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Whats the best way to get behind the generator
I was planning to line the gen bay with armaflex or a rubber type insulation then cover it with a thin layer of fireproof material. After seeing some pics of a gen bay here that has the same type of material am not sure if its the best thing to use. The material Liberty used just fell off and it disappears when you touch it only 739 hours on the gen but its a 94 prevost. The black rubber insulation that i have is one inch thick i was going to put two layers then cover with a more ridged fire resistent material. Did anyone have this problem? And how hot does it get in this bay? Thanks
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16 Replies
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Iceman
To get to the rear of a generator installed by Liberty you will need to pull the generator from the box.
That may seem difficult, but if you have a hydraulic lift table or a motorcycle lift with wheels it makes the job relatively easy as long as you take your time and are careful to keep it secure.
The deterioration of the sound deadening is not uncommon. It seems like all materials age over time and as a result a lot of our maintenance on older coaches relates to replacing stuff that cracks, dries out, or loses its flexibility. It is not only our generator sound deadening, but air bags, bushings, tires, etc. The sound deadener material is on that list.
When you replace it keep in mind there are other things to consider. You want the sound deadening qualities but you also want something can will not easily burn. The generator itself is going to run at around 180 degrees, but the exhaust temperatures can run as high as 1000 degrees and maybe more.So in addition to replacing the sound deadening with appropriate materials, pulling the generator is a great opportunity to unwrap the exhaust and verify it is free of leaks. If needed replace the flex hose and the high temperature exhaust wrap.
The generator housing should have a fan that runs anytime the generator is running. Make sure that works because it is not only exhausing fumes from the enclosure it is cooling the enclosure. Good time to check the rubber coolant hoses and the condition of the wires and cables to make sure they are not worn, cracked or pinched.
Its a project to replace the sound deadener but if done properly it is worth the effort.
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Thanks Jon, I will remove the gen and check the pipes,hoses, and wires while in there. I had found the inverter bay very warm a few weeks ago and had to change out the 4inch 110v fan that always runs to cool that bay. If the cooling fan for the gen bay goes out i am sure it will get hot in there. Is there anything like an alarm or light to let you know. If not do you think i should run a 24v sensor with lights and maybe a sound alarm to each bay and the rear engine compartment with different temps for each ?
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I do not know of an alarm for the generator bay fan. I would not rely on temp, but air flow. There is likely a simple way to sense when the fan is working and moving air.
I don’t think the generator fan is as important in keeping the compartment cool as much as it is to remove fuel fumes if any collect. Remember, when the generator is running it is ingesting large amounts of air and that air is being pulled into the compartment so it functions as its own compartment fan.
The inverters on my coach have a fan on 100% of the time although I think Tom has set his up with a thermostat.
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Iceman,
What year and conversion do you have? That would help with suggestions about repairs. Suggest you add a signature line by going to “profile.”
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Thanks Jon and Tom, This is my first time in a forum but i know i like this. I cant spell and i have a hard time saying things in text but this site is wonderful for me. My dad bought this Liberty new and he told me that if anything went wrong all he had to do was call them and they would take care of it. Well i have called bill and troy 3 or 4 times each and they do tell me whats the problem and how to fix it. There is alot to learn about on this type of coach and most of the things i have done are on here. I guess i still have 6 months of work at 2 or 3 hours a day before it will be road ready.
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Your doing good Rob, don’t worry about the spelling, Jon can’t hardly read anyways.
Just keep your questions coming and we’ll give you answers, some may even be accurate…
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Whoa………….since when did answers have to be accurate?
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Inside the metal building close to the coach there is a weird smell not from fuel or batteries its almost like a 1970 dodge travco whitch were fiberglass and used blue stuff in the tolet water. Inside the coach not so strong the smell could it be comming from the roof vent for the holding tank? Or is the top of the coach fiberglass?
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The coach roof is aluminum.
If smells come from the coach they are usually either fuel or from the holding tank. Odors from the holding tank are usually cured by filling all traps with water.
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One other source of a smelly smell is the ammonia used in a regenerative refrigerator. If one of the tubes leaks the smell is quite simply overwhelming. Kinda like the aroma in the air when Tom, Jon, Jdub, and Mango are hanging out after a burrito bash rally. Don’t light a match near them or the air will quite literally explode in flames, so I was once told.
How do I know about the refrigerator? Well mine gassed us as we were merrily rolling down the road. No one on board would fess up to having a moment that required them to access the black tank from the bathroom. So we found a spot to pull over and let the coach air out. So far the replacement Dometic has held out well. The failed one could have been the original unit in our coach.
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That was harsh! Good grief Will, Jon and I have Liberty’s, stink is unacceptable. Now Jdub and Mango are Marathon guy’s, so I’ll stop right there…
All of this stink harassment coming from a CC guy, that should get Gil fired up.
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I think that model year coach has a household refrigerator so amonia is not likely a problem. But broken batteries such as gel or AGM can have a suphur or rotten egg smell.
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Jon you are the man. The smell must b the batteries when the chargers are trying to charge them. I have worked with bad batteries and alternators and sulfur egg smells but all those were wet cell and these are gel cell that were dead for long years
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What about the fuel pump for the genset still works good but looks like the kind that are not really dependable. Should i change it or just have a spare on board?
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There was a problem with the fuel pumps on 20KW Kohler gensets. I know several of us had issues with that fuel pump and in one case several of our members ended up changing one out in the rain at the Albuquerque ballon festival. Maybe Tom will share that story.
That was on the Yanmar power genset. Yours might be a Kubota powered genset, and if so I can’t recall that fuel pump being an issue.
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