A couple questions about winterizing. I have had a travel trailer in the past but this is my first class A. I winterized all the lines and took the batteries out. I would like to start the generator every month or so while it?s being stored but the generator runs off my coach batteries. Is there a way to start the generator without having to hook the batteries back up or have it plugged in? Second question, should I put stabil in the gas tank while it?s sitting over the winter. The guy I bought it from never winterized it so he was no help when I asked him. Thanks for your time!!!!
Winterization question
- Thread starter CCCfarm
- Start date
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Mark_K5LXP
Well-known member
The generator needs a battery to start from. Doesn't have to be the actual house batteries though, some other battery you have on hand that can source adequate current, like a car, marine or truck battery should fire it off. It should not have to be plugged in to AC to test the generator, otherwise what would be the point of having a generator.
Stabil is a good idea until you figure out you need about $50 worth to treat an RV tank. I nixed that in favor of just filling up the tank to full with the idea there's little room for air to oxidize and for moisture to condense. I don't have any way to qualify the end result other than in the spring the RV starts and the gas in it from the end of the previous season gets me down the road until I can use it up, and refill with fresh. I've gotten into the habit of using Stabil in my standby genset but so far the RV has fared OK by just keeping the tank full to the top over the winter. For extended storage periods I would probably entertain the idea of Stabil more but for winter storage here I seem to be able to get by without it.
Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM
Stabil is a good idea until you figure out you need about $50 worth to treat an RV tank. I nixed that in favor of just filling up the tank to full with the idea there's little room for air to oxidize and for moisture to condense. I don't have any way to qualify the end result other than in the spring the RV starts and the gas in it from the end of the previous season gets me down the road until I can use it up, and refill with fresh. I've gotten into the habit of using Stabil in my standby genset but so far the RV has fared OK by just keeping the tank full to the top over the winter. For extended storage periods I would probably entertain the idea of Stabil more but for winter storage here I seem to be able to get by without it.
Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM
Personally, I am a fan of Stabil. $10 of a 32oz at Walmart, treats 80 gallons. I always treated at the end of last trip when I had a Class C, and ran it through the engine a few miles. I guess if it was 2-3 months, maybe not, but I went from Mid Oct to Mid May. Do fill the tank with gas, it will reduce the rust you can get inside.
Batteries, as said above, you gotta do something. But a spare battery and jumper cables should work. I'm not certain if you should run straight from your everyday car to generator with jumper cables?
Batteries, as said above, you gotta do something. But a spare battery and jumper cables should work. I'm not certain if you should run straight from your everyday car to generator with jumper cables?
John From Detroit
Well-known member
CCCfarm said:
YES... Though you need not use this one (mine is only a 900 amp peak but I found this faster).
I do recommend 900 amps minimum
Jump Start Battery at Autozone
HappyWanderer
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 21, 2014
- Posts
- 2,967
I use Stabil in everything, including the motorhome. Adding it at the last fill-up of the season, then running the generator for a while.
When you exercise the generator, run it under a load for at least on hour. Don?t fire it up for 15 minutes and then shut it down.
When you exercise the generator, run it under a load for at least on hour. Don?t fire it up for 15 minutes and then shut it down.
JD Sharp
Well-known member
No need to disconnect coach batteries if you are going to run generator every month as you will be charging them while exercising generator. Remember to check battery fluid levels regularly.
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
As SpencerPJ said, 32 oz of Stabil Storage treats 2.5 x 32 = 80 gallons of gas, so about $10 for a typical gas chassis motorhome with its 75 gallon tank. Nowhere near $50.
For a diesel coach, one $18, 32 oz bottle of Stabil Diesel treats 320 gallons, so less that 1/2 a bottle (most diesel coaches have 100-150 gallon tanks).
For a diesel coach, one $18, 32 oz bottle of Stabil Diesel treats 320 gallons, so less that 1/2 a bottle (most diesel coaches have 100-150 gallon tanks).
Utclmjmpr
Well-known member
Sea Foam is also a very good fuel stabilizer..>>>Dan
It is, but 1 can treats 16 gallons, that can get a bit expensive on an RV. You can buy it by the gallon as well. I run it through my older motorcycle a few times a year. Not sure what cleans better, Seafoam or Lucas Fuel Treatment.Utclmjmpr said:
scottydl
Site Team
Depending on your storage situation, another great thing to do during the off-season is to drive/exercise the MH every month or so. Warm up the tires, belts, fluids, and everything else that moves. In addition to keeping everything fluid, it limits your surprises when Spring arrives... since you've been involved with the rig several times over the winter.
