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Old 11-01-2018, 08:16 AM   #1
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Start it OR Park it? Survey

This topic probably does not have a correct answer, and I don’t know how to set up a straight survey poll........

If you winterize your motorhome rig for the winter, should you.......

1. Fill the gas tank, add stabilizer, and run it long enough to run through the engine and generator (if equipped), and start and run both for a period of time monthly.....

OR

2. After filling and stabilizing and running once, leave it until spring?
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Old 11-01-2018, 08:44 AM   #2
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Both ways are OK since you stated "running both for a period of time"! Youroo!!
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Old 11-01-2018, 09:38 AM   #3
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Never had any problem with stabilizing fuel and running for a little to get it through system. Generators should be exercised at least monthly at 50% load. But I don't do that.
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Old 11-01-2018, 01:09 PM   #4
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Like you, I put stabilizer in it, fill it and run it enough to get stabilizer through the engine and generator. Then I drive it for an hour with the generator running once a month until spring.
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Old 11-01-2018, 01:18 PM   #5
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Now see... I'm a 'leave it until spring' kind of guy.

There's really no benefit I can see to starting, and running it monthly other than maintaining your battery. AND if you don't run things long enough, you can actually have a net loss of battery charge because your start cycle demands so much energy.

I winterize, run stabilizer through, disconnect my batteries, and don't touch it until spring time. Less wear and tear on cold starts.

But I don't think driving it for an hour every month is "wrong."
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Old 11-01-2018, 01:32 PM   #6
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I have a few boats that sit for 6 months. No stabilizer, ethanol fuel and they both run perfectly every year. No snake oil needed
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Old 11-01-2018, 01:37 PM   #7
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I have a few boats that sit for 6 months. No stabilizer, ethanol fuel and they both run perfectly every year. No snake oil needed
I wouldn't call fuel stabilizer 'snake oil.'

From my perfectly anecdotal experience (which means absolutely nothing) I've had fuel go bad in the winter time in various pieces of equipment. I've had to drain the tank and refill with fresh gas in the spring. Things like Stabil helps it from varnishing and prevents it from going bad. Keeps the moisture content out as well.
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Old 11-01-2018, 02:47 PM   #8
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To clarify something.......

There are a number of us members living fairly North here on the forum, where “winterizing “ ends up being synonymous with winter. That usually means that there’s snow around, or certainly that there’s sustained cold enough that road conditions could be icy, salty, and at best nasty.

Not really enticing us to take the rigs out for an hour spin.....and that’s if we can even get it out. Starting the engine is one thing, but driving is a whole different topic.

So......staying put completely versus monthly activity is more the norm.
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Old 11-01-2018, 02:57 PM   #9
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To clarify something.......

There are a number of us members living fairly North here on the forum, where “winterizing “ ends up being synonymous with winter. That usually means that there’s snow around, or certainly that there’s sustained cold enough that road conditions could be icy, salty, and at best nasty.

Not really enticing us to take the rigs out for an hour spin.....and that’s if we can even get it out. Starting the engine is one thing, but driving is a whole different topic.

So......staying put completely versus monthly activity is more the norm.
That's pretty much where I'm at as well. I don't mind driving it in the snow... but freezing my behind off while waiting for it to warm up is lame.
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Old 11-01-2018, 03:04 PM   #10
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Unless you are going to DRIVE the RV long enough to get the fluids up to normal operating temperature long enough to boil off condensation and such then you are better off not starting it.

Starting it and letting it idle is not good for the engine, it doesn't put enough load on the engine to get it up to temp and you end up with fuel dilution in the oil as well as condensation build-up, neither of these are good for engine internals.

Letting it sit without starting has been the "correct" storage method for years and has been referenced in various owner's manuals from vehicle manufacturers over the years.

Do step 2 and keep the batteries maintained with a Battery Tender or similar. 3-6 months isn't really long-term.
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Old 11-01-2018, 03:11 PM   #11
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Batteries suffer more from periods of inactivity than engines. They self discharge while just sitting and the longer they do that the more they sulfate.

Fill the tank (with or without stabilizer) and hook up a battery tender. Don't start the engine unless you plan on taking the vehicle for a drive that gets everything up to operating temp.
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Old 11-01-2018, 04:31 PM   #12
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What Diesel and Mike said.
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Old 11-02-2018, 07:07 PM   #13
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As tires also benefit from exercise, go for a short drive while warming things up and put a load on the generator.
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Old 11-02-2018, 07:09 PM   #14
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As tires also benefit from exercise, go for a short drive while warming things up and put a load on the generator.


If it’s going to be started and driven then it should be driven for at least 30 minutes. “Short drive” can be interpreted many ways.
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Old 11-02-2018, 10:10 PM   #15
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Last year we parked it...this year I think we'll run it...1200 miles due South to Sarasota...we may thaw out by then.
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Old 11-03-2018, 08:19 AM   #16
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I don’t have a MH but I do use stabilizer in my Generator . The boat I drain tank and run until out of fuel. I start Generator ( HF 3500 inverter ) twice a month fun under load for 30 minutes.
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Old 11-03-2018, 05:37 PM   #17
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Park the RV and leave it till spring. The exception is the genset, which should be run with a load for one hour each month. It's for the generating part, not the motor.
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Old 11-04-2018, 08:56 AM   #18
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If you do start the engine, make sure it warms up. Oil and water will mix and breakdown the oil. You need the engine hot enough to boil the water out.
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Old 11-04-2018, 09:22 AM   #19
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Most of this post refers to your smaller four-stroke engines.

Stabilizer helps with moisture problems and minimizes long term fuel breakdown during storage. Especially with small engines like generators and such with aluminum components in the carburetor. Some are much more susceptible to the moisture and alcohol in the gas than others. If you are not using the snake oil, drain, run dry

However, I do not use it. Rather I do the following. Drain, or fuel shutoff, run dry. I then do just a quick shot of WD-40 into the intake and gas tank if I ran that dry. Learned that from an old guy when I worked at the lawn mower shop over 45 years ago. What little WD you use is quickly burnt off or diluted with fresh gas.

However, i will add, if you can get the ethanol free fuel, most of the above problems are not a real concern. Around here it is difficult to get and is very costly. As such, I also run just a bit of 2 cycle oil in wth the gas on all my small engines. Maybe 1-2 %
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Old 11-04-2018, 10:56 AM   #20
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The ingredient in stabilizer that actually does anything is a little bit of oil like Paulie said.

Personally, I wouldn't put anything with oil in it in an engine with O2 sensors.
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