Generator heat!

[Andy64]

I have a 2022 raptor 351 with onan 5500 generator. Has anyone considered mounting some type of exhaust fan in the generator box to help remove and circulate air around the generator while it is running. One hour of run time and the generator front cover and top become extremely hot to the touch!

[chuckster57]

Your gen will have an auto shutdown if it gets too hot. If it isn’t shutting down, I wouldn’t spend unneeded money, JMHO YMMV.

[Andy64]

That’s what I’m trying to prevent, it does occasionally shut down and I just thought if I could keep cooler air circulating around the unit it would help!

[chuckster57]

Where is the exhaust pointed?

[Andy64]

It has the factory exhaust that comes out the side of the unit. The box that the generator is in only has slightly more then one inch on the side and approximately 1 1/2 inches on top, it just seems extremely tight quarters. I know it also has a hot air exhaust on the bottom of the unit but that is right beside the cool air return so it seems counter productive to keeping the whole system cool

[chuckster57]

At least it was installed correctly.

[firestation12]

Andy, every camper I’ve had previously that had the Onan 5500 generator, I noted the same as you, the temperature of the generator housing. You used the word “exhaust” possibly in a generic term, I’m wondering if you are referring to the discharge air from the generator’s cooling pathway as “exhaust”. The exhaust pipe should be exiting several feet away from the generator and shouldn’t be a factor of the generator’s housing temperature. In investigating the pathway of cooling air being ingested from underneath the generator, and the hot air then being expelled again under the generator, I found the inlet and exit points are literally next to each other and there logically has to be some (most likely a lot) crossover contamination occurring. Living in Arizona where the generator would be mostly used to operate the A/C with outside temps exceeding 110 degrees, I wanted to eliminate the possibility of hot air exiting from being re-ingested into the inlet. While the generator may shut down if overheating occurs, that’s of no solace if it does occur. For each camper purchased over the years, I had a simple sheet metal elbow made which directed the exiting hot air horizontally approximately 3’ toward the “driver’s” side of the camper, which eliminated any possibility of cross contamination. The one small obstacle was to decide whether to cut a 2” hole in the elbow for the exhaust pipe to pass through or redirect the exhaust pipe to follow the interior of the elbow and exit together. As I recall the elbow/duct was about 5” X 14”. Sadly I didn’t document the project to provide and pics.

[Andy64]

That is exactly what I need. I did use the word exhaust to mean the hot air coming from the generator housing and not the actual motor exhaust. I have seen on the bottom where the hot air is coming from and I can fabricate something to redirect it but I’m not sure how to make the connection

[chuckster57]

Maybe a flange and rivet it to the compartment floor.