2003 Chinook Premier - no factory generator
2003 Chinook Premier - no factory generator
We just put a deposit down in a really nice one owner 2003 Chinook Premier. It was purchased without a generator from the factory - my question is this - do you know if its prewired for one? I see a place for the switch over the drivers seat. The generator compartment appears almost ready for a generator - life would be much easier if the wiring was already there. The dealer is researching but I thought id reach out and see if anyone here knew -
Re: 2003 Chinook Premier - no factory generator
I don't know, but I just removed the original generator from my Concourse, so there are a few things you could check:
1) AC wiring. The junction box is in the closet on the floor (the deep section under the carpet which pulls up). Chinook solid core wiring would come to the box (Onan stranded pigtail went from box through gen compartment wall).
1b) Is there an AC breaker for it in the brown electrical box?
2) DC wiring on your year would come from house bank. (This is power to start generator.) Something like 6AWG. It comes into gen box from rear/side. Positive from house bank, negative to area on rear frame rail where other passenger side chassis grounds are.
3) Mine had a remote start panel in closet wall (Onan panel, hours, etc.) Wiring was extended by Chinook with Onan color scheme (small wires, IIRC red/orange/yellow/brown/black - or similar - about 16AWG) Also switch in cab but that was pure Chinook.
4) Importantly: Gasoline line. This comes from top of Ford gas tank to gen compartment aft side. To add this you would need to at least partially drop gas tank I believe. Yet it's hard to imagine Chinook just having a capped off line?
5) Sheet metal (fire resistant) enclosure on sides and top of compartment, sealed from interior. Does yours have this or is it just a plywood storage compartment, or....?
If I had to guess I'd say this is beyond "pre-wire." The roof air on units without it is pretty easily pre-wired. A breaker, a junction box, some wire in the roof (etc.). But the generator requires more and doesn't seem as likely (but maybe? now you know some of what to look for).
BG
PS: Minor point but also the two side sections of that compartment door would be expanded metal (air intake) vs solid like the center (I can see at least one of yours is solid and has matching stripe).
1) AC wiring. The junction box is in the closet on the floor (the deep section under the carpet which pulls up). Chinook solid core wiring would come to the box (Onan stranded pigtail went from box through gen compartment wall).
1b) Is there an AC breaker for it in the brown electrical box?
2) DC wiring on your year would come from house bank. (This is power to start generator.) Something like 6AWG. It comes into gen box from rear/side. Positive from house bank, negative to area on rear frame rail where other passenger side chassis grounds are.
3) Mine had a remote start panel in closet wall (Onan panel, hours, etc.) Wiring was extended by Chinook with Onan color scheme (small wires, IIRC red/orange/yellow/brown/black - or similar - about 16AWG) Also switch in cab but that was pure Chinook.
4) Importantly: Gasoline line. This comes from top of Ford gas tank to gen compartment aft side. To add this you would need to at least partially drop gas tank I believe. Yet it's hard to imagine Chinook just having a capped off line?
5) Sheet metal (fire resistant) enclosure on sides and top of compartment, sealed from interior. Does yours have this or is it just a plywood storage compartment, or....?
If I had to guess I'd say this is beyond "pre-wire." The roof air on units without it is pretty easily pre-wired. A breaker, a junction box, some wire in the roof (etc.). But the generator requires more and doesn't seem as likely (but maybe? now you know some of what to look for).
BG
PS: Minor point but also the two side sections of that compartment door would be expanded metal (air intake) vs solid like the center (I can see at least one of yours is solid and has matching stripe).
1999 Concourse
Re: 2003 Chinook Premier - no factory generator
Thank you for the detailed reply - Its still at the dealer right now - (small local consignment rv dealer). When I opened the compartment it had metal walls and looked like it was ready for one but no wires that I saw. I will share the details of your reply with him now. Thank you so much!
Re: 2003 Chinook Premier - no factory generator
Blue got most of the components there. I want to add that you need a transfer switch behind the charger/converter so that it will disconnect your shore power when the generator is on. The transfer switch is required for safety and electrical code requirement.
I would say vast majority of Chinook, particular the newer one like yours, come with a generator. So what you got there is pretty rare. I am sure someone out there in the world is spending months trying to get a 2003 premier without a genset, but went out of patience and ended up with one that came with it, and in the process of removing it. I have a feeling that they do not have most of the wiring related to the genset, so it can be a lot of work to get the generator to work. I hope I am wrong, and you will have a pleasant surprise. Good luck.
I would say vast majority of Chinook, particular the newer one like yours, come with a generator. So what you got there is pretty rare. I am sure someone out there in the world is spending months trying to get a 2003 premier without a genset, but went out of patience and ended up with one that came with it, and in the process of removing it. I have a feeling that they do not have most of the wiring related to the genset, so it can be a lot of work to get the generator to work. I hope I am wrong, and you will have a pleasant surprise. Good luck.
