Generator Yes or no?

W

weislbdm

New Member
Sep 11, 2011
5
sw florida
Boat Info
boatless
Engines
boatless
i am ready to buy a sundancer 280, but I am on the fence as to whether or not I need a generator. I will be boating in SW florida mostly doing day trips or at most weekenders, will be purchasing an A/C. Will most likely be at slips if on weekenders. Why should I purchase a generator?
 
I would vote yes, seeing how you are in SW Florida and plan to have A/C installed. Maybe if nothing else for future resale. You are also in hurricane country so if nothing happens with the boat when a hurricane has caused nearby destruction and you are enduring a power outage, you could live on the boat. I just do not see much sense in an A/C unit and just having shore power to operate it, but hey that's my input. :huh:

Good luck
 
weislbdm said:
i am ready to buy a sundancer 280, but i am on the fence as to whether or not i need a generator. I will be boating in sw florida mostly doing day trips or at most weekenders, will be purchasing an a/c. Will most likely be at slips if on weekenders. Why should i purchase a generator?
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yes!
 
Let me think about this for a minute.....you're going to be nice and cool while you're at the dock but hot and sweaty when you're out cruising? Makes no sense to me.

YES!
 
Also, consider the value of your boat and the overall quality of your investment. There is a steady demand for 280DA's in Florida, but those without generator and air conditioning seem to stay on the market for a long, long time. You might pay a little more for the generator/air optioned boat, but you will get more of your money back when you trade up or out..........and, you get to enjoy the added conveniences while you own the boat.
 
Absolutely you need the generator. Many years ago I bought a 280da without a generator. 1 week into my first NY summer, I started shopping for a generator and AC upgrade. Long story short, I sold the 280da boat and bought a 310da (never big enough!) with generator and AC. Get the genny!
 
YES YES YES I would never buy another boat with out a generator or AC/heat. The comfort and the extra cruising use is worth every penny. I live 1500 straight north of you and I get great use from both.

Ken
 
In this area you really want the generator. In the summer, it is not unusual for us to start the generator before leaving and not shutting it down until we get to our destination. Just remember in cooler weather to run it for a half hour or so when you use the boat; like all things mechanical you have to use it.

Before getting the 260 with the generator, we had never owned a boat with one. Now, I would not buy a boat without a genny. Away from the dock, I have A/C (that's reason enough right there), more cooking options (not just sandwiches anymore), hot water without running the engine (I actually disconnected the raw water heating on the water heater), and I don't have to worry about running down the batteries. Plus, as an added bonus, I have a real blender for making frozen concoctions that help me hang on. It also give you a nice, cool cabin to hang out in when you get caught in the inevitable thunderstorm.
 
YES, get one with a generator. When we were looking, my wife demanded it. I didn't much care. Well, I'm glad we did find one with a generator. It's used quite often, and we've easily put more hours on the generator than we have the engines this being our first full year with the 280DA.

That Ebay listing is a pretty nice boat, and a pretty nice price, including a trailer. I just can't believe the generator has 89 hours on a 2002! But, it is Ohio (my home state)...
 
I had a 260 without generator, traded it in for a 260 with a generator, could not be happier..
 
Thanks for the advice, doesn't sound like there is a downside to a generator other than the initial cost. Anyone have maintenance or repair issues with them?
 
A 280 will have the same Kohler 5K generator that the 260 has. I change the oil every 100 hours or so. I use Mobil 1 10W-30 synthetic because it goes from 0 and cold to full throttle in about 5 seconds. I change the raw water impeller every 80-100 hours. I have broken vanes off before and it is easier to change it before it goes. If you don't have to fish out pieces of the old impeller it is about a 30 minute job. There is also a zinc that gets replaced with the impeller. This is also a good time to inspect the exhaust for leaks. In SW Florida, plan on doing this in March before it gets hot, which will probably carry you through the summer and into cooler weather in October. I have gone a full year before, it just depends on how much it gets used.

I carry spare spark plugs - it is hard to load up a 5K generator in a small boat and the result is that it will periodically foul the plugs. I'll wire brush them once or twice and then just replace them. You'll know that they are fouled because it will sound different. Spark plugs are cheap, I replace mine in March also so that I start the summer with fresh ones.

If the choke sticks, you may have to lubricate that periodically. Personally, mine has never caused any problems.

Otherwise, the most important thing you can do is run it. Kohler recommends that it be exercised once a week, although I have never had a problem going 2 weeks. However, any longer and it takes a few cranks to start, enough that I have to close off the seacock until it turns over. This isn't hard, it just means standing in the bilge with one hand on the lever and the other on the starter switch.

Every time I run the boat, I run the generator with as much load as I can for at least 30 minutes. On a 280, this will mean the A/C (or heat in the winter), the hot water heater, and the fridge.

The only other issue I have had happened this year at Aquapalooza. After about 6 hours of running, the strainer was clogged with seaweed. I shut it down and cleaned it out, but when I restarted it there was very little water flow, so I shut it down again to keep from destroying the relatively new impeller. It seems that the thru-hull was clogged also, since it cleared out when I pulled anchor and moved the boat. The water flow was restored by the time I got back to the marina.

Mine has been less trouble than the Mercruiser main engine. The Kohler does not have an IAC valve!
 
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