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mlwinnig's avatar
mlwinnig
Explorer
Oct 18, 2017

Need input: RE: 2nd tank for gas generator "exercising"

Onan Emerald Series gasoline generator...

Supposed to run for 30 - 45 minutes a month under load...

Generator shuts off when tanks drops below 1/4 tank so generator can't run coach out of fuel...

Don't want to keep stale ethanol fuel in bus to exercise generator...

Not convinced fuel "stabilizers" work with ethanol and not easy to get to good fuel...

Thinking of adding a small auxiliary tank and bypass valve for the sole purpose of exercising genny. Looking for input. Does this make sense? Ideas on requirements / issues, etc..

Thanks!

31 Replies

  • I've been using that Sta-Bil stuff forever and have never had a problem with it and E fuel stored for over a year...

    I use it in all my 5 and 2.5 gallon gas cans that I keep for the lawn equipment, home generator, etc.. (I keep 2- 5 gallon and 3- 2.5 gallon cans for storage at home)

    I use this for the entire year. After a year, if I haven't already used it, I'll just put in one of my vehicles and refresh with new gas and Sta-Bil.

    I do try to run it out of the gas tanks it's in, but once I left it too long in the Honda gen (probably over 2 years) and had to drain it out, but once I put fresh gas in, the gen ran fine.

    Anyway, your aux tank sound fine if you can rig it up safely...

    Even at a 1/4 tank, that's probably around 25 gallons of gas in the rv's tank...

    Good luck!

    Mitch