Wednesday, August 5, 2026 – A Quiet Rest Day Until The Generator Quit

Hi Babe,
Woke up to cloudy skies with just a touch of rain, not enough to accumulate in the rain barrel, unfortunately. Had a relaxing morning, then went down to fill up the truck tank and distribute water to the trailer. I felt like I needed to recover from all my physical activity yesterday, so I relaxed most of the day, reading, then late in the afternoon, starting to watch some TV. Unfortunately, my generator has been gradually getting worse and worse, starting with a boost, but cutting off more and more. The last week it's been cutting off in about a half hour, but today it was about ten minutes, less progressively shorter and shorter. Naturally, I started doing some analysis and research, confirming that it wasn't the air filter, the oil level, or the air intake. I have concluded, at this point anyway, that the problem is with the spark arrestor, which is part of the exhaust system. I checked the exhaust pipe and it was clear, but the spark arrestor requires the removal of a square headed bolt (naturally, a very atypical bolt requiring an atypical tool). Once it's is removed, you're supposed to run the generator for five minutes with a full load, which is supposed to clear out any soot that has accumulated. Considering how much I've been using my generator this summer, it doesn't surprise me soot might have accumulated. I tried to remove the bolt, but a regular socket doesn't work, and it's so rusted up anyway that it's super stuck. I'm still searching online for a simple solution, but half inch square sockets (either 4 point or 8 point) seem to be hard to find. I've still got a few other things to try, but it was getting late, so I sprayed it with PB Blaster, hoping that soaking it overnight might help. Meanwhile, my batteries are just about dead, not even sure they'll last long enough to run the water pump for a shower, but I'm dirty from crawling under the trailer, so I'm hoping for the best! Not the way I like to finish my evening, with problems staring at me, but c'est la vie! Can't have every day be perfect! Anyway, I'm going to give the shower a try, hope I don't burn out the water pump from low voltage in the process! Good night, sweetie! Love you!