Storing My Diesel Truck Over Winter Advice

SweetLou wrote:
What about the blue def in the tank? My tank is 1/2 full. I know that it could freeze but I think 1/2 a tank would be enough for expansion. I could open the cap just in case but should I be concerned?

My truck sets all Summer with whatever DEF that's in the tank when returning to the NW from my Winter Wonderland. Never an issue. You will be fine just disconnect the negative terminals, that's it!!!

No, leave it closed, dirt and errant bugs and other critters might explore and fall in. No worry.

What about the blue def in the tank? My tank is 1/2 full. I know that it could freeze but I think 1/2 a tank would be enough for expansion. I could open the cap just in case but should I be concerned?

I leave my 01 RAM CUMMINS in my shop for 6 months every winter in Western WA. All I do is disconnect the negative terminals. That's it!!!

If it were my 15 I would run the def low if possible but honestly if it is cooler to cold it won't matter.

Truck fires right off every spring.

I have a maintainer on my dad's old Powerstroke that's parked outside at my place. I also start/drive it periodically but short of that, I'd at least keep the maintainer on it.

Similar concept, I also keep the camper plugged in to keep the batteries maintained over the winter.

SweetLou wrote:
OK, so most are saying to use a battery minder, and a conditioner. If you use a tender/minder, which brand works well, and in 6 months will it boil batteries dry? Mine are wet Costco interstates. Also will Diesel Klean work as conditioner?

The whole point of a maintainer/minder is to NOT boil the batteries dry. If it does, it malfunctioned or you bought the wrong device.

I use the Harbor Freight Viking brand maintainers on the important machines with dual batteries.

For my gas truck I fill the tank with non-ethanol fuel at great expense, back it in the barn, shut it off, and clip on the maintainer.

For all my diesel tractors I back them in the barn, shut them off, and clip on the maintainer on some of them. Most just sit all winter with nothing. Of course they're all old pre-computer, pre-emissions tractors.

fj12ryder wrote:
Okay, I'm a little confused. Where does the air come from that displaces the fuel as it's pumped out and used? Or does it create a vacuum? If the air isn't run through a drier, then it will have some water vapor in it, which can condense out and precipitate into the fuel.

The "air" inside the tank isn't being exchanged rapidly and you probably get more water in your tank if you fill up a capless fuel tank in the rain than what would happen sitting all winter.

Bottom line, the rvnet contingent generally remembers too many things from the past and try to apply them to the present, sometimes incorrectly. This is one of those things.

Diesel, yeah, who cares...fill it, leave it low, doesn't matter since the fuel if full will still be good come spring time. It's a whatever helps you sleep at night thing.
Gasoline, different story although also less of an issue with stale fuel with most newer (last 20-30 years) efi systems. The bigger issue is firing up the RV on a full tank of stanky old 87 E10 (even with stabil, to a point) and then pointing big bertha up the hill full throttle for the first pull of the year on suspect fuel.

SweetLou wrote:

ford truck guy wrote:

SweetLou wrote:
OK, so most are saying to use a battery minder, and a conditioner. If you use a tender/minder, which brand works well, and in 6 months will it boil batteries dry? Mine are wet Costco interstates. Also will Diesel Klean work as conditioner?

I use the NOCO Genius on my batteries and have always used Diesel Klean - Diesel Klean - White

Will the NOCO cook my batteries in 6 mo of maintenance and when power goes out does it reset to your settings automatically? Our power in the shop will go out 4-5 times ea winter for usually 5-10 hours ea time

Any smart charger/maintainer will will work. Pick a flavor as long as it's not too cheap of Amazon Chinesium.

Over the years of parking dump trucks for the winter I have found, by pulling samples and having tested, it is better to park with fresh oil in them.
As for the fuel issue, I always wanted full. Not so much for the condensation issue, but more because in the spring, when work was slow but starting, a few days of fuel on hand helped.

SweetLou wrote:

ford truck guy wrote:

SweetLou wrote:
OK, so most are saying to use a battery minder, and a conditioner. If you use a tender/minder, which brand works well, and in 6 months will it boil batteries dry? Mine are wet Costco interstates. Also will Diesel Klean work as conditioner?

I use the NOCO Genius on my batteries and have always used Diesel Klean - Diesel Klean - White

Will the NOCO cook my batteries in 6 mo of maintenance and when power goes out does it reset to your settings automatically? Our power in the shop will go out 4-5 times ea winter for usually 5-10 hours ea time

Will you be in the area over the winter?

A really small trickle charger shouldn't boil the batteries but if convenient, better to stop by once or twice over the winter and check the voltage putting a charger on for a couple hours if low. But if the terminals are disconnected, it should be fine for the winter without any care or feeding.