quote:

Originally posted by nomad:

quote:

Originally posted by SCDIV1:
An Onan 5.5 gas unit.

I just ordered one for a customer....$4200 retail.

A racer friend has one mounted in a custom built box on the tongue of his trailer.

A 5.5 will run 2 AC units.....

Onan also makes a 7KW that is the exact same size and costs about $5300

Honda's are excellent but not really a compartment run type machine....meaning it can run inside a box or closed compartment as long as airflow requirements are met....

I've seen many people use Hondas on pullout trays or on the tongue with some sort of removable cover.....


I have 2 Onan 4KY (4000 watt units)....One in trailer gen compartment and one in motorhome.....Either one will run one AC unit and a microwave and more at the same time.....

Still fiddling a round with this. Rich, do you have a recommended Onan part number for a 5.5 unit?

5.5 HGJAB-1270 120 volt output and NON-EVAP

5.5 HGJAB-6755 120 volt output with EVAP


As I posted earlier, by law any commercial builder has to install an evap equipped generator with a cannister in a trailer with a fuel tank.

RV's usually don't have it as they draw from the vehicles fuel tank and the vehicle has an evap system....

The 5.5 RV units I believe are only configured for 120 volts so you cannot power up anything that requires 240 volts

They have 2 breakers both supplying 120 volts. 1 is 20 amp and 1 is 30 amp and as I said you do not get 240 volts using both as you normally would in a home service.....you would get nothing using both and no neutral.....Sounds confusing but it isn't really....120 volts ONLY.....

Do these gas Onans have a fuel pump? would there be any issue gravity feeding it from a tank above?

Onan carbureted models all have low pressure fuel pumps built in the machine.

EFI models require an external high pressure pump.

quote:

Originally posted by SCDIV1:

quote:

Originally posted by nomad:

quote:

Originally posted by SCDIV1:
An Onan 5.5 gas unit.

I just ordered one for a customer....$4200 retail.

A racer friend has one mounted in a custom built box on the tongue of his trailer.

A 5.5 will run 2 AC units.....

Onan also makes a 7KW that is the exact same size and costs about $5300

Honda's are excellent but not really a compartment run type machine....meaning it can run inside a box or closed compartment as long as airflow requirements are met....

I've seen many people use Hondas on pullout trays or on the tongue with some sort of removable cover.....


I have 2 Onan 4KY (4000 watt units)....One in trailer gen compartment and one in motorhome.....Either one will run one AC unit and a microwave and more at the same time.....

Still fiddling a round with this. Rich, do you have a recommended Onan part number for a 5.5 unit?

5.5 HGJAB-1270 120 volt output and NON-EVAP

5.5 HGJAB-6755 120 volt output with EVAP


As I posted earlier, by law any commercial builder has to install an evap equipped generator with a cannister in a trailer with a fuel tank.

RV's usually don't have it as they draw from the vehicles fuel tank and the vehicle has an evap system....

The 5.5 RV units I believe are only configured for 120 volts so you cannot power up anything that requires 240 volts

They have 2 breakers both supplying 120 volts. 1 is 20 amp and 1 is 30 amp and as I said you do not get 240 volts using both as you normally would in a home service.....you would get nothing using both and no neutral.....Sounds confusing but it isn't really....120 volts ONLY.....

Thanks Rich Rich. Both the Honda and the Onan's seem to have their good points. Enough so that this will be a tough choice.

quote:

Originally posted by Mike Rietow:
Perfect spot for gen.

I was concerned how would I access the side of a Honda 7000 that was against the trailer? This pic gave me an idea. I have a 5 foot tongue. Why not have it on a roller tray that rolls forward on the tongue for service and then moves back?

quote:

Originally posted by nomad:

quote:

Originally posted by Mike Rietow:
Perfect spot for gen.

I was concerned how would I access the side of a Honda 7000 that was against the trailer? This pic gave me an idea. I have a 5 foot tongue. Why not have it on a roller tray that rolls forward on the tongue for service and then moves back?

That would work. I thought about a Honda 7000 as well, for the house during hurricane power outages, this is a Honda 3000. I've thought of a few idea's reading this as well. I could leave this cover on while in use, if I add doors/vents.

Mike you're Florida guy so you know what we mean about standby power.

I'm on a well. When we lose power, no water and no commode. The well pump is on 220. A Honda 7000 makes perfect sense there. My trailer dealer as makes custom generator slides. It also has a pull start for emergencies. The downside of a Honda is no remote start and a 5 gallon tank. I'm not sure I could get a venturi tube to the Honda exhaust.

Whereas, an Onan can be started from inside the trailer (but no pull start), can have a remote fuel tank, and can get a venturi on the exhaust. My pal takes the custom fabricated travel cover off his Onan and used it as a grille table for cooking.

Nomad, were in the same boat as far as trailer generators go. I want to get a tongue mounted unit but like yourself I am between a Honda EU7000 and the Onan 5.5KW. Both have there good points and bad points. Building an enclosure and generator is an off season project so I have plenty of time. Either one will be on a slide for sure, Honda needs it for cooling and access to the fuel tank and for the Onan if for nothing else easy access to it.

quote:

Originally posted by Big Steve:
Nomad, were in the same boat as far as trailer generators go. I want to get a tongue mounted unit but like yourself I am between a Honda EU7000 and the Onan 5.5KW. Both have there good points and bad points. Building an enclosure and generator is an off season project so I have plenty of time. Either one will be on a slide for sure, Honda needs it for cooling and access to the fuel tank and for the Onan if for nothing else easy access to it.

