Cold Climate Folks: how often to run your C in the winter?

[KristinU]

I know, I know, the easy answer is to go south to warmer climes!!! Future plans call for that for sure, but for the next decade we're stuck at work and beholden to the school calendar.

So this will be our first winter with a driveable, and I understand that it is a good idea to run it every so often when in storage (and run the genny with a load on it while we are at it). It will go unused for 4 months: December, January, February, and March.

So do you guys do this religiously? Once a month? Just run it or drive it around a bit? How long?

We were planning on covering it for the winter since it will be stored outside and we've had good results with covering our previous towables. However I'm not sure how that will play into the equation if you guys recommend actually driving. If we're just running it, I would think we can fold back the cover enough to allow for front and exhaust ventilation - would you agree?

Anything else we should keep in mind as we get ready for winter? We do plan on adding Sta-bil and topping off the tank. Anything else?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

[ericsmith32]

As I stated in another thread plan on driving ours at least once a month. But ours set in the driveway so it's easier to do. Also plan on using ours throughout the winter. Now that will depend on the snow. Have a trip plan for after Thanksgiving, mid-December and maybe at the end of December. We're paying for it might as well use it!

[RambleOnNW]

Best to add the Stabil and then fill up with gas to mix the Stabil in with all the gas in tank.

[Harvey51]

I don't keep liability insurance on it over the winter - it is $50 a month, a bit much to pay for a tire exercise once a month. I do start it and move back and forth in the driveway a couple of times over the winter. Probably hard on the engine and not helping the tires all that much.

Thank you for the stabil reminder - I haven't done that yet. We are supposed to get above freezing sometime this week, so I'll put some in and run the engine for a while.

[2001_Ford_E450]

I store outdoors. I add fuel stabilizer and run engine and generator for 15 min. Then I remove engine and house batteries and take home. Batts are then charged fully and kept off charger til Spring in the relatively warm garage (they are never where they can be in below freezing air). No Rv cover and after eight winters its fine (no mold). I keep the tires on wood to keep them off the ground. This year I started putting moth balls in milk jugs with holes hanging under the coach, sitting in he kichen sink, and under the hood where the starting battery would be (as a mice deterrent). So I obviously do not run the engine at all. I also think its a good idea to have ended the season by doing a fresh oil and filter change first and when running the engine to circulate the fuel stabilizer you will also be bathing the engine In fresh oil. Good to change generator oil and filter also.

[bsinmich]

We are on our 4th. MH and I leave the batteries in the MH and run nothing during the winter. I put StaBil in the gas tank and run the gen. for 1/2 hr. before putting it in storage. We leave the bathroom vent open all the time. Winter is the lowest humidity of the year in many parts of the country, unlike the wet Northwest. I turn off the batteries but leave them all in place. The step will still work that way. We do store inside but never have a problem in the Spring. This MH has been doing that for 9 years now with no problem.

[Cobra21]

I add a whole can of Seafoam" to the gas tank and drive it about a half hour.

Then I run the genny under a load for about a half hour. I cover ours with

a RV cover, leave all the charged batteries in the unit without disconnecting

them. Always pops right off in the spring without any problems. It's the

easy way.

Brian

[Haley]

Ok, I do not own one yet; but my plan is it has to be used 3 seasons at least. We have two very active kids and my plan would be winterize the plumbing but still use the RV. My thoughts include:

• Long weekend trips south to warmer climates
• Use it when we go sledding or cross country skiing as a warming hut
• Day touring
• Destinations where the activities are mostly indoors

I've been a 4 season tent camper for years so to me to let it sit would be a crying shame.

Also - I am shopping very, very used rigs. Something that if it gets a bit of salt on it is not going to bother me all that much.

[KristinU]

Cool, thanks everyone. Lots to noodle on!

[Trackrig]

As to how often people start them after storage probably depends a lot on how cold it is where it's stored and how far away it is. Ours went into storage last year in late Oct and came out in May without being started. No way to start it in sub-zero weather unless I haul a generator to it and leave it plugged in for many hours. Because I had disconnected the batteries, they were fine.

Bill

[stubblejumper]

Once she is sealed up for the winter she stays that way until spring. Winterize, take out the batteries and put them inside heated garage. Would be harder to start and probably more damaging to try and get it to turn over or MAYBE start at -35/-40. Can't drive it when it is buried up to the tops of the wheels in snow. Come spring reinstall batteries, clear water lines and go. Never had a problem.

[time2roll]

I would just let it sit for the duration. Keep the batteries charged.
If you do start it up give it a good run for 20 minutes on the road before you park it again.

[Sooboy]

I seem to be the odd man out here. I winterize, put 3 desiccant containers inside, seal it up and remove the negative cable off all batteries. I also inflate the tires to max pressure to minimize flat-spotting. It sits 6 months straight without being started (beginning of Nov. to end of Apr.).

In the spring, I reconnect the batteries and she starts right up without issue.

In recent years I have indoor storage, however with my previous RV, I did the same - only outdoors. Only difference is I did a thorough check of the Dicor on all the roof seams in the fall.

Tom

[tenbear]

Once I winterize I don't run the MH at all until spring. I read somewhere that the cold starts are harder on the engine than letting it sit. I do run the genny about every month provided it warms up a bit and I can dig the exhaust pipe out of the snow.

I have a Battery Minder Plus on the coach battery and a trickle charger on the chassis battery.

[RambleOnNW]

We're not done for the season and plan to go out again 1-2 times in November and December. If we are not actively using the MH we take it out once a month for a 25 mile drive and run the generator with load for 1 hour.

I recommend against storing the motorhome with vents open. That will insure that the motorhome interior humidity is equal to the outside humidity, which in the winter is quite high on average and is 100% when fog is present. Instead close up the motorhome tight and add some type of dehumidifier either passive or active.

Active is optimal, such as a 50 pint/day dehumidifier. You can set the humidity level to 55-60% and empty it periodically. These dehumidifiers operate down to 42F and do generate some heat since they consume 400 - 600W. We use a unit like this when going to high humidity areas such as the beach or snow country in the winter and we get no condensation inside the windows.

Passive dehumidifiers such as Dry-Z-Air or Eva-Dry also help. We use to use Dry-Z-Air but the crystals are calcium chloride and is corrosive to metal and leather so requires care in handling. Now using multiple Eva-dry units and they hold the interior humidity to 70%. We leave all drawers, cupboards, freezer, fridge, etc. ajar