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.

[Grit_dog]

Anymore old wives tales and misconception we can throw in this thread?

Like maybe block your axles up so the tires don’t flat spot or the concrete doesn’t suck the good stuff out of the rubber? Lol

[Grit_dog]

And you could connect a (single) maintainer to both batteries and disconnect the batteries from the vehicle then it wouldn’t matter if the power goes out or a gfi trips. The maintainer will not put a draw on the batteries when effectively unplugged. It becomes an inert object at that point.

And no, diesel doesn’t stay permanently gelled or harm anything after it warms back up.

And it’s also 1000% unnecessary to fill the tank, as also stated earlier in this thread.
And the likelihood of engine rusting internally and causing a failure is about the same as winning the Powerball lottery. So if you believe that is a high % chance of happening I’d also go buy a few powerball tickets as your propensity for beating or losing to the odds is FAR greater than everyone else’s.

[RCMAN46]

If you do use a battery maintainer I recommend you do not use a GFI outlet if possible.

I had a maintainer connected one winter and there was a power surge that activated the GFI. When I got home I found my battery totally dead.
I suspect the maintainer run down the battery as it was looking at the battery voltage which put a small load on the battery. I had the car in storage for 7 months.

[afidel]

One thing to think about is if you can you might want to wait till temps start to go down to fill it up the last time, below ~10F #2 diesel sold in the summer can help or form waxy crystals, #1 winter diesel won't do that, even half and half should be good to -5F.

[Bobmontana]

Worry less about the battwries and more about internal engine rust from condensation. Lost a 350 chevy that way once. Crank bearings rusted on it and spun one.

[Retired_JSO]

I own a c7/corvette. It is parked in my garage, only driven April-Nov. it has been plugged in 24/7 since new. No battery problems yet.

[Cummins12V98]

Personally have never used a battery tender for long periods. Just disconnect the negative terminals, it's free and works.

[SweetLou]

Also, for any mice or rats I was shown to use peppermint oil mixed with water in spray bottle and spray all wire areas. They apparently don't like the smell. Will it last 6 mo, IDK. I also was told to use a strobe light under the truck. Might not work with the security system though.

[SweetLou]

Cummins12V98 wrote:

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!!!

I bought a Ctek battery charger/maintainer so using this connected to the truck I don't need to disconnect the negative terminals right? I planned to connect straight up to driver's side battery and let it charge maintain both driver and passenger side batts. I hope this is correct.

[PA12DRVR]

Both of my DEF-burdened diesels (both Fords FWIW) routinely sit for days on end in Los Anchorage in the winter and fairly frequently take multi-day trips to Squarebanks and environs wherein overnight temps get to the -40 F or colder range.....whether its multiple days of circa 10 degrees (Los Anchorage) or a couple of days of -30-ish (Squarebanks), that's enough cold for the vehicle to lose any semblance of warmth.

...and I've never had a problem with DEF due to freezing / expansion. Also FWIW, my F550 plow truck regularly sits from end of May to early November: When I remember, I put a tender on it (I have a Schumacher model) but have never had an issue either way regarding battery charge.

...course, since it makes no sense to have an asset like that sitting for 1/3 of the year, I recently sold it....

[Grit_dog]

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?

Don’t leave it open to air.
No freezing issue either. What do you think happens where it gets cold? They freeze every time the truck isn’t running for x number of hours or days. And thaw out once the truck is running and the tank heater turns on.
Fwiw, the Dodges will only overflow from freezing if filled up literally 100% full up into the filler neck.

[Cummins12V98]

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!!!

[Fisherman]

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

[SweetLou]

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?

[Cummins12V98]

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.