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Equipment & Gear => Power Equipment & RV => Topic started by: lastmk8 on January 27, 2020, 09:30:19 AM

Title: 5th Wheel Onan 5500 generator gremlin - self starting while driving down road..
Post by: lastmk8 on January 27, 2020, 09:30:19 AM: OK folks, an electrician I am NOT. So after coming up empty, not yet calling the manufacture directly and a couple "wire biters" coming by later this week to "check it out", here is the problem I'm having. My onboard generator (Cummins Onan RV QG 5500) has self started itself on my last two trips in the fall. While driving down the road, 5th wheel in tow the generator started and was purring away while driving down the road.

I didn't find anything about this with a google search, but did see comments about this generator having a self-start feature if the on-board house batteries get below a certain voltage. Now this may be true, but I know there is nothing in the owners manual about this type of function. One post the guy said he even adjusted his low voltage setting lower than it was currently at. Again, nothing about this in the owners manual.

I'm planning on pulling the battery tomorrow, check it out and make sure I have good equipment there. If I do then I have to figure out what is making this happen, and how to prevent it from happening in the future.

Anyone have anything similar to this happen to you?

Thanks,
Mitch
Title: Re: 5th Wheel Onan 5500 generator gremlin - self starting while driving down road..
Post by: 2MANY on January 27, 2020, 09:35:18 AM: It could also be the self start timer if so equipped.
Title: Re: 5th Wheel Onan 5500 generator gremlin - self starting while driving down road..
Post by: follow maggie on January 27, 2020, 09:57:14 AM: I would check the indoor starting switch and the wiring for it. As it jostles down the road, it could be making the contacts to start the generator.
Title: Re: 5th Wheel Onan 5500 generator gremlin - self starting while driving down road..
Post by: Tim in Wa. on January 28, 2020, 08:50:12 AM: How does it run I thought you had to turn the propane off to tow?
Title: Re: 5th Wheel Onan 5500 generator gremlin - self starting while driving down road..
Post by: lastmk8 on January 28, 2020, 08:57:54 AM: It's a gasoline generator, the Cummins Onan RV QG 5500 series. I have a 40 gallon onboard fuel tank for the generator, the 5th wheel is a toy hauler, so I have another 27 gallons of fuel for the toys, total of 67 gallons of fuel capacity. As for the propane, it is one when I'm towing, that powers the refer.