We have an Onan 4000 on a 2011 trailer - assumption is original generator to the trailer.

We bought it with 800 some hours on it last year. It now has 1200-1300?  Law of averages says we ran it harder last summer than the previous owner did in any given previous year on average. 

It’s not healthy.  We’ve done all our regular maintenance, but I don’t feel the previous owner did. It’s using oil and our RV repair guy says the circuit board has oil on it and we’ve notice oil in the air filter when we’ve changed it.  It will run, but he does not recommend using it until we get it serviced.

The only place in the area that works in them is quoting me $146/hr shop labor.  1-2 hrs of troubleshooting plus parts to fix and time to fix.  Google is finding computer boards from $200-$600 (I have no idea obviously which end of that range this one would be on and I’m assuming the cheaper ones are aftermarket and the high end is OEM).

I’m really not having a hard time coming up to a $1000 or more repair bill.

I’m well aware of what they cost new.  For the most part I won’t be using it a whole lot this summer and if I know I’m going somewhere that I won’t be plugging in, we have a genset I can take - it’s just loud and takes up a lot of room.  I like being able to run the AC when I just go somewhere for the day, but it’s not the end of the world if I can’t.

Trying to decide if this one is worth fixing.  Or, do we make due with the portable one this summer and plan to put a new one on over the winter?   I love having the convenience of the onboard and not having a generator taking up space in the trailer.

How many hours do you guys have on yours?  I don’t really want to dump $1000-$1500 into something that’s going to conk out at 2000hrs.  This is my first onboard genset so I’m new to them.

I would say to heck with the gender . Mine has been a pos  since my rig was brand  new  Continues to be one now that it is out of warranty  Just quit me again at BBR. We are talking $500+ every time it darkens the door of repair shop.   I am so done with it!!

Ugh. Also heard from a friend that theirs is having issues.

our local mechanic is willing to take a look at it.

do horse people just use them that differently than RV people?  The RV message boards sure seem to have a lot of folks who never have trouble.

Oil on the board indicates the actual motor is slinging oil. The board itself is covered in a gel making it mostly impermeable to liquids. Just because oil got on it means it shouldn't be damaged. But using oil- really bad thing. Thankfully they have a low oil cutoff safety feature. I imagine the valves or rings in the engine have wear on them. 

I know about the board because I replaced mine last year- I have fuel issues but I'm tired of throwing money at the thing. I now have two hondas. Cheaper than getting the onan repaired and having to drive it two hours one way just to get it checked out.

Every LQ trailer I had was powered by Onan except one that had a Generac. The Generac was best served as a boat anchor. The Onan's were great. Never had a minutes problem with any excpet for one had a starter go out one year in and it was replaced under warranty. 

No problems until 2000 hours. At 2000 hours they all seemed to expire or need to be put down. I didn't learn that on the first one and spent $1000's repairing it. Woluld have been cheaper and less trouble to have replaced it.

If I ever have another LQ trailer it will have an Onan. I won't replace it at 2000 hours if it's not giving trouble but at the first sign of trouble after 2000 hours, in goes a new unit. 

We hit 2000 hours about every 3 years. I don't know what one costs now but I'm sure they aren't cheaper. 

What model Onan have you been running?

Because I now have ours and 3-4 people we know personally who have done very little but throw $$ at the Onan 4000’s.

One guys Onan mechanic recommended going with the 5500, felt they were a stronger machine for the money.

If we have to we’ll go with a Honda portable.  Really don’t want to go back to the hassle of a portable vs onboard.

That’s great to know about the computer board!  We’re taking it to our mechanic today to look at and hopefully get some answers.

On;y ones I ever had were the 4000's. Most of our friends had them too and no one had trouble from them. Except one girl. She always thought she got a lemon Onan. Her next trailer she got a Generac and then realized she loved Onan.

One guy had the 5500 deisel. He had constant trouble with it over heating. I never knew anyone that had the 5500 gas. 

Thanks - That’s both helpful and confusing as to why we have several friends pumping more money than fuel into them.

It went to the mechanic yesterday.  His intial thought was that the blow by tube and/or the breather tube may be too close to the air filter and the air flow is actually pulling oil out, he said he’s seen that before.  Next would be replacing the rings.  So we’ll see.  I guess when hubby got it over there yesterday it didn’t want to start from inside the LQ, but fired right off when they started it up top - so that’s fun.

It was using almost all its oil every 150hrs last year.  The good news is it was shutting itself off when that happened like it should.