Steve, have you looked at the Yamaha 6300 https://www.yamahagenerators.c...00isde.htminverter?? Nice piece. I think costs are a little less??

I have been running this B&S Inverter
https://generatormart.com/prod...fEAQYDCABEgLZePD_BwE

Inverter quiet, but as not as quiet as a Honda. I can run two air cons at the same time in the motorhome. It will run one all night on a tank of fuel. Not remote start though. It is 220V capable.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Bucky,

Nomad,
Since you're right there Florida I would assume you're using Kenny Anderson, Fast Farms, as a dealer. He sold me my 38'gooseneck and helped me design it. I've bought 3 of his slides. You might want to talk to him about the tongue mount. He's a damn good fabricator as well as a fireman. Heck of a nice guy.

quote:

Originally posted by stk 758 BP!:



Steve, have you looked at the Yamaha 6300 https://www.yamahagenerators.c...00isde.htminverter?? Nice piece. I think costs are a little less??

I use this generator and it works quite well. I get 12-14 hours of operation on a little over 4 gallons of gas and it is quiet.

quote:

Originally posted by Floyd Staggs:
Nomad,
Since you're right there Florida I would assume you're using Kenny Anderson, Fast Farms, as a dealer. He sold me my 38'gooseneck and helped me design it. I've bought 3 of his slides. You might want to talk to him about the tongue mount. He's a damn good fabricator as well as a fireman. Heck of a nice guy.

Shhhhhh!

Rich, 7000 Onan
So we pulled it out. Found the intake leaking at cyl heads and it appears the cross plate leaking too. Can’t see the bottom side yet still on but appears to have flat head screws securing it. Bolts were loose also.

We ordered belt, idler assy, rubber coupler , coils and gaskets.

What’s the clean air tube on the exhaust?? Emissions??

Intake gaskets failing is a common problem and I think I mentioned that before to you
Intake is just 2 pieces squeezed together with a silicone type product, no fasteners underneath it.
If the engine backfires it can blow that seal apart and warp the intake...also pretty common.
I have replaced a number of intake manifolds and if yours has separated, replace it !
They are cheap and I keep one on the shelf

The exhaust tube is an AIR type device......exhaust pulses operate the valve on top and it sucks air into exhaust stream....
Like an A.I.R. pump from the 1960's on GM cars.....fan the flame and make it hotter to burn more hydrocarbons off....
Blow on a cigarette was my old analogy for that technique....still works today...

The muffler has an E.G.T. sensor......reads temp and will shut unit down if it's to hot or cold....

The failed intake gasket happens from heat like every other failure. Usually accelerates the cylinder head failure from running to lean but does not cause the machine to shut down in a fault so it runs till it has wreaked havoc on the exhaust valve, guide and spring

I did one last week.......2500hrs.....2018 machine EFI version mounted in a carrier back of a Dodge van.....To close to the ground IMHO and the exhaust heat did it's thing on the machine

More food for me ....LOL !!! Job security....

Go with high efficiency mini split air conditioning and you will not nearly as big of a generator.

Thanks Rich! Yes I do remember you telling me that. That’s why we pulled it.
Message sent.

Separated motor from case and generator on my 7000 . Pretty sure it’s not the main seal butttttt…
It’s leaking at the head gasket and possibly the case.
Time consuming job but not too bad with Rich’s help thank god!
We just finished a buddies 7000 Thursday. Bad intake!

quote:

Originally posted by BP758:
Separated motor from case and generator on my 7000 . Pretty sure it’s not the main seal butttttt…
It’s leaking at the head gasket and possibly the case.
Time consuming job but not too bad with Rich’s help thank god!
We just finished a buddies 7000 Thursday. Bad intake!

They leak at the base gasket or what you might call the oil pan....
It's the worst job I have to do
A paper thin gasket that can fracture and leak bad just below where the carb hangs down

I pull the engine out of the lower frame and split the case halves.......change the gasket and put it back together
I use no additional sealer but do usually use the red adhesive spray stuff to adhere the gasket to the case
I clean the surfaces very well....NO oil or anything else

The major sticking point is the lower crank seal and the cheap plastic governor gear
I remove the crank seal and very carefully put the cases together being sure the governor gear does not jamb. It will break if case halves are pulled together and the gear is not meshed right
I use a small screwdriver and very slowly tighten the case bolts evenly.....It's a tedious little part of that job if you do it

Heads don't leak oil or compression usually.....Oil accumulates and makes you think it's the heads.....These machines run sloppy and oil blows out of the breather on the left head into the air filter box and spreads from there...

I've done plenty of the base gasket replacements........That is my least favorite job to do on a 7KW and I've seen nearly new ones do it....thankfully not often or lately....

Just had a woman buy a new machine because hers was leaking oil bad and also had the failed head routine and had under 3000 hrs....

Took months to get her a new machine....

I’m at that point now. I sent u e mail pics, I found steel shim type material In the ex side valve cover both sides???
Also appears the head gasket ( right bank facing front- its loose on two bolts ex side ) leaking.