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Old 08-12-2008, 01:55 PM   #1
my38special
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Unhappy "Stupid" Generator Question

As a new inductee into the class A world, with our 1983 Newell, I'm still trying to determine how or if some of the things on my coach work. Last night I started the Perkins generator motor with no difficulty; however, according to the bank of gauges above my pilot seat, I wasn't putting out any power. Is there a switch somewhere I must turn to get the actual generator to start producing power?
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Old 08-12-2008, 02:28 PM   #2
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Is the shorepower cord plugged in to the genset receptacle (located in the same compartment as the shorepower cord)? Sometimes it's something as simple as that. Have you checked your breaker panel to be sure the main is on? These are the easy things to check...I hope it's one of these.
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Old 08-12-2008, 03:00 PM   #3
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Clarke is certainly more familiar with Classics than I am but the early 90's model Newell's had a manual power transfer switch located above the driver's seat to change from shorepower to generator. This was typically near the generator start switch. Other Newell's, as Clarke pointed out, had an automatic transfer switch that will switch to shorepower automatically if the coach is plugged into AC, even if the generator is started. On those, when you turn off the power at the park's pedestal, the transfer switch will change over to the generator. If either type of transfer switch is not operating properly, you may not get power to the coach.

Another potential issue could be the breaker on the generator (at least it is located on the generator on the early 90's models). If this breaker trips, the generator will not provide power to the coach.
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Old 08-12-2008, 03:26 PM   #4
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Hey Michael...good morning....my '82 doesn't have an automatic transfer switch as far as I know. I'll have to try starting the genset without the shorepower plugged into the genset receptacle and see if my meters register voltage. I'm pretty sure that this is a totally manual system, at least in my '82, which requires that I physically plug the shorepower into the genset receptacle in the electrical bay before power from my genset is transfered to the coach systems. This may have changed in the '83.
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Old 08-12-2008, 04:56 PM   #5
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See what happens when I reply to a post too early in the morning. You have the ultimate in a manual transfer system. No electronics to fail. You just plug in either the shorepower or the generator pigtail to an outlet that feeds power to the coach. That was a common system during the early 80's.

We have now discussed all three of the primary systems that have been used to switch power source between shorepower and generator over that power 40 years. There are certainly advantages and disadvantages to each of the three systems.

Sorry for any confusion that my post might have caused.
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Old 08-12-2008, 05:15 PM   #6
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This is one of the things that attracted me to my coach.....totally low tech, or no tech. Fewer things to trouble shoot if something is not working...
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Old 08-13-2008, 06:56 PM   #7
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Smile Solution Found!

Thanks for the speedy and wise counsel regarding my "stupid" generator questions. After examining every corner of the Electrical bay, I found nothing I could plug in or any switch I could change (the interior of this space doesn't look original). I then went to the CB panel, in the master bedroom, and there on the floor in the corner I found a "Kohler - Off - Shorepower" switch. Suffice to say, my electrical problems are behind me. Thanks again for the help.
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Old 08-13-2008, 08:03 PM   #8
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Great......it's usually something simple! Thank you so much for the update!
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Old 08-14-2008, 12:34 AM   #9
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Glad you found the manual transfer switch. That is an logistically understandable location but certainly not the most convenient place for the switch.
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Old 11-17-2009, 12:36 PM   #10
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Default Primary fuel filter question

My generator has a primary fuel filter (water seperator) and a secondary fuel filter (spin on). My question is: Do I have to change the water seperator each time I change oil and fuel filters or just drain the water out of the bottom of the primary fuel filter? The primary fuel filter doesn't have an element inside.
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Old 11-17-2009, 12:46 PM   #11
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Tuga, that filter is supposed to have an element inside. I'll look up the Luberfiner number this weekend if you are interested.

It is supposed to catch any of the boogers in the fuel and the second filter is intended just to polish.
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Old 11-17-2009, 05:02 PM   #12
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Richard,

I am using a BF 1205 as the primary fuel filter. I'll check to see if it has an element, but I don't think that it does.
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Old 11-17-2009, 05:18 PM   #13
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The BF 1205 DOES have an element inside. My bad!

