2009 Great West Titan - generator won't start.

xanadu1jw · 01-10-2017, 05:05 PM

Hi everybody, I am new here, 64 year old grandmother and I hope I can get some help. I have a new (to me) van/rv here and though the salesman started the generator easily when I was looking at it to buy it, and although it sounds like it is making a nice healthy sounding try, it won't start for me. The manual says if it won't start from the button inside the van to start it from the button inside the access panel of the generator itself. Not being mechanically knowledgeable it took a bit of advice from someone on FB to look for a smaller exhaust pipe to even find the generator after looking everywhere else I could think of including where it sounded like it was, all the storage bays, the engine compartment, etc. So it is in the center rear of the van under the floor in front of the hitch and I don't see any way to get to any access panel if I could even see one. So I called the former owner and she told me that they couldn't ever find the generator either and just started it from the switch inside. Then she contradicted the manual which says if it is not a diesel van then the generator runs on the same gasoline the van runs on, she said no, but that when they had trouble starting it they were told it must be low on propane so I went to Flying J for propane. The seller also said she was told to only fill the propane tank 80% full. The button on the panel for LPG said 3 when I pushed it, not 03 or 30 just 3. So the flying J guy said he always just fills them till they are full. So I watched the panel reading and stopped him as close to 80% as possible although the reading said something different higher & lower each time I pushed it. FRUSTRATING! So it got about 3 gallons into it. Got home and the generator still wouldn't start. Just makes that sound that says it's trying. Followed the manual that says just push the button for 10 seconds and then wait 30 seconds. Did it four or five times. Oh and the panel reading says the battery is at 12.5 so I don't think that's it. . Fooey!!! Darn Heck and Drat! Any help here?

Okay to prevent anyone else from having to read down through all the answers below Avanti in his answer below provided me with the info I needed and the generator is now WORKING!!! SO HAPPY!!!

avanti · 01-10-2017, 05:16 PM

There will be a propane valve somewhere. Is it open?
Does your cooktop work (assuming it is propane)? Water heater? Furnace?

Ron J. Moore · 01-10-2017, 05:30 PM

Since you seen the salesman start it, I don't think you need to get under it - just yet! Is the house battery on, and I would have my engine running, and make sure you have more than a quarter tank of gas. On the Generator Switch, push the Off, wait afew seconds and push and hold the Start for about 10-15 seconds....most times it will fire off. This is how I have done mine when I had trouble getting it to fire off, and it worked. The others, with far more knowledge than me, will be adding to this and you will be up and running. Did they tell you about "exercising" the generator for two hours a month, with it under a load, it will keep it in peak shape. Age is a State Of Mind!!!!! Enjoy that B. Ron

BBQ · 01-10-2017, 05:33 PM

.

Don't feel frustrated; everybody goes through the same learning experience.

Davydd · 01-10-2017, 07:01 PM

The GWVan Titan is a Ford. If your Ford engine is a gasoline engine then most likely your generator is a gasoline generator and not propane. So you need to do two things. One is make sure you have gasoline in the Ford chassis tank because the generator intake may be above the 1/4 full mark so you can't run your tank empty in a remote location running your generator. Secondly, despite what you think your coach battery is, it is sometimes discharged just enough that it won't have enough juice to ignite the generator. You can fully charge your battery of course but in a pinch with GWVan you can start your chassis engine and that in turn will give your coach battery enough aided charge to start the generator.

xanadu1jw · 01-10-2017, 07:26 PM

Avanti you did it!!!!!! I went and found out the stove burners didn't work so then got on the ground, studied the valves and found where it said on & off, turned on, tested burners and they worked. Tried the generator and IT WORKS!!! YAY YIPPEEE YAHOO!!! THANK YOU!!!!! Nobody else told me this. So you are the MAN...or WOMAN? Can't tell by the name for sure but I'm so HAPPY! The TV I couldn't get on works now too!!! So you made a little old ladies day! Thank you again! Ever so much! You have a GREAT DAY!

xanadu1jw · 01-10-2017, 07:43 PM

Hi Davydd, well the generator started after I figured out by means of Avanti's information that the propane was turned off since the stove burners wouldn't light. Managed to locate and turn on the propane valve, then the stove burners worked, tried the generator and it STARTED!!! Soooo happy! Now I'm going to run it for 30 minutes at least every 3 weeks to keep it happy! Thank you soooo much for your efforts to help! I feel like I will be safe doing this because of all you helpful kind RV'ers out there! Have a GREAT day!!!

peteco · 01-10-2017, 08:28 PM

It is possible the generator is gas and not propane fueled. I suggest having that verified next time you get the van serviced. Like Davydd said, the gas tank must be more than 1/4 full for the gas generator to work. I suppose you could verify by starting the generator, then shutting off the propane valve and see if it dies.

