Forum Discussion

gja1000's avatar
gja1000
Explorer
Oct 06, 2016

Generator fuel switch question

Dear Friends,
I don't know what I would do without you. I'm the one who couldn't get my generator to start the month after our maiden roadtrip in our new Coachman Freelander. We took the trip in August and in Sept, after sitting for 4 weeks, the generator wouldnt start. I had to take it in for an oil change and they just called me today to say that there was nothing wrong with the generator, that the fuel switch was off, so it was not getting any gas. Makes sense of course, but how the heck did the fuel switch get turned off? The generator was working the day we came in from the trip and the motorhome is parked behind a fence (though not always locked) beside my house. Does someone have to turn off the fuel switch or can it happen spontaneously and where the heck is it located so that I can check it myself, should the generator not start in the future.

Many thanks for all your help!
  • There are two types of fuel cutoffs I've seen - an inline switch that cuts electrical power to the fuel pump, and a shutoff valve that's in the fuel line itself.

    I have the latter, and it requires me physically opening/closing the valve to work. I've never heard of an automatic cutoff valve.

    By chance, did your fuel level drop below 1/4 tank?

    Built-in generators that get their fuel from the main fuel tank receive the fuel from a point that is physically higher in the tank. That way, leaving the generator won't unintentionally run your fuel tank dry.

    Some new RV owners don't know about that and understandably get freaked out when the generator just suddenly stops working, but starts working again after refueling....
  • What I really wanted to know is how the switch could have been turned off. Can that happen spontaneously or did someone turn the switch off?
  • Ask the place it is at and diagnosed the switch being off to show you the switch