GENERATOR BLUES... OR I DON'T GET A CHARGE OUT OF YOU

Well, it finally happened.  And I feel an obligation to warn others.  Take care of your generator if you want it to take care of you.  Yes, if you ignore your duty to run your generator, perform regular maintenance, and follow manufacturer’s instructions, the generator will not give you a charge when you need it. 

 
We had parked in a RV Park utilizing full hook-ups in Denton, TX for the summer.  For four months, I failed to run my generator (at least 30 minutes, twice a month).  It is not really hard work to perform this task.  You press the start button, put it under a full load for 30 minutes and push the stop button.  Yes, neglect not laziness was my shortcoming. I finally got around to performing my duty five months later, but it was too late.  Mr. Generator felt neglected and would not start.

Just press the Start Button!

I had read horror stories about generators that would not start.  Repair costs exceeding thousands of dollars, generators that needed to be replaced with even more expensive new generators.  I might need to get a night job to pay for my neglect.

Not able to stand the suspense any longer, we finally drove our RV to the Camping World Service Department and explained our problem.  Gratefully, the service tech made an adjustment in the overhead valve and it fired up – generating a fully 120 volts, 40amps.  After an expense of $178.00, we had, once again, a functional generator.

Let this serve as a warning to all those neglectful RVers who do not give their attention to their worthy generators.  Love your generator.  Give it your full attention and it will loyally serve you with a full charge.