Storing My Diesel Truck Over Winter Advice

[SweetLou]

I have a 2013 Ram 3500 Diesel. I want to store it in my shop this year in WA where it can get as low as -5 degrees. Mind you, it's not that cold all winter but it can get that low inside the shop. I have never stored a vehicle over winter in a cold area and I was wondering if any of you have experience with this process. It is a diesel with two batteries so please give me an Idea of what I should be doing. It will be stored for 6 months from October to Early May. Thanks in advance.

[austinjenna]

I fill it up, throw in a can of seafoam and put it on a batteryminder plus maintainer. At least I feel like I have done what I can while its in storage.

[deltabravo]

I have a 2009 truck. (Duramax)

I bought it new.
It sits from October through April most years.
It hit 76k miles last weekend on my last camping trip of the year.

I haven't done anything special to it when putting it to bed for the winter hibernation.

I probably should have filled up the fuel tank every fall. The fuel gauge quit working after each fill up in the spring of 2021. Within 10 miles it would register correctly again.
Spring of 2022 it died completely.

I've read that corrosion on the sending unit is the most likely cause of the issue.

[deltabravo]

Grit dog wrote:
The vehicle storage paranoia is strong on the ole rvnet today!

IT SURE IS! (see reply below)

Fisherman wrote:
...brakes get a lot of surface rust and have to be changed out.

Those of us in Washington get rusty brakes every time it rains. Do we go out and change out those rusty brakes? NO

My brakes get rusty in the summer when I wash the truck. I don't hcnage them out after that happens either

[PA12DRVR]

Grit dog wrote:

Fisherman wrote:
Some things like oil seals may start to dry out, brakes get a lot of surface rust and have to be changed out. Calipers may seize up too, those are some of the "hard" things.

Not wintering over in a dry garage.
The vehicle storage paranoia is strong on the ole rvnet today!

Where's the f**borg "like" button?

[Grit_dog]

Fisherman wrote:
Some things like oil seals may start to dry out, brakes get a lot of surface rust and have to be changed out. Calipers may seize up too, those are some of the "hard" things.

Not wintering over in a dry garage.
The vehicle storage paranoia is strong on the ole rvnet today!

[Fisherman]

Some things like oil seals may start to dry out, brakes get a lot of surface rust and have to be changed out. Calipers may seize up too, those are some of the "hard" things.

[Grit_dog]

trail-explorer wrote:

ppine wrote:
Letting vehicles sit for 6 months is hard on them.

How is is "hard" on them?
There's no wear and tear as it's not being driven so your claim makes no sense whatsoever.

Letting "old" stuff sit for long periods of time can and does lead to seals drying out, old gas in chit that plugs up carburetors, etc.
But you're correct, that stuff is 99.9% inapplicable to the OP's scenario.
It's just old guy wives tales, told totally out of context.

[Grit_dog]

ppine wrote:
Use Stabil in the fuel. DEF has a service life of about 6 months.

Letting vehicles sit for 6 months is hard on them. Pull the batteries and put a low voltage maintainer on them.

Aside from the last part about a maintainer, which would also not be necessary if they were disconnected fully charged (but not a bad idea), whether you "pull" them or not, the rest of this couldn't be more false or comical.
It's silly stuff like this that get people like the OP thinking they need to do a whole bunch of stuff to let their truck sit for the winter.

ZERO need for Stabil in diesel that is sitting for 6 months, it isn't even an algicide if that is a concern.
DEF has a much longer than 6mo shelf life unless you let it sit out in the sun with the lid off in Nevada in the summer...

And I can't think of a single other thing that would be "hard" on it, unless sitting for 6 months out in the sun in Nevada, or under a Walnut tree all summer or in a swamp.

[trail-explorer]

ppine wrote:
Letting vehicles sit for 6 months is hard on them.

How is is "hard" on them?
There's no wear and tear as it's not being driven so your claim makes no sense whatsoever.

[Cummins12V98]

Yes it was a real fighter, 21# on opening day.

[FishOnOne]

Trophy Catch...

[ford_truck_guy]

Looks like the “run” has started Ron…. Nice looking catch !

[Cummins12V98]

MFL wrote:

Cummins12V98 wrote:
I'm still here Jerry.

Yep, and I'm glad you are! You haven't been posting as much lately, but we all have off/line lives too!:C I've been busy doing outdoor stuff, taking advantage of nice weather.

Hey Joe...good to know!

Have been a bit busy.

[MFL]

Cummins12V98 wrote:
I'm still here Jerry.

Yep, and I'm glad you are! You haven't been posting as much lately, but we all have off/line lives too!:C I've been busy doing outdoor stuff, taking advantage of nice weather.

Hey Joe...good to know!