact generator, made by Onan, but ,,,,,,,,,,,,, it was made for a RV
the main difference that I see , visually and mechanically is that this one is air cooled, and would present some issues regarding the exhaust.
Besides the fact that marine gens are water cooled and this one is air cooled, can you guys share some of the points with me as to why I couldnt modify this one to work in its place, say by providing a "wet"exhaust to this set up?
seems to me its built the same way and being that the old one didnt fair to well in a damp environment, whats the real difference??
thanks in advance, and (oh man I see the comments coming already,,lol) but seriously I do appreciate the info and will take it from you experts , as I know you do know a lot more about this than I do.

prowlersfish · Post by **prowlersfish** » Fri Dec 07, 2012 8:32 pm

Lets start with nothing on the RV is set up to U.S. Coast Guard Ignition Protection Standards ,fuel system not up to specs for a in-closed environment . Then how will a air cooled genset be able to the proper air flow to cool ?

Nice though but not practical or safe .

If the old one did not hold up then most likely it was not taken care of many of these that where installed in the 70s ( or 60s ?? )are still going strong

RWS · Post by **RWS** » Fri Dec 07, 2012 8:33 pm

all i can say is.......

once fiberglass catches on fire, it seems to burn rather quickly.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nymWYFLF9d8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wn4Zy1-3ZZw

then there's always death by carbon monoxide

Now what were you saying about rigging up an RV Gasoline generator in a boat?

RWS

Vitaliy · Post by **Vitaliy** » Fri Dec 07, 2012 9:47 pm

also cant forget the fact that the components arent made out of marine friendly metals and will start rusting within a month

(such as the automobile points my buddy had the bright idea of putting on his marine block)

guglielmo6160 · Post by **guglielmo6160** » Fri Dec 07, 2012 10:14 pm

RWS disturbing vids

guglielmo6160 · Post by **guglielmo6160** » Fri Dec 07, 2012 10:19 pm

I did some research after this posting and see that there are many differences.
The main difference that concerns me more than anything else is the fact that an RV Gen works at a much higher temp range than its marine counterpart. Heat/bilge do not mix . I will be shopping for a marine unit this week, no way Im taking that chance.
my other alternative is to have an on deck version , like a Honda portable etc, which will not operate my A/C. So thats not an option. The main reason I want to replace my generator is for the A/c, if anyone lives in SW florida , they know what I mean, its crazy hot here in the summer.

RWS · Post by **RWS** » Fri Dec 07, 2012 10:19 pm

i just do not want to see anyone put in danger or hurt.

Also keep in mind that others read this Forum

seriously, this is seriously serious

RWS

guglielmo6160 · Post by **guglielmo6160** » Fri Dec 07, 2012 10:21 pm

RWS I fully agree,
good points and points well taken

prowlersfish · Post by **prowlersfish** » Fri Dec 07, 2012 11:18 pm

Do it right or not at all . Putting one on deck fumes are a BIG issue .

let me update/ad
And when talking about "Ignition Protection " this pertains protection from igniting fumes NOT just the Ignition system . it includes the alternator, starter and of course the generator end of the gen-set

RWS · Post by **RWS** » Sat Dec 08, 2012 7:29 am

more info found with the GOOGLE search engine which IMHO works extremely well with this website.

no issues and no complaints

http://www.trojanboats.net/wforum/viewt ... 6fead9edfa

more:

I replaced my gas Onan 6.5 1n 2002 with a NEXT-GEN diesel 5 kW model.

This diesel is CERTIFIED TO OPERATE IN A GAS ENVIRONMENT.

It burns about 1/3 gallon of fuel per hour when running hard.

I will never have a gas genny on a boat again.

Never.

Safety and reliability. This one starts every time and continues to run until you turn it off with NO ISSUES.

added a seperate 17 gallon diesel fuel tank. she'll run hard for 51 hours straight with this set-up.

Ran wires and added a fuel, oil pressure and water temp guages at the helm.

I added a GENSEP at the time of the installation and this diesel is actually quieter than the Onan!

Neither had a sound shield.

This is a 2400 RPM Kubota engine spinning a MARKON generator. The engine runs at 2400 RPM and the genny at 3600

This unit now has 1300 hours and has had the following items replaced

annual zincs

impellers every 2 years

oil pressure safety switch

My only complaint is that the edges of the frame have lost thier paint and are getting rusty as are the heads of certain bolts. I need to detail and paint this now.

They make a smaller gas version as well, however I cannot comment on that one.

Best advice: avoid the 3600 RPM units due to

a)noise

b) life expectancy

this unit starts every time

has never failed

is CO safe

Questions?

RWS

Allen Sr · Post by **Allen Sr** » Sat Dec 08, 2012 7:43 am

Here try this. It is in the area that I keep my boat at. http://baltimore.craigslist.org/boa/3456348735.html

guglielmo6160 · Post by **guglielmo6160** » Sat Dec 08, 2012 8:09 am

thanks RWS, and the only question that I can think of, being you covered basically everything,,lol is How much???
I mean , money is an issue, the prices I have seen are a little scary
If I cant afford it I will wait until I can, its not a necc at this point, I dont typically do overnight boating, but I just like things to be in working order and I love the fact of being able to have my a/c on while at the beach.
and Allen
thanks I wil look into that one, looks a lot like the one I discarded, mine was unfortunately a loss, water got the best of it, burned out all the circuit boards, and the knucklehead that took the spark plugs out never put them back in and the engine was shot
so I got rid of it, real cheap,,,lol

prowlersfish · Post by **prowlersfish** » Sat Dec 08, 2012 8:25 am

They made a ton of the onan 6.5 gensets , I see them used all the time . check E-bay, craigs list and also the classifieds here , I know Bob gets them sometimes and post them here in the classifieds

Commissionpoint · Post by **Commissionpoint** » Sat Dec 08, 2012 10:46 am

If you go with an older used Onan try to go with Spec J or later. Parts will be easier to find, and the "J's" were the ones that started coming with the better fuel pump.

I'd sell you mine, but I haven't found the right replacement yet so it looks like I am keeping it yet another year. I want a 7kw Westerbeke.

guglielmo6160 · Post by **guglielmo6160** » Sat Dec 08, 2012 1:08 pm

another question to those who use inverters is,, does anyone know the approx watts used for a typical marine a/c , lets say 18000 btu, ?
volts X amps is a general idea.
does anyone here use an inverter to power their a/c units, if so, what is the wattage of the unit and how long can it sustain an a/c ? without going dead.
Im weighing out all my options