Home » Public Forums » GMCnet » Too long to sit unused?? (Problems due to prolonged winter storage?)
| Too long to sit unused?? [message #310248] |
Fri, 11 November 2016 15:01  |
Deb
Messages: 349
Registered: October 2016
Location: Logan Lake, BC
Karma: 2
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Senior Member |
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Still on the hunt... Being in the mountains of BC, for the first 2 years, until I retire, my coach (as yet undiscovered!) will have a good 9 months of minimal use, 7-8 months of that likely none in winter storage. Probably will NOT be in a heated facility, may likely only have a soft cover (no real roof over it's head).
I know that an unused coach is a problem waiting to happen. But... how long is too long to sit? If I invest in a vehicle with major mechanical upgrades (some of which may have been done to replace components which withered and died because it sat for 2 years!) how much of a chance am I taking by having it sit, yet again, unused for at least 8 months, that those very same components will be at risk? I realize that a lot will depend on exactly WHAT upgrades have been done, but, generally speaking, ......
And what is the best way (I know I will have lots of opinions coming my way on this one) to prevent that deterioration during winter storage (besides the usual winterizing - draining water system, RV antifreeze, remove battery &/or run the generator one a month, fuel stabilizer, etc). The more information I have, the more likely I will be able to make the best decision when the opportunity comes along. Thanks to all!
Deb McWade
Logan Lake, BC, CAN
GMC Alumnus
It's Bigger on the Inside!
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| Re: Too long to sit unused?? [message #310250 is a reply to message #310248] |
Fri, 11 November 2016 15:29  |
Bob S.
Messages: 143
Registered: October 2012
Location: Rapid City, SD
Karma: 2
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Senior Member |
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Hi Deb, I also live in an area where winters put a damper on using my coach. My coach sits out (without any cover) all year long. In addition to the things you mentioned, I cover the tires and leave it plugged in so that the smart charger can keep the batteries fully charged. I also take any opportunity in the weather to take my coach for at least a 40 mile drive at least once a month. In my mind this helps keep things lubricated and prevents seals from drying out. I also run my generator when doing my winter drives. These drives also help improve my winter time attitude, which many times is less than cheerful. In 20 years of owning motorhomes I can't remember any repairs that I could definitely attribute to having the coach set idle over the winter. I guess what I'm saying if you find your perfect coach before spring arrives, I wouldn't pass it up just because it will be unused for a little while. Good luck in your search.
Bob and Pam Schilling
Rapid City, SD
"78 Royale
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| Re: Too long to sit unused?? [message #310252 is a reply to message #310248] |
Fri, 11 November 2016 15:31 |
lqqkatjon
Messages: 2324
Registered: October 2010
Location: St. Cloud, MN
Karma: 5
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Senior Member |
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That is a tough question to answer. 9 months minimal use is better then none. Fuel is the main problem, it is kinda a double edged sword. If you drain off the fuel, things rust and dry out. If you keep the tanks full, fuel can go bad. But if you run at least a tank or two of gas a year through the motorhome, I think you will do OK. just make sure you use some fuel stabilizer.
The main thing is to try to use the coach, so you know the state of all the systems. If you are having some issues, or look at something, then you can plan to fix it.
most other things that can go bad in storage I don't think one can really understand. Environment really plays a huge part, as well as climate and weather.
I know lots of people in MN who store things from fall to spring. I store a ski-boat from September until June and have been doing that for 15 years with no problems. I store it with a full tank of stabilize fuel, and I pull out the batteries and do a proper antifreeze weatherization.
Jon Roche
75 palm beach
EBL EFI, manny headers, Micro Level, rebuilt most of coach now.
St. Cloud, MN
http://lqqkatjon.blogspot.com/
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| Re: Too long to sit unused?? [message #310253 is a reply to message #310248] |
Fri, 11 November 2016 15:40 |
lqqkatjon
Messages: 2324
Registered: October 2010
Location: St. Cloud, MN
Karma: 5
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Senior Member |
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I guess I can chime in on my coach. It sits out in my driveway in MN 12 months a year with no cover. plumbing system is winterized fall to spring, and some years that is September till May, and varies by a month or two on each side of the winter. This year I flushed the antifreeze out in April, and I have not winterized it yet this fall.(will be doing that this sunday). I leave it parked with a full tank of gas, and I will add some fuel stabilizer. It is plugged in, and both batteries are maintained by smart chargers. I do usually take it out for a spin every other month on average during the winter months. No big trips, maybe run 1 tank of gas through it over the winter on my short jaunts.
I also fill up the propane as part of my winterizing process, and try to keep the gas tanks full all winter. It is ready to go for when I do ever want to use it, and I hope the generator is also working, just in case we need it for any emergency shelter, or power.
