Class A Diesel Idling

[harryjr]

Disclaimer: NOT trying to start a firestorm

We were on the road for the last 3.5 weeks. It takes us approx 30min. to break camp in the morning. We then start the truck and position, hook up, do a final walk around and leave. Truck idles for maybe five minutes and is Tundra V-8 quiet.

So why in 3.5 weeks did we run into so many diesel class A's who feel the need to start the engine at 6AM and then do God only knows what for the next hour and a half before they leave? You bought a $400K, 400HP, 40 foot RV. Does it really require a 90 minute warm up before you can safely drive it down the road? We only spent one night together, but I promise to miss you when you're gone. Do you need to wake up the entire park to wave goodbye?

Before you tell me I'm just jealous that I don't have a diesel pusher, I'm not. (Well maybe just a little bit). Saw one today that was such a bargain my wallet started to twitch, but I digress.

If there is a reason for the 90 min. warm-up, please explain it to this dumb 5th wheeler.

Thanks,

[blownstang01]

I see this all the time. It's not just the noise, diesel fumes make me sick and for some reason it's always the one camped next to me. I try and not let things bother me, nobody knows what someone else's thought process is, but this one bugs me to no end.

[Dave_H_M]

Might be the same syndrome that the left lane drivers suffer from.:S

Personally, I think it is either ignorance or just macho big head attitude.

[Lynnmor]

sammytoo wrote:
I am just paranoid or are we singling out old people with class A's as the most inconsiderate ?
The guy next to me is working here on a temporary construction project. He starts his diesel truck every morning at 6 so he can leave at 7. Says he wants the cab warm on the drive to work.
Last week we were all awakened at 4 am when 10 of the weekend warriors started their diesel trucks to make sure they could get to the fishing tournament before sunup. I thought it was just one of life's little inconveniences but I guess I should be angry at some "class of people".

The misfits are everywhere, it is not about anything practical, it is just the short appendage folks trying to feel big.

[sammytoo]

I am just paranoid or are we singling out old people with class A's as the most inconsiderate ?
The guy next to me is working here on a temporary construction project. He starts his diesel truck every morning at 6 so he can leave at 7. Says he wants the cab warm on the drive to work.
Last week we were all awakened at 4 am when 10 of the weekend warriors started their diesel trucks to make sure they could get to the fishing tournament before sunup. I thought it was just one of life's little inconveniences but I guess I should be angry at some "class of people".

[jplante4]

This topic comes up on a regular basis along with barking dogs and banging doors. In general people have forgotten how to live and let live and are leaning towards "do it my way". We should all take a step back and look at how we approach things.

And don't even start a thread about generators!!!

[FunnyCamper]

free radical wrote:
Maybe they needed to run AC to get the whole bus nice and cool?
Or warm as the case may be?
I used to overnight at enough truck stops,these things dont bother me,besides its their fuel/ money they waste..
I put plugs in my ears and sleep like a baby..

This! We sleep like babies thru racket of any kind 🙂 No ear plugs needed.

OP, who knows why others idle for as long as they do, but they do 🙂
Learn to live with it.

We do many truck stops for short sleep stops on trips and we are among the most clammer you can imagine and it never bothers us one bit.

We rv so much that the noises have become secondary and just don't give us a pet peeve to moan about anymore.

[free_radical]

Maybe they needed to run AC to get the whole bus nice and cool?
Or warm as the case may be?
I used to overnight at enough truck stops,these things dont bother me,besides its their fuel/ money they waste..
I put plugs in my ears and sleep like a baby..

[MitchF150]

Lots of inconsiderate campers with big engines that always feel the need to let the rest of us know they have a loud exhaust, especially early in the am.. Gas rigs, diesel rigs, motorcycles, those stupid imports and even the squeaky training wheels on the little kids bike that seem to go round and round the loop at 6am! ha, ha!

I just take it all in stride and if I really didn't want to listen to it, I wouldn't go camping where I go camping anymore.. Sure, there are other alternatives to location and all, so it's all what you need to do..

I haven't needed an alarm clock for decades now... Always some vehicle, either at home or away that will wake me up earlier then I need to be woken up.. 🙂

No worries otherwise.. I just know that anything I do that might piss them off is offset by what they have already done to start with.. 🙂

Happy Camping!

Mitch

[azdryheat]

Working for an RV dealer, we drivers start the RV, pull in the slides, do a walk around, and drive away. No need to idle. The only issue is if there is a lever to dump the airbags. The salesmen dump the airbags to lower the height of the steps. I tried to drive off the other day in a new Pace Arrow and the front end started bouncing telling me no air in the bags even though the air system was up. Slid the lever to AUTO, kicked up the idle, and the bags filled quickly.

[Tom_Barb]

We like to do it at 5 in the morning. it takes us about 5 minutes to leave. our coach doesn't loose air over night, takes about a week to loose enough to have the lights, horns, whistles. and bells to go off on start.
I usually start, then raise the jacks, when the light for the jacks goes off we are driving away.

It requires about 15 miles or 20 minutes for the 8.3 cummins to reach regulated temp. (190 degrees) I hope folks are not waiting for their Diesel to reach operating temp prior to driving?

[Johno02]

I start our ford V-10, put it in gear and drive. The noise is why I don't want a diesel. Most if what ScottG said.

[Boon_Docker]

ScottG wrote:
Not only is it not necessary, it's down right bad for them to idle cold that long.
I truly believe it's a combination of macho and showing off.

I believe you have hit the nail on the head.

[donkeydew]

maybe they are getting revenge for some grumpy old guy sitting out there with spook lights,smokey fire and loud music all hours of the evening.
other than that i could not guess why it takes so long

[YC_1]

It takes a few minutes for me to build air so I often build the air the evening before so I don't bug people in the am.

Cummins mfgr reps absolutely say to start and just take it easy to the freeway onramp and to not idle too much. Your computer stores all that information too.

[gbopp]

harryjr wrote:


To quote Albert Einstein,

“Put your hand on a hot stove for a minute, and it seems like an hour. Sit with a pretty girl for an hour, and it seems like a minute. That’s relativity!”

When I'm trying to sleep @ 6:30AM, it's the hot stove.

Excellent response. :C