how long between starting

[bbaker2001]

because of my wife's cancer treatments traveling will be far and few between this year. have a new 2015, 2400 miles on ot. ot has been parked for 3 months, and looks like another 3 months. it is not my DD.


we are still hooked up to 5er in driveway. wont be moving it often. should I go and start it often, or will it be OK. 2015 ram 3500. also, should I be hooking up another water filter or anything else.

[bbaker2001]

thanks to all

[mkirsch]

Put the tender on and leave it on. Battery tenders are designed to maintain the battery at a certain level, and will only charge the battery as necessary.

Tenders are not designed to bring up a partially discharged battery. They charge at a very low rate, typically <1 Amp. If you leave the tender off for a month, parasitic draw from the truck's computers will discharge the battery significantly. A tender may never be able to bring the battery back to 100 percent, and may well burn itself out trying. Try to connect the tender immediately after parking the vehicle if you can.

Battery Tender is the trademarked name of an actual product. Others will market similar products as a battery MAINTAINER or FLOAT CHARGER.

[srt20]

Let it sit. It will hurt nothing. Put a tender on it every couple months if you wish.

[nevadanick]

No relationship to RR other than hopping over them when the tracks ran through town and wanted to be stupid and get to a bar that was on the other side while they were stopped.

[mkirsch]

To connect the battery tender:

1. Pick a battery. They are both connected together.
2. Put the clip with the red handles on the + terminal of the battery.
3. Put the clip with the black handles on the - terminal of the battery.
4. Plug the tender into a wall outlet or extension cord.
5. Place the tender somewhere under the hood where you can close the hood without pinching anything, and it won't get caught by a fan belt should you forget and start the engine with it still attached.
6. Close the hood.

[boogie_4wheel]

My truck sits for 3+ months at a time frequently. Fuel tank is full and battery tender hooked to truck. Just connect the tender to one battery or the other. The crossover cable will keep both batteries charged.

Do not start it and let it idle frequently. It will never reach operating temperature. Not saying you can't start it to move it or unhitch or whatever, but don't make a habit of idling for 15-30 minutes weekly/monthly/whatever then shutting it down in an effort to 'maintain' the truck.

Mine has been sitting since Thanksgiving. I will use it in 2 weeks to go pick up a trailer 300mi away and bring back to the house. I will just get it out from under the shed, check the tire pressure, load my junk and leave. When I return I will fill with fuel and pull back in to shed, connect tender and walk away.

[coolmom42]

If you start it, drive it enough to get the entire engine & exhaust system hot. Otherwise you will just leave water vapor in the exhaust, to rust it out.

[shelbyj]

Good luck with your wifes cancer treatment.

If possible, its always best to drive it every so often. If not then its probably best to keep the batteries charged and put some treatment in the fuel and call it good.

[Tystevens]

Why not just drive it for a day once a week or a couple times a month?

Unless you're far from the truck, in which case I'd agree with the fuel treatment and maybe a battery tender. Starting it and letting it idle for a few minutes isn't going to help anything.

[bbaker2001]

thanks, Elko---any relationship with RR
WP 30+

[nevadanick]

I wouldnt add any additive, and the battery tender can be connected to one battery as they are connected together. If you were where it was horribly humid then maybe something in the diesel, but not in Stockton.

[bbaker2001]

thanks, but what type of additive for diesel
and how would I connect a tender to the two batteries

[gbopp]

Why not just unhook it from the 5th wheel and drive it occasionally?

[is_it_friday_ye]

From what I've read, if you start it, you better go drive it. Letting it run in the driveway to warm up won't do much. I believe that it will cause condensation inside the engine, etc. that may cause more problems like rust. If it were my truck, I would just put a battery tender on it and some kind of fuel treatment. Diesel fuel (if you have) can turn to algae I believe.