A question for the fulltimers with Motorhomes that stay put for awhile. Mechanically with a trailer or 5th wheel if you stay put for a few months there is no engine laying dormant, you drive your toad or truck every day. With a MH the diesel engine sits, batteries etc... is there a maintenance technique or recommended things to do while parking long term (2 months or longer), thanks, G
Roz said
08:36 PM Apr 29, 2010
Gene,
We have set in one place in Maine for four plus months. We occasionally crank the diesel engine an let it idle to bring the temps up to running speed. This may be every seven or eight weeks.
If you are to be stationary for six months or more, it may be advantageous to retract and extend the slides. We have even moved the foot print of the wheels when we thought it necessary.
Diesel engines are made to run. However a few months of idleness does not hurt them, as long as you excercise them on an infequent basis. It is important to remember that if you are not going to run them to normal operating temps, you are likely better to let them sleep.
Our Cummins ISC is now five years old and is hardly broken in with some 47,000 plus miles. Remember, they love to run!!! Hummmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!!!!
Charles
-- Edited by Roz on Thursday 29th of April 2010 08:40:02 PM
-- Edited by Roz on Friday 30th of April 2010 01:31:14 PM
Jim01 said
06:26 AM Apr 30, 2010
Besides what Charles said, run your generator at at least 1/2 load for about a half hour each month. I also exercise my furnace and raise and lower my hydraulic jacks once a month.
On some of the newer RVs there is quite a drain on the engine starting batteries, so make sure they stay charged with a battery tender or something like that if needed, and if they're wet cell make sure to check the water level in all of the batteries once in awhile. Of course if there is any corrosion in the battery area, brush off the loose stuff and then use baking soda and water to neutralize it.
I have found out that I only need to add water to our batteries about every other month under normal conditions, but check yours every month until you find out how often your MH batteries need it.
Jim
Ranger375 said
07:04 AM Apr 30, 2010
Gene,
In addition to the other suggestions.
I want to add that we have been sitting for 4 months and the things that I have seen change over those 4 months due to weather has surprised me a little.
I guess my suggestion to everyone is that maybe a good "scavenger hunt" may be in order to see if any issues had developed over that time.
I don't think it is just because we haven't moved but rather time does march on and I think it may be easy to be lulled into thinking that because the wheels haven't turned everything is just like it was when we parked it.
Perhaps the thing that I had to remember was it isn't just a vehicle it is a "house" as well. So things that could be expected to weather on a house are the same on a MH.
Just my thoughts for you.
Ken
GENECOP said
07:52 AM Apr 30, 2010
Ranger375 wrote:
Gene,
In addition to the other suggestions.
I want to add that we have been sitting for 4 months and the things that I have seen change over those 4 months due to weather has surprised me a little.
I guess my suggestion to everyone is that maybe a good "scavenger hunt" may be in order to see if any issues had developed over that time.
I don't think it is just because we haven't moved but rather time does march on and I think it may be easy to be lulled into thinking that because the wheels haven't turned everything is just like it was when we parked it.
Perhaps the thing that I had to remember was it isn't just a vehicle it is a "house" as well. So things that could be expected to weather on a house are the same on a MH.
Just my thoughts for you.
Ken
Thanks one and all for the suggestions . Ken, what are some of the changes that you have noticed? Are they mostly finish related, caulking, ? Thanks Gene
Old Snipe said
09:02 AM Apr 30, 2010
Hi Gene,
You've gotten some exellent advice already, but let me chip in.
Ants. Ants love to "visit" your motorhome, they like mine. When I stay put for awhile I use an insecticide on the ground around the tires and levelers (either spray or powder). I have to retreat those areas after a rain.
On my sewer line, water hose and electrical cord, I use a one inch band of Vasoline all around them a foot or so from where they enter the MH. The ants won't cross it.
Some how, still get an ant or two, so I make sure there is nothing in the sink with any kind of water in it and put some Bounce dryer sheets around, too.
Urban legend has it that the Bounce will help repel the little guys, not sure if it's true, but it does help keep the MH smelling good!
Best Regards!
Dan and Gail said
10:08 AM Apr 30, 2010
We've been parked for 3-4 months several times as we volunteer/workamp. On the first day of each month we run the diesel engine for about 1/2 hour, run the generator under a load (bake something in the convection oven if we don't need A/C or furnace), check the batteries, and run the slides in and out.
