Base Idle, Fast Idle, Non Idle - Best Practices Diesel

obgraham wrote:
...the effect on others is an important part of the discussion about idling diesel RVs.

I agree with this statement. I think consideration of others should be a part of "best practices." There's what's good for the engine and also what's best for me and what's best for the environment and what's best for the people around me. They are all valid considerations.

WILDEBILL308 wrote:
obgraham, Please keep your comments relevant to the OPs question. If you want to make snarky comments about how loud and terribly annoying big coaches are, please start a new thread.
Bill

Okay, Bill. Since you're in charge of what we say here, I'll go along.

However, the effect on others is an important part of the discussion about idling diesel RVs.

WILDEBILL308 wrote:
Mr.Mark, If it isn't during quiet time I don't see where anyone has a beef. You can't help how long it takes to get checked in or someone blocking the way.
Do you have a EGT gage? I find it an extremely useful tool.
obgraham, Please keep your comments relevant to the OPs question. If you want to make snarky comments about how loud and terribly annoying big coaches are, please start a new thread.
Bill

Bill, what is a EGT gauge?

MM.

Mr.Mark, If it isn't during quiet time I don't see where anyone has a beef. You can't help how long it takes to get checked in or someone blocking the way.
Do you have a EGT gage? I find it an extremely useful tool.
obgraham, Please keep your comments relevant to the OPs question. If you want to make snarky comments about how loud and terribly annoying big coaches are, please start a new thread.
Bill

Arrived at a campground today. We stopped at the check-in area where the signs guided us. I put the coach in high idle which is recommended by Volvo. The check-in lady took forrreeeverrr checking us in.

Finally, when I went back to the motorhome, the people that had pulled in just in front of us left their Dodge truck (unhooked) blocking us.... battery was dead. During this time I'm still 'high idling'.

I unhooked the Honda and pulled it in front of his truck and gave him a jump. Just as I was about to pull away, a lady came up to my driver's window wondering when we were going to leave the 'check-in' area..... she was trying to nap in her 5th wheel which is right next to the check-in driveway. Odd place to be if you want quiet.

I wanted to keep the engine running as I had the air conditioning on thru the inverters. And our engine is loud with the huge fan in high gear.

I hated that I interrupted her nap. But, I was going as fast as I could to get checked in and help the guy with his truck. I didn't realize all of this was going to take as long as it did.

MM.

Actually, Bill, I went through your same fetish. In my case it was the glorious sound of the Caterpillar as I tromped on the accelerator.

But then I got real and decided I didn't really like wearing a 10-gallon hat rather than a baseball cap.

Back to the topic at hand: folks should get whatever RV they like, big, small, or whatever, and spend whatever energy they wish on its details. What some of us object to, however, is that many of the big-rig folks think it is just fine to impose their noisy ways on the person in the adjacent RV site -- as an example right here, the fellow who takes pride in running his rig at high idle for 15 minutes while he gets ready to pull out in the morning. Justified by "truckers do it this way".

obgraham wrote:
This argument has gone on for years, but the specifics change.

It used to be RV'ers liked to idle their diesel "because the big trucks do it, and it makes me feel cool to act like a big truck".

Now the argument has shifted to "my diesel is so complicated I have to idle it even more, in a complicated way, and that it's still cool to act like a big truck".

Why not place at least a little faith in the engine and coach builders to set these things up properly. Turn the darn thing on when you need to, get in and drive it, and shut it down when you're done.

Thank you for your wonderful insight about our fascination with our big truck fetish. Just wondering do you set in your van and make-believe you have a real motorhome?
Some people have an interest in learning best practices for their coach.
Just saying.
Bill

obgraham wrote:
This argument has gone on for years, but the specifics change.

It used to be RV'ers liked to idle their diesel "because the big trucks do it, and it makes me feel cool to act like a big truck".

Now the argument has shifted to "my diesel is so complicated I have to idle it even more, in a complicated way, and that it's still cool to act like a big truck".

Why not place at least a little faith in the engine and coach builders to set these things up properly. Turn the darn thing on when you need to, get in and drive it, and shut it down when you're done.

The original reason why truckers let their diesels idle are many fold. The best reasons why an RVer driving a diesel rig are also many fold. One of the biggest reasons why is to cool down the turbocharger mechanism with the recirculating engine/crankscase oil, and, to keep the air-pressure systems Up on the rigs that are also air-operated for their brakes and doors. If the diesel fumes and noise don't bother the owner when they're outside their coaches, then it's basically easier to let er run.

This argument has gone on for years, but the specifics change.

It used to be RV'ers liked to idle their diesel "because the big trucks do it, and it makes me feel cool to act like a big truck".

Now the argument has shifted to "my diesel is so complicated I have to idle it even more, in a complicated way, and that it's still cool to act like a big truck".

Why not place at least a little faith in the engine and coach builders to set these things up properly. Turn the darn thing on when you need to, get in and drive it, and shut it down when you're done.

holstein13 wrote:
What are best practices for idling and what are the theories behind them. For example, I never use my base idle speed unless I'm in traffic or at a red light. Otherwise, I'll high idle (1,000 RPMs) or turn off the ignition (preferred).

Is the high idle at startup to charge the batteries? or is it to get the engine to operating temperatures faster? And does it really matter at all given how little we actually use our engines in a diesel RV?

Idling at low idle isn't hard on your diesel engine - as above. High idle is mainly for charging the batteries when running accessories. Idling while fueling is what I do because I move out of the way of the 18-wheelers so's they can fuel.