Canadian Winter Storage

[bluesky]

Hello Folks

Just tucking away our '83 for the long, cold winter and want to make sure I have everything covered. It will be stored outdoors in the elements this winter, as my garage is not yet complete.

1. All plumbing has been drained of water and filled with antifreeze by a professional service rep who drove out to the coach

2. Coach is plugged into the house, 15 amp only

3. Fridge, water heater, lights, block heater, and coach heaters have been shut off

3. I will start the coach up once a month and run until engine is warm

Questions;

1. Should I start the generator once a month as well?
2. The coach is sitting low on the passenger rear as the leveling valve leaks air, can this cause any problems?

Any input would be appreciated. Cheers.

[chockwald]

You should start the generator once a month and run it under load for 40 minutes to an hour. You could start it first, and turn on the block heater for the load, and then run the big diesel once the block heater has warmed up the block.

I have an '82, and when it is very cold the passenger rear sits a little low too. Don't think it will cause a problem, but like you, I need to get the leak fixed....haha! As long as it is warm it seems to stay level.

Sounds like everything else is under control.

[Wally Arntzen]

I did my water system on my 88 two weeks ago and next friday I take it to my friend who runs a bus repair shop and he puts a quart of alcohol in each of my air tanks. I'll have it greased and oil and all filters changed. Don't forget to add some anti gel to your fuel tanks because in the freezing temps it will gel up and not flow well for starting. I agree with Clarke that you should start the gen first and heat the engine with the engine heater so it will start. Mine will not start below 40 degrees and they are designed to do that because of the 40 weight oil. After a couple of hours on the gen mine starts up with no hesitation.

[Richard and Rhonda]

This is a matter of opinion. Don't start the main engine just to idle until it gets warm. The diesel won't come up to operating temp just idling, and cranking only puts water vapor in the crankcase that doesn't evaporate until the engine comes up to temp. That's one way of looking at it.

I am assuming the keeping it plugged in will keep the batteries charged. Either keep the merge switch on, or use a trickle charger on the chassis batteries. A discharged battery will freeze.

[bluesky]

Love this site for getting input, I put it out there and in she comes. Thanks.

Wally, adding anti gel to gas is huge, thanks.

Richard, I didn't understand your point re not starting the main engine just to idle ... could you please explain.

[prairieschooner]

I think that there are two problems with simply idling the deisel.
The frst would be lubrication, most of the lubrication that the pistons get is splash from the crankshaft. Idling the engine will not give it enough lubrication, at least from what I was taught.
The other is that the engine will not come up to temperature without a load. This will allow moisture to stay in the cylinders or it will not burn off unless the engine comes up to temp.
Actually the Block Heater may do more good than just idling the engine. Maybe you shoulod just turn it on and come to the desert like the rest of the Canadians we know.
just my 2 cents worth and only worth that much.

[chockwald]

I think what Richard means is not to just idle, but to put it on high idle, if you have that option. I just hold the accelerator at 2000 rpms and wait for the temp to come up to 180...takes a few minutes, but if you have high idle, then you don't have to sit there with your foot on the pedal. It will probably not come up to temp at low idle, and the lack of proper lubrication will not be good for the long term life of your engine. I like Steven's recommendation, and I plan to follow it religiously....head for the desert, or warmer climes in the winter, if possible.

[Richard and Rhonda]

Running the engine at idle does not produce the combustion temperatures that running under load does. That's bad for two reasons. One, combustion of hydrocarbons has water as a byproduct. That water gets into the oil. It mixes with other hydrocarbon byproducts to form acids in the oil. The oil has to get up to temperature to allow the water to vaporize and leave the crankcase. Idling won't do it.

The second reason is that the low temperatures of idling allow the spray of diesel from the injectors to soot up around the injector nozzle. That leads to inadequate atomization of the fuel, bad mileage, rough running, and ingrown toenails. Just ask Russ what long term idling of the generator leads to. That mist of unburned diesel also washes the oil off the cylinder wall and leads to premature wearing of the cylinder bore.

In my opinion you are better off not cranking it at all than you are to crank and idle. If you must idle, by all means do it at high idle. The best solution is to crank that puppy and drive it 50 miles. That gets the engine warm, lubricates all the seals in the transmission and drive train, and is good for your tires. Plus if will put a big grin on your face. I know that might not be practical in Canada in February.

