2019 Isata 3 Maint

[Anne M]

Couple questions on maintenance for my 1 year old 2019 Isata 3:
- RV dealer is recommending battery service - I thought these batteries are sealed and don’t require maint?
- how often should oil be changed on propane generator - ours only has about 30 hours on it and they are recommending we change the oil
- do stabilizer mechanical hinge points need service? What does this entail? How much does this usually cost?

Trying to keep our rig well serviced but also keep the RV repair shop honest.

Thanks
Anne

[milkman55]

Your batteries do not need servicing. If you have kept them charged and not allowed them to go dead, they should last a minimum of 3 years or longer.

Your generator should be serviced annually even if you only have 30 hours on the generator.

The stabilizing jacks just need some dry lubricant like silicone spray. Don’t use oil that can attract dust buildup. It’s real easy to apply to the screw that raises the jack.

Assume you are getting your Sprinter A and B service done annually.

[Anne M]

Thanks, Milkman.

Yes, we’re all set with our Mercedes maint. Appreciate your help!

[Sandiegodoug]

Our propane generator has 2 hours on it after 2.5 years. Mainly use our solar system to maintain batteries when dry camping. What needs to be serviced on it.

[milkman55]

The generator engine has oil in the crankcase just like most all engines(think lawnmower for example). When the generator are new they have break-in oil in the crankcase. The oil should be changed annually with fresh oil as the oil breaks down with age as well as use. It’s especially important to make the first oil change and get the break-in oil changed out.

You should also start your generator monthly and let it run under load (like the AC) for at least 15 min just to exercise and lubricate the engine. This is all covered in the manual.

[ferrisjc]

Milkman is right. The generator needs regular exercise with monthly running. You can have dealer do the oil change for 99 bucks or yourself but whether you or dealer complete the annual maintenance still needs to be done.
The solar panels if you have them keep the batteries charged (if not covered under a garage) and yes they are M free but like everything else check everything out on a regular basis.

[FFred]

Actually its not the oil that breaks down , its the 15% or 20% of the oil that is an additive package that gets used up.


Same reason antifreeze requires periodic changing.

[Bill Davis]

Originally Posted by ferrisjc

Milkman is right. The generator needs regular exercise with monthly running. You can have dealer do the oil change for 99 bucks or yourself but whether you or dealer complete the annual maintenance still needs to be done.
The solar panels if you have them keep the batteries charged (if not covered under a garage) and yes they are M free but like everything else check everything out on a regular basis.

99 bucks is a little steep considering it holds less than 2 quarts of oil and it doesn’t have a filter.

[Bill Davis]

It just dawned on me that you may have the propane generator instead of the diesel. I’m not sure what they require.

[jneum525]

For the Propane generator that comes in most Isata 3's, does anyone know offhand what the recommended oil is? Was wondering if I could use the same thing I put in the Mercedes engine. Mobil 1 5W30 ESP Fully Synthetic?
Thanks

[milkman55]

Here is the spec oil. Basically 15-40w, non-synthetic. I know the Onan shop that changed my Isata 3 propane generator used a 15-40w synthetic, so probably not an issue.

https://www.amazon.com/Cummins-32653...8512242&sr=8-2

[milkman55]

Here is the entire kit for oil change on the 3.6 Propane generator at a decent price.

https://www.rvupgradestore.com/Onan-...-p/48-9461.htm

[jneum525]

Great to know. Thank you...

[jneum525]

Does anyone know why Onan would have stopped putting an oil filter on their generators. At least this generator. I just assumed it would have had one as my 6500 Onan on my previous coach had one.
Thanks

[milkman55]

It’s just on the smallest generators. Anything larger has an oil filter.

Here is a lengthy discussion of just that question.

https://www.irv2.com/forums/f87/why-...or-364903.html

[jneum525]

Thanks Milkman. Informative link. Would imagine with the propane generators they run much cleaner as well. Will change oil often and forget about it.