Hey, gang
I wanted to post something positive online about my recent experiences with NextGen. The 3.5KW
generator installed by the original owner in 2004 became a victim of neglect. The original
heat exchanger developed a leak, and
lost a lot of
coolant. There was also a raw-water leak in the
exhaust elbow. The second owner used the genset a lot, because they kept the
boat on a
mooring. We have always been at the
dock, so mostly ran the
generator to make sure it still worked since we haven't been cruising overnight since we bought our
boat in 2014. Because the generator was in a
fiberglass enclosure, the only way to check the
coolant level was to remove the cover, which was complicated by the design of the cabinet from the initial
installation. There was a screw-off port that allowed access to the
oil filler and dipstick, but the only way to inspect coolant was to see if the overflow reservoir still had some in it. Needless to say, when I discovered that the generator was shutting itself down for an overtemp condition, I started digging with our local
mechanic and we discovered the
leaks. First, we replaced the impeller, which is an over-the counter
Jabsco part, and easy to find. When that didn't solve anything, we pulled the HE and found it was leaking at the end caps. I called Ken at NextGen, explained what was going on, and drove from Brunswick to
Jacksonville to get an new
heat exchanger assembly, gaskets, studs and screws. Ken agreed that the old HE was shot, probably because the zinc had not been replaced (although there was one in the ship's spares kit). The new HE is from a newer supplier, and a solid
bronze casting with brass end-caps and o-rings. It's a much better design. IMO. I tried to install it myself, but it wouldn't seal. I called Ken, who suggested that the mounting adapter may have warped from the heat, and went down to pick up a new one. He threw in a new
gasket and
hardware. When we went to install it, though, my
mechanic found a couple of spider cracks starting in the base of the HE casting. running from the corners to the bolt holes. While not completely cracked through I made another run to Jax to show them the areas of concern. They replaced the heat exchanger, no questions asked. After another
installation attempt with a new
gasket, we had some coolant weeping around the bolt holes. More troubling was the
raw water leak, caused by the fact that the
fiberglass portion of the
exhaust was being eaten away by contact with the enclosure. I took the lower part of the exhaust back to NextGen, and purchased an complete new exhaust. The threw in another gasket, some additional mounting
hardware, and all the hoses I needed to do the job. I took my wife on the drive down, and they took their time to explain a lot about their product to her and didn't rush us out. Yesterday, finally, we got everything to mount up and NO MORE LEAKS! The generator runs great, and puts out good
power.
So kudos to the guys at NextGen-- they took an interest in helping me solve the problems with my generator, they admitted that sometimes they get a bad part from a vendor, they replaced it without any fuss, and made sure i had the
parts to do the job. They don't do a lot of online advertising or social media, so they rely on satisfied customers to share their experiences. I thought their support was good. As Ken said, if you have a problem, just call-- they will walk you through it!
David
English
S/V "Still the One"
H380
Brunswick/St. Simons Island, GA