2019 class c v10 winter storage

[cherv]

stored it from jan to April no problems starting, also ran generator monthly for an hour no issues.. have read that some people add a stabilizer to the gas, is it necessary? unit will be in driveway this yr from nov1 to end of march..

[Grumpy]

Originally Posted by cherv

stored it from jan to April no problems starting, also ran generator monthly for an hour no issues.. have read that some people add a stabilizer to the gas, is it necessary? unit will be in driveway this yr from nov1 to end of march..

Necessary, maybe. Recommended, highly.

Ethanol gas is known for problems in the generators. Stabil is cheap insurance vs a new carburetor.

[Camper_bob]

Originally Posted by Grumpy

Necessary, maybe. Recommended, highly.

Ethanol gas is known for problems in the generators. Stabil is cheap insurance vs a new carburetor.

+1

I always put stabilizer in my unit and run the generator for about an hour before I put my rig to sleep. Corn gas is bad when stored in motors.

Also, just before she goes into storage is the best time to do oil changes. You don't want to store it with old oil in it.

There is a section in the Ford owner's manual regarding "long-term" storage, which according to Ford is anything more than 15 days. Among other things it recommends storing with fresh oil, start the engine and cycle the transmission through all the gears every 15 days during long-term storage.

If it's in your driveway, you may as well plug it in to 20A service to keep the batteries topped off. And if you install a trik-l-start, this will also keep your chassis battery topped up too.

[Jopopsy]

I always use StarTron. It was recommended to me by both my local John Deere dealer as well as the Harley Davidson dealer. StarTron makes a concentrated bottle that treats more gallons of gas - very handy for the 56 gallon gas tank you have:

StarTron

There is a initial dose and then a maintenance dose - make sure you read the bottle.

As to the rest I ran all my C's 1x a month a good 1 hour on the road during the off season. I set a calendar date so I wouldn't forget and always got out and got the rig moving down the highway to keep everything in good shape. I'd then bring the rig back to the house, plug in 2 1500 watt space heaters (on diff't circuits) and let them rip on genny power for 2 hours (one on high, the other on low). Your Onan manual tells you to run the genny for 2 hours under 50% load. While I was doing this I put a 5 amp Battery Tender on the chassis battery until the tender lit up 'Green' - all good.

Then I'd park the rig and let it sit another month.

[RetiredOne]

Originally Posted by Camper_bob

I always put stabilizer in my unit and run the generator for about an hour before I put my rig to sleep.

How about during the Winter? Some people say to exercise the genny once a month during storage. Does anyone do that (besides Jopopsy)?

Among other things it recommends storing with fresh oil, start the engine and cycle the transmission through all the gears every 15 days during long-term storage.

OK, I'm planning on putting a cover on my rig for the Winter, this could be an issue if cycling/moving it every two weeks? Would be a pain to pull the cover up just to run it through all the gears.

If it's in your driveway, you may as well plug it in to 20A service to keep the batteries topped off. And if you install a trik-l-start, this will also keep your chassis battery topped up too.

I was wondering about that too. If it's just sitting in the driveway not being used, does it need to be plugged in 24/7 the whole Winter? Has anyone hooked up a timer that would turn on once a week or so for a few hours, just to top off the batteries?

[Camper_bob]

Originally Posted by RetiredOne

How about during the Winter? Some people say to exercise the genny once a month during storage. Does anyone do that (besides Jopopsy)?

OK, I'm planning on putting a cover on my rig for the Winter, this could be an issue if cycling/moving it every two weeks? Would be a pain to pull the cover up just to run it through all the gears.

I was wondering about that too. If it's just sitting in the driveway not being used, does it need to be plugged in 24/7 the whole Winter? Has anyone hooked up a timer that would turn on once a week or so for a few hours, just to top off the batteries?

