So diesels dont like to sit....

I would not be concerned, provided the maintenance records were up to snuff! But if the oil has not been changed since 2001, I would be very concerned. And if the previous owner was running 0w20 SM motor oil, I would also be very concerned.

Yes, these kind of threads end up with a combination of "best practices" and "what I got away with" posts.

You will also find posts suggesting that coolant never needs to be changed, oil can go 20,000 miles, etc.

Bottom line, mechanical components, tires, etc all benefit from "proper exercise"--defined as 25+ highway miles.

Do you HAVE to do it-- no. Is it better to do it-- YES.

Tom/Barb wrote:

jvernon wrote:
Im set to buy a 2001 coach , cummins 8.1 isc, 26,000 miles. Should i be concerned because it hasnt been driven enough ?

Our Coach sat 9 years in storage and started and ran with no problems, it had only 8600 miles on it.

X2

Diesel/Gas engine sitting is not good - just an old wives tale. My 67 Cutlass has sat for as long as 3 years and it started just fine.

jvernon wrote:
Im set to buy a 2001 coach , cummins 8.1 isc, 26,000 miles. Should i be concerned because it hasnt been driven enough ?

Our Coach sat 9 years in storage and started and ran with no problems, it had only 8600 miles on it.

The only worse for an engine than sitting is idling.
Idling does nothing good for an engine and it is even harder on diesels as they can idle without warming up at all. You can either run it on the road to full temperature at least every other month or ask a marine service to put the engine to bed for the winter. If it is going to sit less than three months in an area that is not known for humid conditions (this excludes most of Florida and a lot of the gulf coast), just leave it alone.

Matt

RVers think a diesel must be used or it dies. A rancher has NO problem allowing the diesels to sit for YEARS between use and we never seem to have a problem when we do use it. I started a Cat a couple years ago that had sat for close to 15 years and all I did was add a fresh battery, turn the switch and start using it. When we finished using it, we parked it back under the pole shed and it has not been started since. My concern would not be with the engine or drive train, I would be concerned with the house and its condition.

jvernon wrote:
Im set to buy a 2001 coach , cummins 8.1 isc, 26,000 miles. Should i be concerned because it hasnt been driven enough ?

I can give you a long answer or a short one...but assuming the coach is in great shape cosmetically....the answer is NO!

Over 2150 a year---if it was used that way I wouldn't worry about it. I think I average about 6000 a year and I use mine about every week.

Perhaps you could take the unit to a local Cummins place, and have them check it out for you.

We have friends who farm and another friend who owned a heavy equipment rental business. Both have let diesel powered units sit unused for years, and then start right up and run fine when brought back to work.

YMMV

It should certainly trigger some probing questions.

Not sure it is worse on diesels than gas rigs, but sitting for long periods of time without being driven is tough on any machine.

Better that it was used to go camping 50 miles from home, but frequently than used for the first 2 years and has sat for years at a time.