Newbies need guidance

[HappyPlace]

Good evening all,

My wife and I just took possession of a 2014, R31 CB Tug. It was purchased through a yacht dealer that took it in on a trade. The transaction happened very quickly and since the vessel was in South Carolina and we are in Pennsylvania, there wasn't much time for a thorough orientation, nor was this dealer very knowledgable with the Ranger tugs in general. We just launched her this past weekend and found a few things that are a bit confusing and hoping some other owners can keep us on track! We are very excited and appreciate any input given.

We know how to start up the generator, but are not completely sure about the sequence needed to begin powering everything onboard. We don't want to make any errors or cause any damage. We utilized a portable generator on our last boat and I know you shouldn't load any generator until it has warmed up and always stagger the load. I have read the individual manuals, but they don't put everything together. Below is the equipment we have, along with the panel switches.

We are looking for some insight with a start up and shut down order? Also, is the generator capable of running the entire ac panel?

On the Generator:
Line circuit breaker
Emergency stop switch

Generator Cummins Onan Diesel Remote:
Start, Stop/Prime

AC Panel:
Shore, Off, Gen

Pro Mariner Inverter Remote:
Charger mode, Off, Inverter mode

 

[Scuffy]

We have a R27 with a generator. I have thrown the switch near the inverter to the off position. I don't use the inverter as we have a generator and I see inverters as battery killers. We have a rotary switch that switches from the generator to the inverter and shore power. I just switch the rotary switch to generator and start the generator and let it warm up a little making sure it is pumping water out the exhaust. We sometimes cruise using the generator to power the 120 volt Air Conditioner. I just use whatever power I need to accomplish the task but avoid using too many things at one given time. I usually use a 120 volt percolator for coffee and have a little breakfast sandwich maker in the am. I would wait until I am done using the outlets that have anything plugged in that uses a lot of power before I used the microwave etc. Then I just turn the generator off and turn the rotary switch back to shore power when I'm done and switch the breakers back to off on the ac panel. I'm sure others will chime in. Our generator has a zinc in the heat exchanger which eats up zincs faster than I would have thought. I don't know about your generator but I would keep a close eye on the generators zinc if so equipped. I'm sure others will chime in.

 

[SnugTug]

Like Scuffy - we also have an R-27 with a Mase 2.7 generator and basically run ours the same way he does. We very seldom use the inverter. We have an electric stove and only run on shore power - but the generator would handle it. The ac and microwave run well on generator, but won't on the inverter.

Have fun getting to know your boat. I would suggest that (at minimum) you grab up spare fuses, thruster shear pins, impellers for the engine and generator, coolant and oil.

Scuffy and I are both in Pennsylvania. I boat on the Sassafras River - Chesapeake Bay. If you are nearby, PM me and I would be happy to walk you through some of the systems that I have learned about.

John

 

[Dale777]

HappyPlace,

Assuming your 2014 R31CB has the same Genset as my 2014 R31S, then it is the Cummins Onan 5MDKBH-5238E. See this link for the spec sheet:

https://powersuite.cummins.com/PS5/PS5C ... a-1475.pdf

As noted in the Specs, it outputs 120 volts at 41.7 Amps. So, whatever appliances you want to run need to fit within those specs. I know that I can certainly run both air conditioners at the same time along with battery charging. I'm pretty sure that my wife has also used the microwave at the same time, also. If you do overload the Genset and trip a breaker, be sure to look at the breaker switch on the Genset itself to see if it tripped and needs to be reset.

See this link for a Quickguide which I think answers your startup and shutdown questions:

https://power.cummins.com/sites/default ... F-1576.pdf

Surprisingly, on my 2 year old 2014 R31 with very few engine hours on the Genset, I had to replace the impeller 2 months ago. Perhaps, this can be attributed to the problem noted in this link:

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f14 ... 24001.html

 

[JeffE]

We also have an R31CB with the Onan 5 KW genset. The sequence I use to go from no power to genset-based power is essentially:

Ensure water heater and air conditioning circuit breakers are OFF
Turn inverter OFF
Turn circuit breakers OFF for Shore 1 and Shore 2
Turn rotary switch (shore/off/gen) to Off.
Start genset
Wait 2 minutes for it to warm up
Turn rotary switch to gen
Turn shore 1 and shore 2 breakers ON
If you want to charge the batteries, turn inverter to charge, otherwise, leave it off. I believe the AC plugs throughout the boat are not energized unless the inverter is on Charge or Invert, so you'll probably need to turn it to Charge.
If you want to heat water, turn water heater to ON, otherwise, leave it off
If you want air conditioning, turn AC breakers on, go to the individual AC controls and turn turn on, as needed

You've got roughly 40A of power available. Shore 1 and Shore 2 are both 30A circuits. You don't want to load the genset
at more than 80% or so for an extended period of time. Likewise, you don't want to load it below 50% for an extended period of time (although this is a hard rule to follow). The water heater draws roughly 10A, as I recall. Each AC unit draws roughly 12A, I think. The battery charger maxes out around 15A, if I remember correctly.

The best thing to do is to measure the amperage draw of each circuit, then just manage the boat to ensure you don't overlod the genset. You may find the genset will stall if overloaded, rather than a circuit breaker tripping. Unfortunately, the factory doesn't install an ammeter on the AC circuits, so measuring them requires either a clamp meter, or you to install an ammeter.

To shutdown, reverse the process:

Turn off air conditioners
Turn off air conditioner circuit breakers
Turn off water heater circuit breaker
Turn off inverter
Turn off Shore 1 and Shore 2 circuit breakers
Move rotary switch to OFF
Wait 2 minutes for genset to cool
Turn off genset

Have fun!

Jeff

 

[Irish Mist]

I was told by a diesel guy to let it run for a bit after all loads are off as mentioned so the engine can cool down... I have gone through many impellers.. One theory is if lifting the boat out of the water to close seacock before lifting to keep water in the system so there is no air lock on startup..

 

[HappyPlace]

Thank you all very much! I will put this advice to practice this weekend. I am overwhelmed with the amount of replies and thoroughness of the content! I still have a long way to go and only hope that I can share the favor one day!!!

My best,

Al Sr.

 

[bill46]

We Also have a 2014 R31CB with 5KW Cummins Onan. JeffE has the correct sequence for on and off.
We do not use Generator unless we need Air Conditioning. Inverter runs microwave and coffeemaker underway. Solar will take care of refrigerator and lighting. Gas Stove requires no electricity. Engine heats water - or cabin when cold and keeps batteries charged while running.

Pretty much the same sequence for turning shore power on and off. Turn inverter off while switching. If not on shore or gen. use inverter for 120VAC. If on Gen or AC put inverter in charge, if batteries have been charged by solar or engine, inverter does not have to do much. I have 30 & 50 A shore power splitters, and usually use 30 with a little load balancing. Can do 2 AC - or heat, but not much else. Shut off one AC for coffee, microwave, or hot water. Both AC and DC ammeters would be nice. Might install digital amp and volt meters.

Just discovered GFCI in cave berth behind DC panel - it tripped and killed the dinette outlet. Took a while to find.

enjoy. Bill46 on Radio Active