Yes, you still need to exercise the genny once a month under 50% load. I'm not quite as disciplined at it as Jpopsy, but I do it. The fuel stabilizer helps in that respect as well. With stabilized fuel in it, the generator suffers fewer problems if it is not exercised. But you still need to exercise it. FWIW, I use Schaeffer's stabilizer that I get from a buddy of mine who is a diesel mechanic and swears by it. But I've also used Sta-bil (which I also used in my boat) if I don't have my Schaeffer's on hand.

If you're going to exercise the genny, you'll need to take the cover off anyway (or at least parts of it), so may as well exercise the engine and trans as well. I don't cover mine, and our winters here are typically pretty mild. Honestly I don't do it every 15 days, I just do it when I go to exercise the generator. Most of the time I can use my AC units to put load on it, but I also have a space heater that I'll use if it's cold. And I'll sometimes bring a movie along or fire up the antenna and watch some football game or something. Just trying to put a little more load on the genny. I've even been known to plop down in the back and take a little nap...

I don't know about putting a timer on that plug, but it's certainly something I would explore. I don't have that opportunity at this time because I'm technically barred from storing my unit on my lot for more than 2 weeks at a time. Any time my camper is on my property, it is plugged in to my 50A shore power I had installed (dogbone adapted to 30A). Back when I had a TT, I would pull the battery EVERY TIME and keep it in the garage on a simple "tender" to keep it topped up.

Mid/long-term goal is to install a small solar system, maybe 1 panel, to keep the batteries topped up while in storage.

[RetiredOne]

Originally Posted by Camper_bob

I don't know about putting a timer on that plug, but it's certainly something I would explore. I don't have that opportunity at this time because I'm technically barred from storing my unit on my lot for more than 2 weeks at a time. Any time my camper is on my property, it is plugged in to my 50A shore power I had installed (dogbone adapted to 30A). Back when I had a TT, I would pull the battery EVERY TIME and keep it in the garage on a simple "tender" to keep it topped up.

I'm not as lucky as you up here with Winter temps. We can get cold waves that come through which go down into the single digits. So, I'm deciding if I'll leave the batteries in the coach, and plug it in periodically, or pull the batteries and put them in the garage, and trickle charge them monthly..

Although, if the batteries are pulled, I can forget about running the genny or engine to exercise them... I's also doubt I'd run the A/C as the load for the genny, if the temps are in the 30's - 40's, so I'd have to plug in some space heaters..

Regarding the timer, I just don't think it's good idea to keep the converter powered up 24/7 plugged in for 5+ months, just to keep the batteries charged, when only an occassional top off is needed. I'll probably just go with a battery tender, and remind myself to plug it in a few times a month.

[Camper_bob]

I don't know if you'd call it "lucky". We may have somewhat mild winters, but our summers are simply brutal. Though the last 2 years have been a LITTLE better than the previous 8 or 10...

And even the winters, while it doesn't snow much, we do get sleet and ice (which is worse IMO). And I've been WAY colder at 35 degrees in the wet than at less than that in the snow.

If I were you, and I could keep my rig in the driveway, I would probably do just like you said and look at some way to use a timer to get a charge on the batteries. Fully charged batteries should not freeze or discharge rapidly under normal conditions, so if you keep them maintained, there's no reason to remove them from the rig IMO.

Exercising your motors may prove to be the most difficult challenge because of the cover.

On a similar note about battery charging, I've been thinking about a permanent installation of a battery tender on my Jeep. It's basically a toy, or at worst an "emergency" vehicle. So it sits for LONG periods of time without being used. Every now and again if we haven't used it, I'll plug it into my multi-stage charger. But it would be much more convenient to just install a Battery Tender and hard wire it to the battery and coil a plug up in the engine bay. Kind of like what they do on some fishing boats. Then I could just plug it in and forget about it.

I bet you could do something similar in your MH if you wanted...

[bobm]

Been rving since 1978 and have always stored my vehicle for the winter months (nov-apr) in an Rv lot winterized and unplugged. About half the time I have used an ADCO cover which I do now. I take out the house and chassis batteries which are stored in my garage on a trickle charger.