2000 Concourse dinette, on 1999 6.8L Ford E350 Triton V-10 Chassis
Re: 2003 Chinook Premier - no factory generator
I just see that you only put a deposit on it. You may want to get a quote from the dealer who is selling it and figure out the total cost when the genset goes in. I don't know about you, but I would use this as starting price to compare to a 2003 premier with factory genset, and it is probably going to give you a very good negotiation position, since it is probably thousands of dollar more than a more common configuration with the genset.
You need to make sure you are dealing with a good service center. Let the dealer/service tech tell you what they going to do, and how much extra. If they don't know about all the required components, they may not be qualified to install one on it.
If I am a good business person, I actually will try to sell it to someone else. A newer Premier is relatively easy to sell, and there are a few people out there that would want no genset on it. I will not be worry that it will be sitting on the lot for too long. If I do want to make a sell, I would not try to make money off the genset install. Every one runs business differently, but trying to sell something that does not suit the buyer use case is just not very good business practice. I maybe able to make money on the sale, and more money with the genset install, but I am sure when you drive it out of the lot, and realize that you paid the extra labor cost to do the work that could have been done back in 2003 for next to nothing, will not make you a happy buyer. I will probablyl give your the deposit back after realize how much work it takes to put the genset in there properly.
You need to make sure you are dealing with a good service center. Let the dealer/service tech tell you what they going to do, and how much extra. If they don't know about all the required components, they may not be qualified to install one on it.
If I am a good business person, I actually will try to sell it to someone else. A newer Premier is relatively easy to sell, and there are a few people out there that would want no genset on it. I will not be worry that it will be sitting on the lot for too long. If I do want to make a sell, I would not try to make money off the genset install. Every one runs business differently, but trying to sell something that does not suit the buyer use case is just not very good business practice. I maybe able to make money on the sale, and more money with the genset install, but I am sure when you drive it out of the lot, and realize that you paid the extra labor cost to do the work that could have been done back in 2003 for next to nothing, will not make you a happy buyer. I will probablyl give your the deposit back after realize how much work it takes to put the genset in there properly.
2000 Concourse dinette, on 1999 6.8L Ford E350 Triton V-10 Chassis
Re: 2003 Chinook Premier - no factory generator
The dealer is working on a quote - I was just trying to get them some information to help with the process - This is a one owner garage kept unit being sold on consignment (husband passed away) - Its literally like new inside and out and why I am choosing this one - it has 41k miles and we agreed on $25k to buy it - I figure even if it costs $5k to have a generator installed id still be happy with my price. Everything with the coach works - even has factory shower curtain still in the original package. Just couldn't pass it up -
Re: 2003 Chinook Premier - no factory generator
Good point on the automatic transfer switch, Chin_k. There are other ways to set it up, but you have to have some selection method, which I didn't mention.
Another option: Try it without the generator. I would always place first priority on a garage kept one owner. (In fact I did buy a one owner hangar kept one.) In my opinion, "just" cosmetics are a real pain to fix. Mechanical additions cost money, but are often relatively quick and you don't need an "artist" just a solid mechanic. Drive in to the shop, they do it, pay, leave. Try that with a faded paint job, torn seats, yucky carpet, etc. Those can all be fixed but it's more invasive, fewer shops are good at it (or they are booked) and there is that artist factor.
If you just absolutely know you want a generator, that's fine of course. But you might choose to examine that idea a little bit if you are just assuming you want or need one. We can discuss it if you think it would be useful. I would have LOVED to have found one with no generator. I never once used mine since 2014. So don't ask me why I hauled it around for SIX years, but I just finally removed it. The storage!!! That's not to say my way is the one way; plenty of people use them. But it's not a "must" for every situation. And they are loud and can be a maintenance pain. Other methods have come a long way since the early 2000's. So just something to consider.
Another option: Try it without the generator. I would always place first priority on a garage kept one owner. (In fact I did buy a one owner hangar kept one.) In my opinion, "just" cosmetics are a real pain to fix. Mechanical additions cost money, but are often relatively quick and you don't need an "artist" just a solid mechanic. Drive in to the shop, they do it, pay, leave. Try that with a faded paint job, torn seats, yucky carpet, etc. Those can all be fixed but it's more invasive, fewer shops are good at it (or they are booked) and there is that artist factor.
