I just got a free Onan Emerald I generator and I don't know anything about it. I'm hoping to build an enclosure for it and use it as a backup generator for my house. I don't know anything about these generators, but I bet somebody here does. Is there anything I should look out for? Would I be better off trying to sell it to an RV enthusiast and buying a portable generator? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
What size?
Onans are generally good quality, they're made here in Minneapolis. I toured the plant a few years ago, it was pretty interesting. You can get a manual for it here, although you do have to register to get access: https://qsol.cummins.com/info/index.html
I rebuilt an Onan 2-cyl tractor motor for a Case 446 once. It was factory-approved to bore it 0.250". Yes. Quarter of an inch oversize.
In reply to Ian F :
It's a 30 amp unit, I can't read much of the data plate.
I have a 1987 Pace Arrow with an Onan of the same vintage that is mounted to the coach. Both continue to do their jobs, both are not known to be quiet, they require maintenance and they both are not shy of burning lots of gas.
The oil and filter are changed every 50 hours. At just shy of 900 hours showing on the clock the maintenance for the generator required removing it from the coach and that's when things went side ways for an extended period of time. It started with the unit no longer creating a usable current, eating the starter and ended with a new carburetor. It was out of service for all most a year at a shop that knows what they are doing, but this thing did every thing it could to make my life miserable. To the point I had a friend bring a stand alone generator to events so we could use the coach at events. But I work with a great shop. They really stepped up and with me buying the parts that it did really need, not bugging them about getting it back in the coach and they being very fair about the labor it worked out.
One thing that you will notice the minute you get it running, these things are profoundly noisy. Both exhaust and mechanically. I had my muffler shop add an additional muffler in parallel with the stock unit, an off the shelf unit ratted for a small 4 cylinder car, that has made using it in the morning for that first cup of coffee no longer a camping etiquette question. This may not be an issue as a fixed unit, but these things drone on when they are running.
Then there's the gas to keep it going. These are not current technology. It may say it only uses 1.5 gallons an hour but I do not think so. But it will run all day in 100 degree heat to power the coach AC that keeps my wife coming to the events to make it a family activity. So worth it.
In reply to rustyvw :
3600 watts.
Sometimes the intake is noisier than the exhaust.
Yank the engine and build a Rutan Quickie. 126mph cruise on an 18hp Onan.
In reply to Appleseed :
I don't think I'll be going that route. That's a little beyond my skill set.
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