Been doing that for 6 years now. Nothing has really been a problem from storing it, just still dealing with some problems from the previous 10+ years it was sitting with zero use.
Jon Roche
75 palm beach
EBL EFI, manny headers, Micro Level, rebuilt most of coach now.
St. Cloud, MN
http://lqqkatjon.blogspot.com/
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| Re: [GMCnet] Too long to sit unused?? [message #310254 is a reply to message #310253] |
Fri, 11 November 2016 16:11 |
Keith V
Messages: 2337
Registered: March 2008
Location: Mounds View,MN
Karma: 0
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Listen to Jon, he has more vehicles than I do [?]
I also have cars that sit and sit, usually not much of a problem. I put a lot of stabil in the gas and cover the tires. The good thing is the cold keeps the tires fresh longer.
But the coach sits outside all winter, November to May usually. I never start it unless I'm going to drive it. So it sits a lot.
You will want to de mouse your coach, I have a big Grey cat, traps and poison. Yet we still had a stowaway on the last trip. I'm hoping he was a campground resident...
Mice will madder than a Democrat.
________________________________
From: Gmclist on behalf of Jon Roche
Sent: Friday, November 11, 2016 3:40:23 PM
To: gmclist@list.gmcnet.org
Subject: Re: [GMCnet] Too long to sit unused??
I guess I can chime in on my coach. It sits out in my driveway in MN 12 months a year with no cover. plumbing system is winterized fall to spring,
and some years that is September till May, and varies by a month or two on each side of the winter. This year I flushed the antifreeze out in April,
and I have not winterized it yet this fall.(will be doing that this sunday). I leave it parked with a full tank of gas, and I will add some fuel
stabilizer. It is plugged in, and both batteries are maintained by smart chargers. I do usually take it out for a spin every other month on average
during the winter months. No big trips, maybe run 1 tank of gas through it over the winter on my short jaunts.
I also fill up the propane as part of my winterizing process, and try to keep the gas tanks full all winter. It is ready to go for when I do ever
want to use it, and I hope the generator is also working, just in case we need it for any emergency shelter, or power.
Been doing that for 6 years now. Nothing has really been a problem from storing it, just still dealing with some problems from the previous 10+
years it was sitting with zero use.
--
Jon Roche
75 palm beach
St. Cloud, MN
http://lqqkatjon.blogspot.com/
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Keith Vasilakes
Mounds View. MN
75 ex Royale GMC
ask me about MicroLevel
Cell, 763-732-3419
My427v8@hotmail.com
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| Re: Too long to sit unused?? [message #310258 is a reply to message #310248] |
Fri, 11 November 2016 18:04 |
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Matt Colie
Messages: 8547
Registered: March 2007
Location: S.E. Michigan
Karma: 7
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Senior Member |
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Deb, Are you ready?
Hang on - Here we go.....
First, it is very important that the vehicle not be stored over soil. The soil will contain moisture most of year and any time it can it evaporates and collects on the cold metal under the vehicle. This Will Cause serious corrosion. If you can't store it on a concrete or asphalt pad, park it on heavy plastic sheet - anything is better than soil.
Next, the fuel system should be as full as you can have it. This is to cut down the "breathing" that the tanks do with changes in temperature and air pressure. All the air that can come in can leave with some of the lighter components of the fuel and leave behind the water that is in all air even when below freezing. Adding a fuel stabilizer is not a bad idea, but unleaded fuel has a longer tank life than did the fuels of years ago.
Now, about the engines. Do not run them periodically as that does way more harm than it does good. If you want to do it right, talk to some boat people about "Fogging" the engines (both). This is a trick for storing engines where one has a warm running engine (that has recently changed lube oil) and he makes it ingest what is most like a preserving oil fog. This coats a lot of the internal metal in the engine so critical components are less likely to be damaged by corrosion. There is no need to periodically run the Onan (APU) as that has all the same problems. Fog it as well. The old story about you need to get the electric and warm to keep it dry is left over from pre-WWII coil construction.
About batteries, if you have semi-reliable electric (hydro) power there, get a battery maintainer (this is like a low power battery charger) for each bank. You will have at least two chassis (aka Main engine to me) and house. If you have an unmodified 73 or 74 you may also have a dedicated battery for the APU. If you don't have have power available, the program changes just a little. Test the systems for phantom loads, and if any is found, disconnect that bank from the system. Lead/Acid batteries (like car type) lose about 1~2% of their charge per month. So six or even nine months is not a killer. But, if you are as paranoid as some people (including yours truly), order up a small solar panel for each bank. Five or ten watt is plenty. If they are in sun for a few hours in the day, that will do.
