Long Term Stays

A couple of years ago I worked with mobile RV mechanic getting a 2004 gas Ford V-10 powered motorhome ready for a new owner after it had sat unmoved for 9 years on a leased site in Florida. We replaced the engine battery, coolant, and belts, drained and replaced the oil and filter, bled and refilled the brake fluid, and cranked the engine over a few times by hand. The rig had been parked with a full fuel tank, and the fuel had been topped off periodically as exercising the generator drew it down. When we first turned the key, it spun over slowly a time or two before getting up to speed and firing up as if it had just been shut down. The disk brakes were a little "crunchy" starting out, but cleared up fairly quickly. The first run was just a few miles down the road to a local tire dealer for new rubber, and the grunts and groans from the suspension had pretty much worked themselves out by the time we got there. We did advise the new owner to add a good quality fuel conditioner to the first couple of fill ups and have the unit checked further by a mechanic before making any lengthy trips, but the rig ran really well after sitting still for 9 years.