If you just absolutely know you want a generator, that's fine of course. But you might choose to examine that idea a little bit if you are just assuming you want or need one. We can discuss it if you think it would be useful. I would have LOVED to have found one with no generator. I never once used mine since 2014. So don't ask me why I hauled it around for SIX years, but I just finally removed it. The storage!!! That's not to say my way is the one way; plenty of people use them. But it's not a "must" for every situation. And they are loud and can be a maintenance pain. Other methods have come a long way since the early 2000's. So just something to consider.
1999 Concourse
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caconcourse
- Senior Member
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- Joined: October 31st, 2014, 10:25 pm
Re: 2003 Chinook Premier - no factory generator
Sounds like a terrific Chinook at a very good price. If it lacks the important infrastructure for a generator (Automatic transfer switch and fuel line in particular) I would consider just buying a nice smaller Honda portable generator or equivalent and store it in the compartment. I would have one that you could just plug your shore cable in, then no transfer switch is needed. I think you could gang together a couple of small units if you need more kw.
After five years we have used our generator on just a few occasions, mainly for air conditioning in hot weather. It's important enough in those situations that I would not give it up. You can get by with a 2500 or 3000W generator as long as you don't use the air conditioner and the microwave at the same time, which is pretty easy to self-regulate. A portable unit would also serve as a house backup if needed.
Congrats on your find, and I hope it works out for you.
After five years we have used our generator on just a few occasions, mainly for air conditioning in hot weather. It's important enough in those situations that I would not give it up. You can get by with a 2500 or 3000W generator as long as you don't use the air conditioner and the microwave at the same time, which is pretty easy to self-regulate. A portable unit would also serve as a house backup if needed.
Congrats on your find, and I hope it works out for you.
Clay
2001 Concourse
Santa Barbara, CA
2001 Concourse
Santa Barbara, CA
Re: 2003 Chinook Premier - no factory generator
I think the Onan unit cost extra $4k on the Chinook, so if they only charge you $5k for it, it is a reasonable. I am not trying to convince you not to do it, but just want you to have the info if you want to negotiate with the dealer in case they did not give you a good price on the Premier or the genset upgrade.... I see the sticker price says 29995, and do not know how good of a negotiator you are.
Everyone use case is different. Some can go without genset, some can't live without it. I think with my use case, if I do not have the genset on mine, I can get away with lithium battery with a 2kW inverter, and will look into DC heat pump for the AC.... don't know if anyone is selling it for the RV market yet. If you need to keep the AC going for hours, then genset will be the only reasonable option. I would look for a genset with fuel injection (hate to have to run the genset every month just to keep the carburetor from gumming up), but don't know if there is a good option that will fit in the space in our rigs.
Everyone use case is different. Some can go without genset, some can't live without it. I think with my use case, if I do not have the genset on mine, I can get away with lithium battery with a 2kW inverter, and will look into DC heat pump for the AC.... don't know if anyone is selling it for the RV market yet. If you need to keep the AC going for hours, then genset will be the only reasonable option. I would look for a genset with fuel injection (hate to have to run the genset every month just to keep the carburetor from gumming up), but don't know if there is a good option that will fit in the space in our rigs.
2000 Concourse dinette, on 1999 6.8L Ford E350 Triton V-10 Chassis
Re: 2003 Chinook Premier - no factory generator
Just as a note, I'm not sure it would be so hard to add the ATS. I say that because they break from time to time and people replace them. Also, since we don't have fancy things like auto gen start, you don't really need an automatic switch. On a friend's RV with the same brown box and Onan generator, we replaced the brown box and as a part of that used a Blue Sea AC panel like you would use on a boat. It simply has one main breaker for the shore power, and another one for the generator. You can only flip one or the other on, but not both. This does the same job. I can't think why it would need to be automatic unless you have auto gen start or something like that (his RV is still working fine, six years after we did the mod).
Not saying it's simple to add a generator. The fuel line would be a pain in the wallet. But the source selection function doesn't seem like it would be a huge thing.
One other clarification. This may be obvious, but not having a generator doesn't mean you can't use the roof Air-conditioner. It just means you have to be plugged in to do it. Personally, the noise of the generator AND the AC would drive me crazy. Plugged in I could probably handle it (it's just the AC noise then). That's not to say it would bother everyone. I just wanted to clarify that roof AC can be used just fine plugged in, even with no generator.
Not saying it's simple to add a generator. The fuel line would be a pain in the wallet. But the source selection function doesn't seem like it would be a huge thing.
One other clarification. This may be obvious, but not having a generator doesn't mean you can't use the roof Air-conditioner. It just means you have to be plugged in to do it. Personally, the noise of the generator AND the AC would drive me crazy. Plugged in I could probably handle it (it's just the AC noise then). That's not to say it would bother everyone. I just wanted to clarify that roof AC can be used just fine plugged in, even with no generator.
1999 Concourse