I don't do anything else to it other than to drive by every so often to make sure its still there.

I have never had a problem in the springtime. So I guess I'll continue to do what works for me.

[TLC]

For my last fill-up of the year I get ethanol free gas and I use stabilizer.

[cherv]

no mention by ford for using stabilizer? we do not use any stabilizer and no problems. motorhomes sit in dealers a long time and I doubt they add any stabilizer..

[Camper_bob]

Originally Posted by TLC

For my last fill-up of the year I get ethanol free gas and I use stabilizer.

The only ethanol-free fuel I've been able to find is 100 octane race gas. Well, and technically I can buy it in cans from a few places, but the per-gallon price on that is astronomical. I use it for my lawn equipment, and it's worth every penny, but that's in relatively small quantities.

Originally Posted by cherv

no mention by ford for using stabilizer? we do not use any stabilizer and no problems. motorhomes sit in dealers a long time and I doubt they add any stabilizer..

Fuel will separate if left for too long without stabilizer in it. Also, the ethanol in the fuel will leave gunk in the various fuel system parts in motors. In automotive engines, you can get away with it to an extent, but not so much in smaller 2 and 4-stroke engines like your generator, or lawn equipment. The alcohol in the fuel will actually begin to degrade the rubber parts in your fuel system, and will gum up carburetors.

So, if you're not going to use stabilizer for the sake of the chassis motor, you at least need to do it for the sake of your generator. A gummed up carburetor is no fun.

[Marshmellow]

I fill my gas tank and add stabilizer, and run the engine and then the generator for 10-15 min to get stabilizer through the system. I do not run my generator during the winter. I remove my batteries and store them in a cool dry place. I have not had any issues with my generator when needed. 2013 Greyhawk. Live in the great white north and get some nice cold temps.
Of course winterize the plumbing.
One question, I saw someone mention not to store rig with old oil, I was going to change mine in the spring this year, bad decision?
Thanks.

[Camper_bob]

Originally Posted by Marshmellow

I fill my gas tank and add stabilizer, and run the engine and then the generator for 10-15 min to get stabilizer through the system. I do not run my generator during the winter. I remove my batteries and store them in a cool dry place. I have not had any issues with my generator when needed. 2013 Greyhawk. Live in the great white north and get some nice cold temps.
Of course winterize the plumbing.
One question, I saw someone mention not to store rig with old oil, I was going to change mine in the spring this year, bad decision?
Thanks.

According to the Ford manual, the vehicle should be stored with fresh oil. Pg 165 reads that "the old oil has contaminants which may cause engine damage". So it recommends that you store it with fresh oil and filter, and then change the oil again AFTER storage. I do store mine with fresh oil and filter, but I do not do another oil change after storage.

And while the Greyhawk manual defers to the Ford manual in the case of fuel additives (which I take to include stabilizers, which the Ford manual is silent on), it does say that "Adding fuel stabilizer to the generator will aid in preventing condensation and fuel varnishing". The fuel varnishing is what gums up carbs.

[bobm]

Same people who probably want you to wax your rig 2-4 times per year and wash your roof every month. Sadly, I've never waxed my RV and only clean the roof once per year. I guess I'm just lazy. Let's also not forget to repace all your tires every 4-5 years.

Who does all this stuff?

[Camper_bob]

Originally Posted by bobm

Same people who probably want you to wax your rig 2-4 times per year and wash your roof every month. Sadly, I've never waxed my RV and only clean the roof once per year. I guess I'm just lazy. Let's also not forget to repace all your tires every 4-5 years.

Who does all this stuff?

Depends on what you're after and how much you can do yourself, along with how much risk you're willing to take.

I like to keep my stuff nice and in good repair. Said alternatively: I don't like to risk my stuff not working right when I want to go use it. I take pride in my "things", and so I treat them well. I've worked hard for what I have, and I want it to last a long time. BUT I do most of the work myself. For now at least, I am still strong enough to do it.

