Re: caulking my rialta
Are you talking inside or outside? If outside, make sure whatever you use it is waterproof and UV proof. Flexible might be better for something which flexes going down the road. In my experiance, joint compound is neither weatherproof or flexible, so I might look at caulks or silicon sealer. In any case, make sure you remove at a minimum any which is dried, cracked and/or not firmly attached. When cleaning a site for any kind of paint or adhesive, the cleaner, the better.
I would not think that a mushroom growing out of the carpet is a good sign. Probably there is a leak or was a signficant spill. Perhaps the back of the carpet has developed mold. If you can get the carpet up without destroying anything, you could take a look and see what the area under there looks like.
To start the generator, you either need to have an electric starter with a charged battery, or a mechanical starter like a pull cord (most RV generators have electric start). Some may have chokes, although again this is less likely in a RV generator. The generator is either wired into the RV through a transfer switch, or has a place to plug the RV power cord into.
If the generator is wired into the RV, your safest first step is to unplug the RV from any external outlet, then start the generator. It is best to let it run for a few minutes before applying any load (turning on big current draws). If the RV plugs into the generator, you can either plug the RV into the generator then start the generator and let it run for a few minutes before switching on loads, or you can start the generator while the RV cord is plugged into an external outlet and then move it to the generator after it has warmed up. Of course, if you have an external outlet handy, why are you wasting fuel with a generator?