By Jessica Rider
What is the purpose of a generator and why should you have one? Not all RV’s come with a generator, many are generator prepped, typically in larger fifth wheels and motorhomes, but not all use this added feature. The purpose of a generator is to act as your shore power when shore power is not present. If you have a generator and use it regularly you ultimately are using it to power the converter, charging your house batteries, as well as using it to run your equipment and appliances.
Generators come in very handy when you want to do some late season camping and shore power is not available or you happen to lose shore power while you are camping and need a back up. However it can be very frustrating when you lose power and your generator does not work properly. Typically generators are very easy to maintain and can be done by most DIYers.
Here are a few things to make sure your generator fires right up when you are ready to use it.
- You should start your generator and let it run at least once per month for about an hour with a load, meaning with your AC or something similar on. Generators are not meant to just sit and wait idle for you to use it here and there, they need to be run and manufacturer recommendations are once per month.
- You should check your fluid levels, filters and spark plugs at least every 50-100 hours used. This may vary depending on whether you are checking the oil or spark plugs but typically every 50-100 hours it should be checked. You may not need to replace anything quite yet as filters and spark plugs may be closer to 500 hours but it’s good to check everything on a regular basis.
- Always let your generator warm up and cool down properly, anywhere from 5-10 minutes, for both start up and cool down to avoid unnecessary wear and tear on your generator.
- Always test your generator before a trip you know you will use it on, even if you just tested recently. Start up your generator and run it with a load on, meaning half appliances on, for 30-60 minutes and make sure it starts and cools down properly.
- Lastly, it’s important to keep a good service tech on call in case you need a more serious repair to your generator.
With simple, routine maintenance you can keep your generator working properly and ready for any type of camping you plan to do in any season. Make yourself a maintenance checklist for the entire camper and include your generator maintenance and proper intervals throughout the year.
Happy Camping!
Jessica