Auto Gen Start - Alante

[D & Scott]

Has anyone installed a system to auto start the generator during a power failure? We got a new dog!!! and this will be our second year camping RV style but first year with a dog. We will take our new best friend, Dakota, with us almost everywhere. But there are some National Parks that do not allow dogs on the trails and we want to make sure she stays safe on 80+ degree days. We have a 2018 Alante 26x - I don't believe the Alante has a temperature controlled or power interruption auto start for the generator. If I'm wrong please let me know.

 

[ALJO]

Schematic everything can be accomplished, but on the other side every technology can fail. You can make a separated TH controlled start for the generator to come on and probably with a signal back to a control board that it is running. There are apps available for monitoring. Don't know if it is available or not maybe someone else might pitch in.
It is available for homes so for an RV it wouldn't be any different.

 

[Rickguns1956]

Check with a Onan service shop. It is possible. We are considering a Class C (maybe) and we have two Golden Retrievers and I want to be sure they're staying cool if there would be a power failure.
I also intend to go with a lot of solar. A Auto Gen Start can also be used to have the Gen. kick on to recharge the batteries if they drop too much.

I checked out a Winnebago Class A and the Auto Gen Start was standard from the factory..........so it can be done.
Please post what you find out for your particular application.

 

[Vicr]

The Precepts can be set up to do that. Hopefully an Alante owner will jump in here so you can get the correct information. Have you read your Onan manual?

 

[foretm]

Little bit late to the party on this, but i’m considering installing a magnum me-ags-s standalone AGS.

https://www.magnum-dimensions.com/auto-generator-start-stand-alone

On the 31v, everything I need is on the back of the main panel in the hall, so my plan is to tie into the gen start/stop switch, hour meter, and 12v+/- and mount the AGS module in the bathroom cabinet which backs up to the wall the main panel is on. This can be had for about $200 on Amazon.

 

[D & Scott]

Little bit late to the party on this, but i’m considering installing a magnum me-ags-s standalone AGS.

https://www.magnum-dimensions.com/auto-generator-start-stand-alone

On the 31v, everything I need is on the back of the main panel in the hall, so my plan is to tie into the gen start/stop switch, hour meter, and 12v+/- and mount the AGS module in the bathroom cabinet which backs up to the wall the main panel is on. This can be had for about $200 on Amazon.

Foretm - thank you very much for the suggestion. We know from past mods that the best resource is these forums for the upfront research being done this year for next years major mod. We will also post back here with the info and links we find.

D

 

[foretm]

D,

I finally got around to doing this ME-AGS-S install in my 31V this weekend. Very straightforward, the hardest part for me was drilling through the studs in the wall and running the wires to where the module is installed. I preferred to install my module in the medicine cabinet which shares a wall with the hall where main panel is located. I will upload some pictures soon, once I finish the install. Got past the wiring and did a test cycle, but still need to wrap up the install and put everything back.

If you’re interested happy to help.

Mike

 

[foretm]

D,


Wrapped up this install over the weekend and buttoned everything up, so figured i'd upload a few pictures.

I installed the Magnum Industries ME-AGS-S Automatic Generator Start (Stand-Alone) in my Entegra Vision 31V. I chose to install the remote switch in the hall above the main information panel.

(picture 1)

As a reminder, in this floorplan the panel in question shares a wall with the bathroom, so we decided to install the main board in the medicine cabinet out of the way and only visible if you open the cabinet.

(pictures 2 & 3)

The Entegra Vision 31V / Jayco Allante 31V use the Onan QG-4000 gas generator which employs the "3-wire" mode for the ME-AGS-S. The connections in pin order are:

1. Not in use in my installation
2. Generator Sense (+ 10-40v when genset is running)
3. Monitored Battery Bank Positive (+)
4. Monitored Battery Bank Negative (-)
5. Generator Switch Start
6. Generator Switch Common
7. Generator Switch Stop

(picture 4)

All the connections you need for this are on the back of the main panel where the generator meter and start/stop switch are located. The following picture shows which wires connected to which pins of the ME-AGS-S module. I'm one for doing something once and hopefully never dealing with it again, so I cut each wire and soldered it back together with the additional wire leading to the auto-gen start module.

The orange wire on the hour meter is the generator "positive sense". The red wire from the slide switch is the monitored battery positive (+). The brown wire on the hour meter and the stop switch are already connected together, so that means pin 4 and 6 are the same wire, the monitored battery negative (-). I hooked up pin 4 to the negative and then used an inline fuse top jump from 4 to 6. The red wire on the start/stop switch is the start pin, the green wire is the stop pin, and the center pin is a ground.

(pictures 5 & 6)

The default settings for my installation worked just fine. The two settings internally are the voltage (12/24/48v), 12v being default, and the generator type. This is a 3-wire, however I chose to keep the default which is the QD (Quiet Diesel) setting. The only difference being the amount of time the starter is engaged each time it tries to start the generator. The QD tries for 20 seconds before timing out, the 3-wire only tries for 5 seconds.

(pictures 7 & 8)

I'm still configuring the unit and have only performed the test sequence which fires the generator right up. I have not yet armed the module to let the voltage or temperature trigger a start. I will be doing more testing on this in the near future, but so far everything looks good.

- Mike

 

[D & Scott]

Mike,
Wow! Thank you for the details. It doesn’t seem near as complicated as the dealer was trying to make it out to be. I showed Scott and he agreed; he also liked the idea of soldering the wires. We ( and I mean the hubby since I’m management/gopher ) will be tackling this and the WEBoost in March.