We use the Pro-Fill Battery Watering System which delivers a measured amount of distilled water to each battery; but does not add water to an already full cell, thus eliminating overfilling. We bought it a Camping World. It was the best $65 ever spent.
-- Edited by Dan and Gail on Friday 30th of April 2010 10:08:42 AM
mcw50 said
11:05 PM May 1, 2010
We've been sitting in an AZ RV park for 6 months now (as we do most winters), and have done all the things suggested above. Just this week we did the engine and generator start and checked the batteries and tires again. We've had the slides in and out a couple times due to high winds this winter and we recently treated all the seals. We also cleaned the jack cylinders before we ran them up and down. The rig gets waxed a couple times a year and washed as needed. Its almost 7 years old and has about 65,000 miles on the 370 ISL Cummins engine and 340 hours on the Power Tech generator. We replaced all the tires last year. We have annual maintenance done, often at the Spartan factory. As we've traveled over the years, we have stopped at various manufacturers of equipment, just for a "check-up" and get to see their facilities and/or talk with factory people about maintenance.
Mary
We have set in one place in Maine for four plus months. We occasionally crank the diesel engine an let it idle to bring the temps up to running speed. This may be every seven or eight weeks.
If you are to be stationary for six months or more, it may be advantageous to retract and extend the slides. We have even moved the foot print of the wheels when we thought it necessary.
Diesel engines are made to run. However a few months of idleness does not hurt them, as long as you excercise them on an infequent basis. It is important to remember that if you are not going to run them to normal operating temps, you are likely better to let them sleep.
Our Cummins ISC is now five years old and is hardly broken in with some 47,000 plus miles. Remember, they love to run!!! Hummmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!!!!
Charles
-- Edited by Roz on Thursday 29th of April 2010 08:40:02 PM
-- Edited by Roz on Friday 30th of April 2010 01:31:14 PM
On some of the newer RVs there is quite a drain on the engine starting batteries, so make sure they stay charged with a battery tender or something like that if needed, and if they're wet cell make sure to check the water level in all of the batteries once in awhile. Of course if there is any corrosion in the battery area, brush off the loose stuff and then use baking soda and water to neutralize it.
I have found out that I only need to add water to our batteries about every other month under normal conditions, but check yours every month until you find out how often your MH batteries need it.
Jim
In addition to the other suggestions.
I want to add that we have been sitting for 4 months and the things that I have seen change over those 4 months due to weather has surprised me a little.
I guess my suggestion to everyone is that maybe a good "scavenger hunt" may be in order to see if any issues had developed over that time.
I don't think it is just because we haven't moved but rather time does march on and I think it may be easy to be lulled into thinking that because the wheels haven't turned everything is just like it was when we parked it.
Perhaps the thing that I had to remember was it isn't just a vehicle it is a "house" as well. So things that could be expected to weather on a house are the same on a MH.
Just my thoughts for you.
Ken
Thanks one and all for the suggestions . Ken, what are some of the changes that you have noticed? Are they mostly finish related, caulking, ? Thanks Gene
Hi Gene,
You've gotten some exellent advice already, but let me chip in.
Ants. Ants love to "visit" your motorhome, they like mine. When I stay put for awhile I use an insecticide on the ground around the tires and levelers (either spray or powder). I have to retreat those areas after a rain.
On my sewer line, water hose and electrical cord, I use a one inch band of Vasoline all around them a foot or so from where they enter the MH. The ants won't cross it.
Some how, still get an ant or two, so I make sure there is nothing in the sink with any kind of water in it and put some Bounce dryer sheets around, too.
Urban legend has it that the Bounce will help repel the little guys, not sure if it's true, but it does help keep the MH smelling good!
Best Regards!
We use the Pro-Fill Battery Watering System which delivers a measured amount of distilled water to each battery; but does not add water to an already full cell, thus eliminating overfilling. We bought it a Camping World. It was the best $65 ever spent.
Here's a link to the Pro-Fill.
http://www.campingworld.com/search/index.cfm?Ntt=Pro-fill&N=0&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Ntk=p_keyword&Nty=1&Ntpc=1
It is made by Flow-Rite. www.flow-rite.com
-- Edited by Dan and Gail on Friday 30th of April 2010 10:08:42 AM