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How Often Should I Test My RV Generator?

RVs are a great way to travel and take in the scenery. You can drive them anywhere in the lower 48 to enjoy spectacular destinations from coast to coast. As Southern California’s Generator Experts since 1965, Duthie Power Services has serviced many an RV for our customers. We don’t overtly market these services anymore, as the demand for our commercial services is far greater and keeps us busy, but we do have recommendations for RV owners who want to keep their generators running for a long time. 

Compiled below are the top four questions from RV owners regarding generator maintenance, along with answers from our team of expert generator technicians. If your next vacation features an RV and the open road, it’s more important than ever to maintain and test your RV generator so that you know it’s ready to go — before your travel date. 

 

1. Why Do I Need To Test-Run My RV Generator?

The most common issue is from would-be travelers whose RV generators won’t start…even though they ran just fine on their last vacation. 

This happens because most RV owners use their RV generator only a few times a year. That leaves the fuel in RV diesel generators sitting for several months. As in any generator that’s not run regularly, the fuel often gets sludgy and clogs carburetors or fuel injection components.

The result is an RV generator that won’t run and a delayed, frustrating first day of vacation. Fortunately, you can easily prevent such delays. All it takes is starting up your RV generator regularly to stir up the fuel and keep it clean. 

RV generator testing helps you have a relaxing road trip.

2. How Often Should I Run My RV Generator? 

Run your RV generator for 5-10 minutes every month. 

This runtime not only keeps the fuel in good condition but also doubles as a test to make sure your motorhome generator is running properly. That way, you can have any issues fixed well before you’ve packed the duffle bags for Yosemite.  

3. Do I Need to Do Anything Else to Maintain My RV Generator?

In addition to a monthly 10-minute run, shut off or get a stabilizer for the fuel supply, then drain the carburetor if you aren’t planning to take your RV for a spin anytime soon. It’s best to use fresh fuel for your RV adventures.

Have your generator serviced annually to make sure it has enough oil, that the batteries are charged, and that everything’s running smoothly for your next trip. 

4. Do These RV Generator Maintenance Tips Apply to Portable Generators Too?

Yes. All portable generators should be tested monthly in open air (NEVER in a garage or other enclosed place, due to the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning) and serviced annually. 

Other than that, RV and portable generators are pretty low-maintenance. 

If your RV needs to be serviced, you can give Duthie Power Services a call and we will refer you to one of our professional partners who specialize in RV generator maintenance.

