Generator Keeps Shutting Down

I have a Onan 6300LP Propane genset on my motor home,

History – Bought the motor home 10 months ago and have been using it a lot. Generator has been running fine and only started giving me trouble a few weeks ago.

Symptoms – Starts and runs fine for up to an hour and then just shuts off. Most often it will only run for ten minutes. Once it shuts down will not stay running for more than a few seconds until I let it cool down.

Unit Status – Generator has 392 hours on it. I just changed the oil and filter and confirmed the oil level is correct. I used 15W40 standard motor oil. I also replaced the air filter (It had some yellow liquid in the filter. After changing and running it there was some clear liquid instead) Propane tank was just refilled, cutoff valve is fully open.

Tests Performed – 

• I checked air cooling passages to make sure nothing is restricting airflow for cooling the engine.
• I removed the brush block and cleaned the slip rings. Brushes were showing proper wear but sticking in the block. I freed them so they move properly, reinstalled brush block.
• I confirmed with a volt meter that there is ~129 volts at the circuit breaker on the genset while running.
• I took the wire off the oil pressure sensor by the oil filter and grounded the wire. Generator started and ran fine but still died out after 6 minutes.
• I disconnected the remote start switch. It seemed to run longer after that, but began dying out again.
• Pulled a spark plug, looked clean and not worn.

After these tests I read through the Flight Systems troubleshooting guide which indicated that the control board could be bad. I ordered a new one and installed it, and the generator started up fine and ran for several hours until I shut it off. I thought the problem was fixed but the next time I started it it shut down after six minutes. Back to square one.

My next line of exploration was propane regulators. There is one by the onboard tank and one on the generator itself. There is also an electronic safety switch on the generator that can cut off propane supply. My research led me to first check the vents on the regulators. I visually inspected the generator regulator vent and it looked free of obstructions. I noticed a button on the regulator for resetting it in case of a pressure imbalance. I pressed the button, then started the unit. It ran for maybe sixty seconds before shutting down. I pressed and held the reset button for several seconds and it hissed louder this time. I restarted the unit, and it has kept running just fine for an hour now.

Long story short, I wish I had known that this was a simple propane regulator reset issue!

RV Running Sluggish

After driving down some bumpy and dusty dirt roads my rig began running sluggish. At first I thought I had plugged up the air filter. I replaced it, that helped some, but it still would not drive faster than 55.

Eventually I discovered that it was the fuel filter. I have a Caterpillar 3126 diesel which has a dual fuel filter setup. There is a primary and a secondary filter mounted conveniently in a compartment accessible on the side of the coach. The primary filter acts as a water separator as well. When I pulled it off I found chunks of black crud plugging up several intake ports. There was a large chunk holding open the check valve back to the tank.

Fortunately this was a thirty dollar fix as the filter is common enough to be carried at most auto part stores. I got one at NAPA. The mounting base even has a convenient purge pump to get air out of the filter before restarting.

I discovered that the primary filter purge pump also works to purge the secondary filter.

This happened to me again after driving down bumpy roads with a mostly empty tank. I bought another primary filter and changed it, and now this beast has no trouble going seventy five on the interstate!

Cracked Windshield From Leveling Jacks?

Yes. Apparently if you don't put down your front center jack on a Harney Coachworks Renegade and then run one rear jack all the way down this can happen.



It seems that the one jack at the back put so much torque on the frame of the coach that it popped the right windshield half out and busted it. Certainly not what I was expecting this morning.

Moral of the story.....yeah I don't know. Level with caution?


Edit: After the sun changed position and warmed the other half of the windshield and cracked it as well. Now I have two busted windshields.....

Moral of the edited story? If one side cracks, don't leave the RV frame torqued if the sun will hit it. Now for the replacement adventure. Ill let you know how it goes.

RV License?

I bought our coach in Missouri, and asked the dealer if I needed a special license. The answer was no. That was partially true.

After driving all over the U.S. I decided for some reason to research the license requirements. Apparently there are several states in the U.S. that require a special license for some RV's. I realized that I had been in four of those states and technically did not have a license.

My coach weighs in at 28,000 pounds which is over the 26,000 pound limit that many states have. For example, Texas requires you to have a non-commercial class B license for an RV over 26,000. Sure, I don't need that in Missouri, but in Texas I could have gotten a ticket for no license.

Moral of the story, check the requirements of where you will be traveling, not just where you live.

Happy RVing!

Dometic refrigerator not working - Solved!

I'm now what you would call a half-timer. I live in my RV about half the year traveling, and the other half in my real home.

In May of 2016 my wife and I bought a 38 foot class A made by Harney Coach Works. We are loving it, but as I have started this adventure I've had to learn a few things the hard way. This blog is about some of those things.

For example, I have been frustrated with our refrigerator which stops working randomly. (I thought) It is a dual mode Dometic RM7732 with automatic energy selector, meaning that it will operate on both 120V AC power and propane. Even in propane mode it needs 12v battery power to run the controller.

Here is what I wish I had known....it needs to be level.

Apparently either mode warms ammonia to operate the cooling cycle. The ammonia has a drain return line that is gravity fed, and if not level can build up and stop the cycle. It you are driving, the tipping back and forth prevents this problem, but if you are stopped and not level for too long it will just quit working. No error light, just not cooling.

Yeah, bummer. This is the second time it has happened to me. So, after a little research called reading the manual...now I know.

Hope you can avoid this problem and have many happy RV adventures!