[RussWhite]

I always reply to these threads with my winterization plan which involves carefully watching the coach as it sits in Key West - but that is not very useful information is it?
Richard did mention my name so I thought I should add something. He remembers correctly my huge concern when I would run my monthly generator exercise and pollute the roof of the coach and my toad with black carbon and have the neighbors come by to see if the coach was on fire. Apparently the previous owner ran the generator long hours under light load and in his application I can see that happening. I stupidly continued the tradition with the aforementioned results.
When I posted for help I got a lot of suggestion to load that baby up after checking all the things first ( turbo, filters, etc. ). So I turned on the airs, the dryer, the cook top and pushed her to the limit. In about two hours the exhaust was so clear I could no longer tell the generator was running.

Now I am in Richard's camp on running the engine, although I am around enough coaches to know that his advice is not followed by many. I suppose it may be one of those things that the negative results take so long to build up we might never see any bad effects. On the other hand, I hate just turning it off in November and hoping it will start in June ( I use a biocide by the way ). So, I take a little middle ground between the guys that crank her up every few weeks and the ones like Richard. My thinking is that I really don't want to find out the day I am leaving that a battery has bit the dust, a cable connection has corroded, a belt has let go, etc. So, I monthly just crank it up and shut it down. I hope with the short run I don't generate significant moisture. I just sleep better knowing it started easily and quickly and recently.
Russ

[folivier]

Anybody who has spent time on a farm or has a tractor or other diesel equipment knows that they often sit for months without use. But when it is time to fire em up, with a charged battery they fire right up. Now that doesn't get the tranny, etc. up to speed & temp. but I agree with Richard that it's probably best not to run it unless you can take it out on the road.

[bluesky]

Hmmmm, sounds like it may be best to let the coach sit and not start her up over the winter.

Do you think it's necessary to fill the gas tank to avoid condensation? That's a lot of $ sitting there doing nothing.

[prairieschooner]

It is not really sitting there doing nothing, it is helping to keep out the Organisms. I would suggest that you fill the tanks up so that there isn't much room for oxygen to allow the oragnism to grow on the tanks. I would also suggest that you use a Biocide and an Anit-Gel to treat the Fuel for the cold weather. That and a block heater once & a while and she should be good when it thaws out later.
Yep like forest said we let our equipment sit until it is needed and then a little charging and away we go.

[larryweikart]

I store my coach inside here in Mi. and keep her plugged in with the block heater on all winter. No one has mentioned keeping it plug in all the time, is that ok?

[prairieschooner]

Larry, I know allot of boat owners that leave them plugged in as well.

[rheavn]

Larry,
I too have left my last two coaches plugged in all the time for the past 12 years with no issues. I do suggest checking the battery water level monthly if you have wet cells.

[Richard and Rhonda]

For the first time, I have electrical at my storage site. I wired up a 30 amp plug and smugly walked away with plugged in coach.

Hmmmmmm, a day later it hit me that I might need to go back and turn off the inverter. My thought process was that if the power is lost to the site, then the inverter would kick in and try to power the coach. Unattended that had the possibility of completely draining my coach batteries and potentially ruining them with deep, deep discharge.

So, I turned off the inverter.

What do you do when plugged in for the winter?

[RussWhite]

Richard,

I would not leave my inverter on, for exactly the reason you mentioned.

Russ

[encantotom]

mine is plugged into 15a all the time. i leave the inverter off.

the engine batteries stay topped off by the trik l charge unit.

never had any problems.

i leave the merge switch off

tom

[zcasa]

Hey Glenn:

Always kept our Coach on 50AMPS all winter in cold garage storage. We are in Denver, CO. Plenty of arctic air that you send our way on a regular basis. We winterized, filled the Coach up with Diesel, all tanks empty except for some antifreeze. Batteries were filled monthly, tried to drive it monthly, left bedroom electric heat on 60 degrees. One of the best investments we made was to have the Coach full of Diesel 328 gallons during winter of 2007. When Diesel spiked summer of 2008, we made close to $600 on fuel that was in the tanks. Made me feel better until I had to fill it up again. lol.

Sounds like you have been given great advice from our friends on the Forum. Have a great winter and you will have some great times with the Coach next summer.

David

[Barry Rooker]

Winterizing a Newell is extremely simple & effective: Park it (and yourselves) in Palm Springs, California. Indio actually.

We've been doing it for the last seven years and no problems whatsoever. Kinda fun actually.