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I would like to thank you and the rest of the team for an excellent job performed on the subject pump station. Thanks to your timely help from your organization and the installation of equipment, we were able to lower the profile of our generator and reduce the amount of soot that we were emitting prior to the new installation. As a result, we have reduced the visual impacts from the existing generator, enabling us to maintain better relations with our neighbors. I would recommend the services of Duthie Power Services any time. Not only were you on time with the delivery of equipment, you and your team worked quickly and efficiently to get the job completed on time. Your technicians worked diligently and professionally. If a problem arose, they were quick to get it resolved with little or no delay. Our management team is very pleased with the final outcome of this project. I am very confident in recommending Duthie Power Services for any power generation project. You are truly problem solvers.
Alberto AcevedoManager
Once again, Pete, I want to express my sincere gratitude to you and Duthie Power Services for your outstanding work, professionalism, and exceptional customer service. Your expertise and attention to detail have played a significant role in the successful completion of this project and the uninterrupted operation of our facility.
Darren CotaFacilities Plant Manager | Millennium Space Systems A Boeing Company
Jesse Ramos is overall a great representation of your company. He came to the appointments early, he was patient in explaining a few questions without making me feel dumb and he was clean/efficient. Thanks!
Priscilla NaimanCommunity Manager
The online portal was extremely easy to use and hassle free...I really liked that I could fill out the information online instead of filing it out, printing and resending it back to you. It eliminates an extra step. I liked how it listed all of our generator accounts so it was easy to select which customer needed maintenance. I also like how you send the email reminded so I do not need to keep track of the generator PMs, you guys do.
Chase NavarroGraphic Electric, Inc.
Duthie power has been doing service on all my engines for the past 10 years- they are amazing.
Main DirectorApartment Building
We've been using Duthie for over 17 years. Great customer service and knowledgeable technicians. Have never tried to oversell and that is key for me!
Senior Facilities ManagerApartment Building
We found Duthie highly rated on Yelp (5 star) and we could not be happier. All of their employees are nice and professional. Any service calls are handled in a timely manner and they helped us get an AQMD permit. My contact was Pete- what a great guy- he has taken care of our needs since our first call.
Assisted Living and Skilled Nursing FacilityDirector of Facilities
Outstanding service and customer support.
Chief EngineerProperty
We have been using Duthie for years and are very happy.
Property Manager
Thank you for repairing our Fire Pump Motor and Discharge Piping. I really appreciated all of your hard work. Your workers work hard in spite of weather conditions indeed! I'm proud having your company as our vendor. You always have achieved the best result for your customer expectation.
Oleg ChikunovMaintenance Manager
Great services and customer support!
David LacherChief Engineer
Very professional in every way, price, service and quality workmanship.
LuisHVAC Mechanic
Very professional, accurate billings, very easy service call set up!
Sherie BrooksVice President
Duthie power has very quick response on emergency call outs. They keep good track record on semi and annual testing. They follow up with either a phone call or email for scheduling.
George MesaGeneral Maintenance
Duthie Power technicians are very knowledgeable in what they do. Very dependable and meets your expectations.
Catherine SongManager
From the time I returned the signed the proposal to perform the maintenance, it was a short few days before the date was scheduled. The tech called to say he was on his way, and called when he arrived. That's customer service!
Debra McGaryProperty Manager
Your technician are excellent and very reasonable in their recommendations
Richard DarlingProperty Owner
Great reliable service performed by lots of experience.
Kerry EvertContractor
The best service is when I don't have to think about it. I appreciate that you follow up with scheduled servicing and that everything is electronic. The services are always done on time without incident. Thank you.
Erica BentleyProperty Manager
I have used Duthie Power Services since 2000 in various high rise buildings. I have tried other companies and Duthie Power is the best.
Jose GutierrezProperty Manager
I have always used Duthie at every building I go to, the service tech's are very knowledgeable and have got me out of several jams throughout the years.
Shawn KeethBuilding Engineer
Generators are a very important part to the safety of buildings like ours. When the power goes out, we as maintenance, are at ease knowing that the garage gate and all of our emergency lighting are working for our residents. To have that ease of mind... your generator needs to perform at its best and that can only happen with exceptional service. Duthie makes it a point to contact us when our PM is coming up due instead of us contacting them. That just shows how Duthie cares about the performance of our generator. Thank you to the service department and the techs that come to the property.
Dean LauffProperty Manager
As a Chief Engineer in a number of buildings, I have brought Duthie into all of them for our emergency power services. From sales to scheduling to their service techs, I get the same great service and for the quality of service you get the pricing can't be beat.
Peter LutgenEngineer
Duthie Power has provided excellent service to my facilities for over 15 years. They have excellent documentation of all required tests and inspections.
Joe QuijadaChief Engineer
Nice service, and your team follows up when we have any issues or questions.
Soledad SandovalManager
I want to thank you and your team for making sure we were taken care of in the best way a company can take care of another company. You guys are absolutely the best!
Jim CoteDirector of Engineering
I’d like to tell you that the Steve and Chris were awesome in their install of the new Metron Panel on our fire pump, we hit a snag on the first day of work but they powered through it and made it so that I would be up and running by the end of the day as promised by you. They never got bent out of shape and maintained their level of professionalism from start to finish. I just wanted to let you know I personally appreciated that. Thank you and the crew for a job well done.
Michael RuelasOperating Engineer
Gentleman: I want to thank you for a job well done on the 800kw Generator you cleaned and serviced for us up in Orange, CA. Please credit Tim for an outstanding job. What made the job go well from our point of view is that I was able to communicate with Tim before he went up there (for the service and clean) and then right after when Tim was done he called me and gave me the lowdown on how it went and the condition of the unit. That timely information was invaluable to me and it made my job markedly easier. I look forward to working with Duthie Power in the future on any projects I have in Orange or LA Counties. I am also passing your information on to the rest of the PM’s here in our Spokane office and our Salt Lake location. You are also in our system as a preferred provider of generator service. Again, thank you
Phil ThompsonProject Manager
Over the years I have come to find that this superior service is not unusual. In fact it is standard procedure for Duthie Power. I understand that this high standard is not easy to maintain and want to let you know I appreciate it very much.
Bret KingChief Engineer
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