Investing in an RV is a great way to see the country with the whole family while saving on hotel costs and airfare. Just pack up the kids and set out for the open road! However, the generator that’s inside of your RV needs special care and maintaining in order to be ready for your big trip around the country! One of the main issues associated with RV generators stems from lack of use. If you let a gas generator sit for too long without using it, the fuel will break down inside the machine, becoming gummy in texture and unable to be properly used.
This article is going to go over the best ways to maintain your RV generator so that there is one less thing to worry about when planning your big family trip.
Exercise Your Generator
- Proper Generator Exercise: Once a month, turn the generator on and let it run for at least 2 hours.
Not only will this circulate any new fuel through the system, but will also freshly lubricate any internal parts of the motor and give the bearings a much needed spin. A rolling stone will not pick up moss and a spinning bearing will not collect rust. As far as maintenance goes, it’s the lowest-hanging fruit and the easiest thing you can do with the best results.
Clean Your Generator’s Air Filter
Just like your car engine, the air filter is made to act as the gatekeeper to only allow clean air to the intake of the motor. However, taking your RV across the dusty landscape is a quick way to gum up your filter with road debris. If you aren’t regularly cleaning or replacing the air filter, you are effectively restricting the flow of air into the machinery which won’t give you as rich of a fuel mixture as a clean filter will. This lowers efficiency and can even cause damage to the inner workings of the engine.
Make sure you are checking and cleaning your air filter regularly. Some filters can be cleaned with a quick blast of compressed air, some with soap and water and some will simply have to be replaced.
Conduct Routine Preventative Maintenance
About once a month, perhaps when you are planning to exercise your machine, you should check on the state of your engine. There are a few obvious things that you’ll want to keep an eye on, like the cleanliness of the generator. You never want to let dirt or debris build up on the unit as it can negatively impact the inner machinery. The oil and oil filter of your machine should be replaced after 150 hours of use (or refer to your owner’s manual), so make sure you are keeping track of how long your RV generator has been in use.
Keeping your RV generator running smoothly doesn’t take very long and ensures that your next trip across the country!
