Ok all; I am not a mechanic, and I didn't stay at any hotel/motel last night.After reading a post in "Begining RVing" concerning oil change and idling, most of the people said that idling for more than 20-30 seconds can be bad for a newer(since the 80's) engine. I have always been told(since the 50's) that the initial start-up after a night of sleep is the hardest on any engine. For those with a towed or 5er, the starting, stopping, restarting, etc., in the mornings would be the worst possible time for an engine. Would it be better for the engine if it is only started after ALL things are taken down and put away, idled until hookup is complete(I can pull out of a site and hook up my toad in less than five minutes) and then heading for the road?

There is no good reason to idle an engine, unless to charge the battery, or to make the heater work.It does not hurt to idle an engine for an hr or 2, but don't :)

Metal and oil hasn't change all that much. Not putting a heavy load on an engine till it is up to operating temperature is still the best. That said, I would ease out of a campground if I might annoy others.

You got it. The engine is best served by starting it up and using it under a moderate load once it's up and running with the oil pressure stabilized, etc., which is a matter of seconds typically.Idling the engine after a cold start is harder on it than using it. For most motorhomes especially (and a great many modern vehicles in general), the engine is never going to wear out before the rest of the vehicle, so doing everything humanly possible to prolong its life is perhaps a bit unnecessary; but idling when you aren't going anywhere also wastes fuel and serves no useful purpose, so avoiding it when practical is a good idea regardless.

A little bit of idle time on the engine to get it reasonably warmed up before putting a strain on it isn't going to hurt anything and in my opinion helps the engine. Note that I did not say you have to let it sit there and idle for thirty minutes to bring it up to full operating temperatures.A little bit of idle time to reasonably warm up the engine is best if you're going to pull out of the RV park and immediately up onto the highway and have to merge with traffic. Look at it this way, you're engine will spend far more time idling at stop lights than you'll ever idle it before starting out in the morning.Bill

When I was a cop we were either driving our cars to calls or letting them idle for long periods as reports were written (mostly the latter). Seldom were they turned off during a 10 hour shift. Some of the cars had well over 100,000 miles and were still running fine. Does this example apply to our RV's? Other than wasting fuel, I don't have any other issues with an idling engine. Don't the big DP's have to idle for a period to bring up pressures and such?

Idling an engine | Good Sam Community

azdryheat
Explorer
Jan 29, 2016
When I was a cop we were either driving our cars to calls or letting them idle for long periods as reports were written (mostly the latter). Seldom were they turned off during a 10 hour shift. Some of the cars had well over 100,000 miles and were still running fine. Does this example apply to our RV's?

Other than wasting fuel, I don't have any other issues with an idling engine. Don't the big DP's have to idle for a period to bring up pressures and such?
Trackrig
Explorer II
Jan 29, 2016
A little bit of idle time on the engine to get it reasonably warmed up before putting a strain on it isn't going to hurt anything and in my opinion helps the engine. Note that I did not say you have to let it sit there and idle for thirty minutes to bring it up to full operating temperatures.

A little bit of idle time to reasonably warm up the engine is best if you're going to pull out of the RV park and immediately up onto the highway and have to merge with traffic. Look at it this way, you're engine will spend far more time idling at stop lights than you'll ever idle it before starting out in the morning.

Bill
DrewE
Explorer II
Jan 29, 2016
You got it. The engine is best served by starting it up and using it under a moderate load once it's up and running with the oil pressure stabilized, etc., which is a matter of seconds typically.

Idling the engine after a cold start is harder on it than using it. For most motorhomes especially (and a great many modern vehicles in general), the engine is never going to wear out before the rest of the vehicle, so doing everything humanly possible to prolong its life is perhaps a bit unnecessary; but idling when you aren't going anywhere also wastes fuel and serves no useful purpose, so avoiding it when practical is a good idea regardless.
Lynnmor
Explorer
Jan 29, 2016
Metal and oil hasn't change all that much. Not putting a heavy load on an engine till it is up to operating temperature is still the best. That said, I would ease out of a campground if I might annoy others.
RJsfishin
Explorer
Jan 29, 2016
There is no good reason to idle an engine, unless to charge the battery, or to make the heater work.
It does not hurt to idle an engine for an hr or 2, but don't :)

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