Bud · 01-10-2017, 08:36 PM

I agree, probably a gasoline generator - Chevy powered van though, as I recall.

Bud

booster · 01-10-2017, 09:16 PM

I also think the Titans were Chevies, and also had an optional diesel, so it probably could have a propane generator and a 6.6 gm diesel.

Davydd · 01-10-2017, 11:01 PM

I guess it is a Chevy. Great West Van also sold the "Classic" which was a Ford. I got that mixed up because the Titan was aimed at being a Pleasure-way Excel Ford competitor. Now looking at my old photos I see it was a Chevy. It was actually built on a cutaway chassis so is technically a Class C but its layout is almost identical to the Great West Van Sprinter Legend Class B. They have a lot more outside access storage using a fiberglass body on the cutaway and a wider more comfortable body. Design wise it looked a lot like in form like the Pleasure-way Excel which started out as a van with a fiberglass back body addition. I asked about that and they said they tried P-W's way one year and decided it was not stable enough so went to the cutaway. A 2012 model year Youtube video says they were using a Chevy Vortec gas engine. So, the question begs, did the generator just start up on retry this time and turning on the propane was just a coincidence or did they really install propane Onan generators in a gas powered RV?

avanti · 01-10-2017, 11:11 PM

If I owned a gas chassis that also had propane, and if I wanted a genset, I would certainly choose propane over gas. Far less trouble-prone. Most of this silly "exercise it every day" stuff (OK, I exaggerate) comes from the gas models. Running a propane genset occasionally is a good idea, but it is nowhere near as important as it is with petrol, where you have to worry about gumming in the carb. They just don't bother to edit the owner's manuals differently because why should they?

booster · 01-10-2017, 11:16 PM

I think this is from 2008, and it lists the diesel, so it could be propane, and probably also with the gas engine as they would already know how.

https://media.rvusa.com/library/GWV_brochure.pdf

cruising7388 · 01-10-2017, 11:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by avanti

If I owned a gas chassis that also had propane, and if I wanted a genset, I would certainly choose propane over gas. Far less trouble-prone. Most of this silly "exercise it every day" stuff (OK, I exaggerate) comes from the gas models. Running a propane genset occasionally is a good idea, but it is nowhere near as important as it is with petrol, where you have to worry about gumming in the carb. They just don't bother to edit the owner's manuals differently because why should they?

How long will a 3kw generator run from a typical class B propane tank?

Davydd · 01-10-2017, 11:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by booster

I think this is from 2008, and it lists the diesel, so it could be propane, and probably also with the gas engine as they would already know how.

https://media.rvusa.com/library/GWV_brochure.pdf

That settles it I think. They list only the propane generator as an option for the Titan be it gas or diesel, but for the gas engine Ford Classic they list the gas generator as an option. So I would assume the intent was to provide one kind of generator independent of the engine used.

Great West was not using a solenoid to shut off the propane back then. You had to turn it off and on with a turn valve where you filled. I did that several times when boarding ferries. The attendants liked to see you do it to know for sure so I always waited until I got in line. My old Pleasure-way had a convenient switch inside. Now I don't have propane at all so have to go into a dialogue with the attendants every time and say, "Honest, I have no propane." They're always very skeptical. Anyway, if the RV dealer demonstrated starting the generator it had to be on and they turned it off. You would have thunk they would demonstrate that.

avanti · 01-10-2017, 11:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cruising7388

How long will a 3kw generator run from a typical class B propane tank?

At full load you get roughly 2 hours/gal. Much longer at lower loads. Our tank is 9.9 gal. Not sure if that is the raw size of the tank or the 80% level. So, worst case would be something like 16 hours maybe.

BBQ · 01-11-2017, 12:01 AM

.

Can you see the model number on the side of the generator?

If it is propane powered, the model number should have "LP" suffix on it.

ps. do you have a diesel engine RV?

Davydd · 01-11-2017, 12:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by avanti

At full load you get roughly 2 hours/gal. Much longer at lower loads. Our tank is 9.9 gal. Not sure if that is the raw size of the tank or the 80% level. So, worst case would be something like 16 hours maybe.

The 9.9 gal. is the raw size. With the 80% fill you get less at roughly 8 gal. max.

redbaroness · 01-22-2017, 11:34 PM

Hi
We also just bought 2009 Great West Titan. Your generator is definitely propane. Not an expert, but the guy filling propane tank saying it was full means it is at 80% as my understanding is FULL= 80%. Our Great West Titan RV did not come with a manual and cannot find one online. If you would be willing to take it somewhere and have it copied (like Staples, Office Max, etc.) we would of course reimburse costs and would greatly appreciate it. We just love the well designed interior layout. Tip- we found wiping down the top of the sink before pushing back into the wall kept any water residue on top of sink from dripping onto the bed as at first we thought the sink was leaking.

You may also like: