Exercising Diesel Engine Motor Home

[Brewers]

I have another question for everyone, I've read you're supposed to run your diesel motorhome every so often when you're not traveling. How often and for how long are you supposed to "exercise" the engine?

Brewers

[Newell Attack]

Lots of different beliefs for diesel engines. If it's really cold leave it alone. If you have nothing better to do then take it out for 10+ miles. Letting it just idle does more harm than good. Many farm engines sit all winter without being cranked, year after year, after year.

Jeff

[NewellCrazy]

Unless you can drive it once a month long enough to bring everything up to operating temp, just let it sit. Put fuel treatment in and keep the batteries happy. My diesel has waited on me for months at a time lol!

[David Carrol]

I would exercise the coach's engine, at a minimum, twice a month. Take it out for a round trip of 30 miles each time to get the engine to operating temperature. In addition, You should exercise the generator at half-load for two hours per month.

David Carrol

[lbrachfe]

I start and run until I reach operating temps. Takes an hour or so and I run the slides in and out as well and relevel the coach. This is on about a 6 week interval and I exercise my genset during this same period, unplugged and all three a/c's running for load.

[lbrachfe]

high idle on and make sure you check your belts which can split and delaminate when sitting unused

[Newellin Thunder]

Having owned a lot of heavy duty diesel construction equipment, I found that there is no good reason for running the engine between uses. That said, when put the equipment in storage, I made sure that the fuel tank was filled to the top, the oil had been recently changed, and that anti-fungal treatment had been added to the fuel tank.

The equipment was parked and the battery disconnected at the negative terminal. Some of that equipment would sit for a year, and I never had any problems putting any of it back in service.
Running the engine is not going to help extend the life of any equipment. The best is to take it out and drive it for an hour or so to exercise and lubricate everything. If that can't be done, just prep it, park it, and forget it.

Newellin Thunder

[lbrachfe]

Living in a coach part time or full time I would never suggest to anyone to "disconnect" any battery, quite the contrary and just one of the several advantages of Running an engine is charging the cranking batteries. Motorhomes are nothing like "equipment" and can suffer serious "lot rot" when left as "Newllin Thunder" suggests. Contrary to his post leaving any motorhome outdoors without power for a year is a death sentence for it...

[Newellin Thunder]

Living in a coach part time or full time I would never suggest to anyone to "disconnect" any battery, quite the contrary and just one of the several advantages of Running an engine is charging the cranking batteries. Motorhomes are nothing like "equipment" and can suffer serious "lot rot" when left as "Newllin Thunder" suggests. Contrary to his post leaving any motorhome outdoors without power for a year is a death sentence for it...

Larry,

I understand your point of view. I may need to clarify myself a tad. I would suggest to disconnect your battery in the scenario that you don't have a battery tender to keep them charged. If you do then you have no need to worry about your batteries as they will always be ready to fire your coach. I happen to think that most luxury coaches ( Newell, Prevosts, Wanderlodge) have "lot rot" when you consider their miles in terms of age.

Newellin Thunder

[77newell]

I wonder if it's less about how to deal with the problems that can or will develop as a result of sitting than just about exercising periodically or not. Some things that can happen while sitting include moisture accumulating in fuel tanks and engines due to the daily temperature cycle causing these things to breathe in and out. Also, some rubbery parts that need to flex as part of their operations may gradually take a set when stationary especially if setting in a highly flexed position. Batteries have a slow internal discharge rate. The oils in tires congregate gradually while setting.

There are multiple solutions to most of these. For instance, if your unit is stored in a way that minimizes daily temperature changes you solve the moisture accumulation problem, you can alternatively cap the tank vents, engine breather, inlet and exhaust with big plastic bags that expand and contract with temperature changes but no new air with moisture enters the system. You can use your car to recharge the coach's batteries, yes it's a bit slow but it may be easier than driving the coach or removing the batteries. Bumping the slide in and out just a tad helps the seals squish around enough that they probably won't return to the exact same position. Bumping the starter on the engine is probably enough to help those seals. Tires are a hard one, there are those that let them sit for months and have no problems and there are those that exercise them regularly and have problems. My answer is to keep them shaded and properly inflated and then drive more slowly for as long as possible after extended storage.

My point is not that the solutions mentioned above are the "right" answer but rather that it's more useful to choose from a set of options what will work best for your particular situation. There is no absolute right or wrong to exercising the coach or not, it seems to depend on your circumstances.

[Chester B. Stone, Jr.]

I may be completely off my rocker, but for years I have started my diesels about every two weeks and run them only for a few minutes to circulate the oil and fluids. I have not owned a diesel long enough to experience any meaningful wear. I keep 50 amp power on at all times, fuel tank full, tires covered, sewer and fresh water tanks empty.