anyone ever seen a generator like this?

**john hd** · 03-17-2003, 02:41 PM

hi all,

anyone ever seen a onan generator like this? it has a control panel in the living room.

the name plate sez: 0.3 TL-212R

it is 12volt 20A 300watt

kinda looks like a lawn mower engine, electric start with a pull handle on the top.

it is a single cyl. horizontal engine. propane powered.

it is factory installed in a '74 excella 500.

any info or experiance with this type of unit would be appreciated!

john

Chas · 03-17-2003, 03:08 PM

I've never seen one in person but they are shown as being an option in my 74's owner's manual. They called them battery chargers. Looks like the one in your pic has seen better days. They were probably a high maintenance item, you can do pretty much the same thing today with solar power.

Chas

**john hd** · 03-17-2003, 03:59 PM

chas

it does turn over, and the electric start works too!

even though solar would be nice, thats not the point!

should be interesting to see if it can be made to run. what the heck, if nothing else the cool factor is way up there!

john

Chas · 03-17-2003, 04:10 PM

John,

Who's A/S is it on?

Chas

**john hd** · 03-17-2003, 04:15 PM

chas

it is on a friend's trailer, just brought it back from iowa this past weekend.

since i took the photo's i put them up fer all of you to see!

john

BobbyW · 03-17-2003, 05:15 PM

Neighbor down the street has an Excella 500 with an Onan in it. I have not seen it but MarilynW has. He gave her the $.05 tour, opened the panel and showed her the Onan. She says it looked to be in good shape.

-BobbyW

**Pick** · 03-17-2003, 07:27 PM

I would be interested to hear how quiet it is. I would think it would be fairly quiet, considering it is in a housing. Really should not be to hard to get running, as long as you got propane, and spark, it should fly.

Inland RV Center, In · 03-18-2003, 09:45 AM

John.

That 12 volt generator was an option in 1973, on the larger models.

When it worked, it was great. Problem with it was altitude. If you adjusted it for sea level and went to 2000 feet, it would not start. If you readjusted it to the 2000 foot elevation, it would run OK.

When you returned to sea level, it again would not start, until you once again readjusted it.

That seemed to be an inherent problem. Therefore Airstream stopped installing it.

For those that may still have that generator, it appears that repair parts are long gone.

Was a great idea for those that liked to be self contained. It was quiet, efficient, and did a good job. Unfortunately, you had to be a generator mechanic to keep it adjusted correctly, at different elevations.

Andy
inlandrv.com
airstreamparts.com
airstreamcandy.com

Silvertwinkie · 03-18-2003, 01:48 PM

What a dinosaur. I am comparing this to the Honda I just recently discovered on this forum. Amazing what about 30 years does.

30 years from now, maybe solar will be far more potent as well.

Eric

BobbyW · 03-19-2003, 06:13 AM

Neighbors Onan Generator on his 1974 Excella 500. MariilynW went and took some pictures of it. She said he has fired it up and then did so for her to show her how quiet it was. She said you cannot even hear it inside. Only a slight vibration when you are close to it.

-BobbyW

**john hd** · 03-19-2003, 07:01 PM

that's cool bobby, thanks for the pic! now at least we know there are at least two still in existance!

my friends manuals are on order, when they arrive perhaps we will get a better understanding of the unit.

the timer in the living room has a max run time of something like 4 hours. i wonder if that is all that is needed to recharge a flat battery. or was it designed to be used under high load conditions, like running the furnace overnight to augment the battery.

john

74Argosy24MH · 03-19-2003, 07:12 PM

Quote:

the timer in the living room has a max run time of something like 4 hour

Maybe to conserve propane for the frig and furnace.

John

**john hd** · 03-20-2003, 06:21 PM

good point john!

john

Silvertwinkie · 03-20-2003, 07:13 PM

Anyone worried about CO entering the cabin at all. I am sure new it was pretty well sealed, but as age sets in, are you all sure that it's still pretty sealed off from letting that nasty stuff back into the trailer?

Eric