I remember seeing a water separator on Matt's Newell. I don't think that it had an element in it.

I must be getting old!
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Old 11-18-2009, 05:22 AM   #14
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I hope someone can clear this up. Are you guys talking about the black canisters with the glass globe on the bottom that are next to the fuel tanks. I was told at Newell to drain the water out of the bottom once in a while and that they did not have filters inside of them. After 22 years of use it seams to me that there should be someway to put in a filter or be able to clean them out somehow.
HELP
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Old 11-18-2009, 12:51 PM   #15
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Wally,

Those are just water separators (I think). It has been a while since I owned my first Newell (1987 40' w/tag). Those water separators allow the water to settle at the bottom of the black separator and do not have an element inside. There are two black separators; one for the generator fuel tank and and one for the engine fuel tank. These separators are ahead (before) the primary fuel filters.

You should have a spin on primary fuel filter(s) for your 8V92 and the same for your generator.

Sorry for the confusion!
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Old 11-18-2009, 03:09 PM   #16
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Thanks Tuga, I do have 2 other fuel filters, one is the glass type that they use on the series 60 coaches that I installed and another that is the secondary filter. When I installed the glass type filter I found out that I had the dreaded fungas in my tanks and I took me over 2 years to clear it up.
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Old 11-18-2009, 05:55 PM   #17
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Wally,

What are the symptoms of fungus in your tank?
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Old 11-19-2009, 03:33 AM   #18
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the water separators that are next to the fuel tanks in mine and i believe yours wally are made by ConMet

cm99-327d and the other is a cm99-500d

that company is still in business but no longer makes these products. i looked and was totally unable to find parts for them.

the water separator that is part of your davco is more than sufficient.

i had to put plugs in the bottom bowls as i could not get them to stop leaking. and i really tried too.

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Old 11-19-2009, 11:26 AM   #19
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Tuga, Approx two and a half years ago we were sleeping overnight at a WalMart outside of Kansas City and my gererator quit running in the middle of the night. Forunately it was summer and I was running the air conditioner so I waited until morning to call my mechanic friend in Minneapolis and he said it was more than likely the fuel filter. I had one with me and changed it in the parking lot and it started right up.
When I got back home he suggested that I install the Detroit filter with the big glass top to see if I may have a problem with dirty fuel. It got real green and dirty right away and he informed me that I had a fungas problem in my fuel tanks.
I started puting in a fungas removal additive which really loosend it up and had to change the fuel filters about every 500 miles for a little over two years. I fulltime in my coach so that is a lot of fuel filters when I put over 30,000 on my coach every year.
The problem is now solved since when I left Minnesota in october to drive to Arizona and did not use any filters.
The level in the glass bottle raises as the filter is getting used up, if you don't have one they are really cool because you know whats going on and they are very simple to change.
I was changing them in parking lots or anywhere I noticed it was dirty and you just open a drain on the bottom and let about a quart of fuel into a bottle, spin off the top and replace the filter, pour about a half of a pint of fuel back into the filter and your ready to go. I just double bagged the filters and put them into a nearby trash can.
The fungas is a real problem for people with yahts and big boats with large deisel fuel tanks because the sit so long without being used. My friend has a 54' boat and he has had to have 3000 gallons of fuel pumped, cleansed and put back into the tank which cost him nearly $2,000.00 on two occaisions already.
I now put the additive in my fuel about every 4th time I fill the tanks. At the present time I am in Florida visiting my daughter and do have the coach with me so I can't tell what the additive. I think Michael knows what it is.
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Old 11-19-2009, 01:01 PM   #20
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Wow Wally, I had heard about fungus problems in boats but never in RVs. I have the glass fuel filter for my S60 and I am familiar with the floating fuel filter. I guess you can pick up a bad load of diesel anywhere; so far I have been lucky.

At present, I don't use a fuel additive but now I am going to consider it.

Great post!
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