An oil change on my rig costs me only the oil, the filter and the time. And I don't even care much about the time because I enjoy doing it. Stabilizer for my fuel is relatively cheap too. The upside is that I know it's taken care of, and I know it will work as intended when I go to use it. Which is worth FAR more to me than the cost of materials and labor.

I wash my rig a few times each season, I inspect the various components as outlined in the owner's manual, and if service is required, I will either do it or have someone else do it if I deem it necessary.

If I were unable to do these things myself, I don't know that I would necessarily pay someone else to do them as often as may be recommended in the manual, but I might. Depends on what it is and whether it affects or is likely to affect a critical system.

ETA: And you SHOULD replace your trailer tires every 4 years. That's well known, and is just part of the cost of doing business. Again, I would gladly replace my tires every 4 years to avoid being stranded on the side of some highway or put in a dangerous situation. The tires on my MH should last a little longer, but you can bet I'm going to be inspecting them VERY closely at the 4 year mark. And at the first sign of cracking, or degradation they're gone, if they don't age out first.

But then I take tires pretty seriously...

[Skip76]

Originally Posted by Camper_bob

The only ethanol-free fuel I've been able to find is 100 octane race gas. Well, and technically I can buy it in cans from a few places, but the per-gallon price on that is astronomical. I use it for my lawn equipment, and it's worth every penny, but that's in relatively small quantities.



Fuel will separate if left for too long without stabilizer in it. Also, the ethanol in the fuel will leave gunk in the various fuel system parts in motors. In automotive engines, you can get away with it to an extent, but not so much in smaller 2 and 4-stroke engines like your generator, or lawn equipment. The alcohol in the fuel will actually begin to degrade the rubber parts in your fuel system, and will gum up carburetors.

So, if you're not going to use stabilizer for the sake of the chassis motor, you at least need to do it for the sake of your generator. A gummed up carburetor is no fun.

Might try Pure Gas application. We use it on our phones and it locates ethanol free gas near us. Can’t say if it works everywhere, but has been good for us.

[cherv]

2019 class c plugged in to garage power all winter no need to do anything with batteries. Also run gen. Monthly. Re; stabilizer, do not use it. Think ablut all the rv's in dealers that sit sometimes for a yr.i doubt they worry about stabilizer and starting the gen. And non are covered for winter..sometimes we overthink too much, myself included.

[foglght]

Ethanol is hygroscopic. It will absorb the water from the air. If it absorbs enough moisture from the air, it will separate from the gas and since it would be more dense than the gasoline, it will head to the bottom of the tank. Depending on the gasoline makeup, that can happen slower or faster. YMMV.

The easiest way to winterize the genny is to empty the float bowl. I typically pull the fuel hose and kink it. I let it run until it shuts off and then forget about it. Never had a problem since doing that. You can get fancy with a shut off in line with the main fuel line.

[RetiredOne]

Originally Posted by cherv

. Re; stabilizer, do not use it. Think ablut all the rv's in dealers that sit sometimes for a yr.i doubt they worry about stabilizer and starting the gen. And non are covered for winter..sometimes we overthink too much, myself included.

That's a interesting point, and I was wondering about the genny? People say to run it monthly over the Winter, but thinking about that, do we run all our other power toys once a month too?

I have a portable generator for the house, I fire it up maybe once a year. I don't run my lawn mower, tractor, weed wacker, chain saw, etc. at all during the Winter, and they start fine in the Spring.

Conversely, I don't run my snow blower at all during the Summer, and it starts up fine for the first snow fall...

I had a boat with a outboard motor, and would treat the gas for the Winter, but never ran it all Winter long. It would start fine in the Spring, don't know if the stabilizer made a difference or not.

So, are we overthinking this? Does the genny and the chassis motor really need to be run during the Winter?