Winter Storage with Full Tank Of Gas or Not?

On the subject of Stabil vs Seafoam, I'm a convert and joined the Seafoam camp. If you read the labels of both, Seafoam advertises a much longer period of fuel preservation. That, and all the techs I ask seem to prefer Seafoam.
Just curious what opinions about this you good folk may have?

I have never winterized any of my RV's fuel systems other than to fill up the tanks. BUT I also take them out in the winter for some short, or maybe long, runs.

Like others have said I treat the fuel and propane as a extra bonus in case of bad weather/ emergency. I also make sure that I keep the batteries topped up. Gives us a little buffer should things go bad in a storm.

I keep both gas and propane tanks full in case of an emergency. I can run the house furnace and fridge off the generator if there's an extended power failure. It's always ready to bug out if the occasion arises. RV is always packed and completely stocked at all times. Even have clothes, boots, jackets, laptops, chargers, and all other gear always in it. We just need to add food and water. Nice part is we never forget anything and can leave in 10 minutes.

There is the peace of mind having the propane and main gas tank full for just in-case of an emergency of some kind. Most Ford E350s and E450s with gasoline engines have a 55 gallon fuel tank. That means you have roughly 40 gallons of gas to support your generator. In a crisis at home without electricity, you have a means to run your furnace, fridge, and more, maybe not all at the exact same time, but you are so equipped. If something worse happens requiring you to leave home, you can fill the fresh water tank, pack up your essentials including food, and leave without searching for a gas station for a good long time.

rvnetter,

From years (decades) of putting boats, Rvs and classic cars to bed for the winter in norther climates, I can tell you that you should fill the fuel tank. Modern motorfuel (I hate to refer to it as gasoline) stores much better than gasoline did years ago. Adding a stabilizer does not hurt. Best thing to do in terms of a self-contained RV is to Winterize the potable and waste water systems, fill the fuels (both) and write about it on the passenger side window with a China marker. Be specific and date it.

If there is a chance that this is more than a few months, fog both the main engine and the generator. That mean blow oil in the intake so all the internal shiny metal parts don't rust.

What ever you do, write it someplace it can't be missed.
If you do write it on a window, write it on the inside....

Matt - hoping to pass years of hard won experience along.

I should have added that it definitely is wise to fill up all the propane tanks/cylinders.

If one has the luxury of both living in a warmer reason and has power to their RV, it might be possible to not have to winterize it and have a couple electric heaters running at 40-50 degrees to keep the rig well above freezing, so if power does go out for a long time, it would be easy to just fire up the propane furnace and generator, and either drive somewhere, or just sit tight and enjoy things.

STBRetired wrote:
Full gas tank with stabilizer. Propane does not matter as is closed system so no air will get in. Be sure to turn off the propane shut off valve.

TRUE, but that's not why I keep the propane full, as previously noted, it is in case of emergency, like several years ago we had a BAD Ice storm, went two weeks without power, an RV to live in would've been REAL handy, plus after we got the RV, we had a severe storm that took out power for three days, was real nice to have all the comforts of home.

I have seen gas go bad in a month, but here in Texas, it is warmer so stuff reacts faster, and lighter parts of the fuel evaporate faster. When I store a vehicle, I dump some Star-tron in the tank after filling it up. I do the same with a generator, although I prefer to store a generator with it completely empty these days than keeping it filled up and fuel stabilizer added.

Vehicle engines are not as finicky due to the larger amounts of fuel used, EFI, and decent fuel filters, but there is the generator as well, which needs good fuel or else the carb will have issues.

What I've thought about, once I get a vehicle with a built in Onan... is adding a fuel petcock in line with its fuel input. That way, I can turn that off, and run the line dry. That way, the gasoline sitting in the tank doesn't have to be as pristine as it would have to be for the generator.

ksg5000 wrote:
I top off and store the rig with full tank of gas to avoid condensation problems. I stopped using fuel stabilizers in my cars/rigs years ago - haven't notice any adverse impacts yet. Maybe lucky/stupid/stubborn/ or all the above.

I've never used a stabilizer, that goes with lawn mowers, garden tractors, farm equipment.

Dusty

Full gas tank with stabilizer. Propane does not matter as is closed system so no air will get in. Be sure to turn off the propane shut off valve.