All of the proceeding was about just about anything you want to preserve. I learned it all from years (decades) of putting boats to bed for the winter and paying attention in the spring to what worked and what didn't. (The only real difference between as boat and a RV is that water will leak out of an RV.) My best was a few years back, I helped settle the estate of a friend. When the widow finally sold his power boat, (the yawl was long gone) it had been on the hard for almost 10 years. When a buyer proved interested, we (I) had to first dispose of about 75 gallons of really nasty "used to be" gasoline, put a battery onboard so we could spin up oil pressure (no plugs) and pump new gas into the carburetor. Once done with that and all the require inspections at launch, we set her down in the lifting straps and she started up and ran as expected. Yes, there was a lot of smoke for the first few minutes. She is still running great.
This is specific to GMC.
Get a couple of blocks of 4x6 (or the metric equivalent) run the rear up until they fit under the bogie castings and push them in. (If you are on plastic, you will need planks for under the tires and this block should be on top of said plank.) Let the rear down to the blocks.
Now, out in the woods as you are, you will have trouble with the tenants (squatters). They leave nut shells and droppings all over place and chew on wires in places you can't reach. So, get suggestions from all of your neighbors about how to discourage them and use every one you think has a chance.
When you find the coach you want, remember that you have family here.
Matt
Deb wrote on Fri, 11 November 2016 16:01Still on the hunt... Being in the mountains of BC, for the first 2 years, until I retire, my coach (as yet undiscovered!) will have a good 9 months of minimal use, 7-8 months of that likely none in winter storage. Probably will NOT be in a heated facility, may likely only have a soft cover (no real roof over it's head).
I know that an unused coach is a problem waiting to happen. But... how long is too long to sit? If I invest in a vehicle with major mechanical upgrades (some of which may have been done to replace components which withered and died because it sat for 2 years!) how much of a chance am I taking by having it sit, yet again, unused for at least 8 months, that those very same components will be at risk? I realize that a lot will depend on exactly WHAT upgrades have been done, but, generally speaking, ......
And what is the best way (I know I will have lots of opinions coming my way on this one) to prevent that deterioration during winter storage (besides the usual winterizing - draining water system, RV antifreeze, remove battery &/or run the generator one a month, fuel stabilizer, etc). The more information I have, the more likely I will be able to make the best decision when the opportunity comes along. Thanks to all!
Matt & Mary Colie - Chaumière -'73 Glacier 23 - Members GMCMI, GMCGL, GMCES
Electronically Controlled Quiet Engine Cooling Fan with OE Rear Drum Brakes with Applied Control Arms
SE Michigan - Near DTW - Twixt A2 and Detroit
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| Re: Too long to sit unused?? [message #310259 is a reply to message #310258] |
Fri, 11 November 2016 18:37 |
Deb
Messages: 349
Registered: October 2016
Location: Logan Lake, BC
Karma: 2
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Senior Member |
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Thank you for the feed-back. I figured that a winter storage couldn't be death to a coach, or none of us up here would have one (or at least not more than one season). And thanks for all of the details Matt - yes - we have small critters up here - but I think most of them prefer the warmth of my crawl-space in the house!
I really needed to have the confidence to pull the trigger on something that might be pricier than I had originally intended, in order to avoid major repairs, only to find I might re-create them through prolonged &/or inadequate seasonal storage.
Deb McWade
Logan Lake, BC, CAN
GMC Alumnus
It's Bigger on the Inside!
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| Re: Too long to sit unused?? [message #310261 is a reply to message #310259] |
Fri, 11 November 2016 21:23 |
Bullitthead
Messages: 1411
Registered: November 2013
Karma: 5
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Senior Member |
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The best way to store the coach is to treat it like just another vehicle in your entourage. Drive it to work, drive it to Mom & Dad's house, drive it to the grocery store(especially handy with frozen foods and multiple stores!),drive it to the restaurant on Friday night with more friends than any economy car will safely haul. Use it as often as you can substituting it for the vehicle you would normally drive. Gas mileage is not a factor if you drive nice and easy (not like me). This will keep the tires round and teach you how to handle the coach on the road and in traffic. On top of that, you will be aware of anything changing during usage without being 300 miles from home when it presents itself.
I drive mine once or twice a week and the only extra effort required is disconnecting and reconnecting the electric wire, just like you would have to do if you drove an electric car. It's very handy to use as a mobile work vehicle, carrying the tools necessary for the job and providing a sheltered workspace when weather does not cooperate.
Terry Kelpien
ASE Master Technician
73 Glacier 260
Smithfield, Va.
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