D
Dan23
Guest
Regarding stored gas, consider K100. It comes in different versions for diesel, gas and marine gas, maybe more. It's about $25. Half a bottle treated what I thought was in my MH, leaving more for other stuff in my collection. Available at parts stores, but probably not at the crappy ones like AutoZone.
https://k-100.com/
If you want to run the generator, you can just disconnect the negative cable. I'm not going to run mine until early spring. To exercise it, you are supposed to run it under load. If an RV generator engine can't sit a couple months without damage, then Onan ought to have done a better job building it, in light of the fact that I own a Massey-Harris tractor with a Continental engine that is now sixty-six years old, sits without starting for months on end, did not even have the advantage of modern multi-grade or even detergent oils for the first twenty years of it's life, yet works hard as hell when it is run and has today the compression of a brand new engine. I also have a Honda industrial engine, three motorcycle engines, outboard motors, car and truck engines that sit without special care, then start and run without issue. IMHO, the requirement that generator engines (and, for that matter RV diesel engines) need regular starting and TLC is pure RV industry bull crap to make consumers think any problems are their fault, not the poor design and quality the industry pumps out and over-charges consumers. But, do as you wish.
https://k-100.com/
If you want to run the generator, you can just disconnect the negative cable. I'm not going to run mine until early spring. To exercise it, you are supposed to run it under load. If an RV generator engine can't sit a couple months without damage, then Onan ought to have done a better job building it, in light of the fact that I own a Massey-Harris tractor with a Continental engine that is now sixty-six years old, sits without starting for months on end, did not even have the advantage of modern multi-grade or even detergent oils for the first twenty years of it's life, yet works hard as hell when it is run and has today the compression of a brand new engine. I also have a Honda industrial engine, three motorcycle engines, outboard motors, car and truck engines that sit without special care, then start and run without issue. IMHO, the requirement that generator engines (and, for that matter RV diesel engines) need regular starting and TLC is pure RV industry bull crap to make consumers think any problems are their fault, not the poor design and quality the industry pumps out and over-charges consumers. But, do as you wish.
D
Dan23
Guest
Oh, while on this topic, one more thing I did not cover about winterizing RVs: I recently blew out the lines of my MH because of potential freeze damage. However, on my house--which I built myself-- I can just turn off the water, open one valve and walk away for the winter. I don't have to blow out my lines and can confidently restart the system in the spring with never a problem in the past forty years. But the RV industry builds in problems and blames the consumer. Thank you for listening, lol.
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
Your RV has low point drains too. If you are a gambler, try it.
Mark_K5LXP
Well-known member
Here's where I came up with that $50 figure.
According to the Stabil directions, you use 1oz of Stabil per 2.5 gallons. My RV has a 75 gallon tank, so that's 30 oz of Stabil. I have an 8oz bottle of Stabil in the garage for my genset. Price on it is $8.95. So that would require four bottles of Stabil, with tax is just shy of $40. Yes, that's not $50 and maybe in quart or gallon bottles it gets cheaper, but this was the estimation that ran through my head when I contemplated winterization. I had no idea Wally World had 32oz bottles for nearly the same price I paid at some point for an 8oz bottle (I clearly don't go through a lot of this stuff). So I stand corrected, for $10 or so there's no reason to not treat the RV tank.
Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM
According to the Stabil directions, you use 1oz of Stabil per 2.5 gallons. My RV has a 75 gallon tank, so that's 30 oz of Stabil. I have an 8oz bottle of Stabil in the garage for my genset. Price on it is $8.95. So that would require four bottles of Stabil, with tax is just shy of $40. Yes, that's not $50 and maybe in quart or gallon bottles it gets cheaper, but this was the estimation that ran through my head when I contemplated winterization. I had no idea Wally World had 32oz bottles for nearly the same price I paid at some point for an 8oz bottle (I clearly don't go through a lot of this stuff). So I stand corrected, for $10 or so there's no reason to not treat the RV tank.
I think that has more to do with ethanol in the fuel promoting water and subsequent corrosion and gunk more than a design deficiency. Any small engine device I've owned over the years I've had to deal with effects from storage, no matter who made it. It's easier to run the machine once in a while to get some fresh fuel through the system than deal with a teardown to clean it up.Dan23 said:
Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM
John From Detroit
Well-known member
The problem with generators is not so much the engine as the generator.. The slip rings need to be "Polished" from time to time and the monthly run does this. they are bare metal and thus they tarnish if not polished regularry.
Also there are electronic things Like Capacitors (Also called condensers) that need the occasional re-fresh or they change value.
The first portable Genny I bought had a very nasty output at first. but after a tank of gas ran through it the Cap's and re-formed and it was clean (less than 3%THD or Total Harmonic Distortion) and played nice with soem downline electroincs that complained out of the box.
Alas. it grew legs.. Nice genny. Just enough to charge my batteries (Generac 1000)
Also there are electronic things Like Capacitors (Also called condensers) that need the occasional re-fresh or they change value.
The first portable Genny I bought had a very nasty output at first. but after a tank of gas ran through it the Cap's and re-formed and it was clean (less than 3%THD or Total Harmonic Distortion) and played nice with soem downline electroincs that complained out of the box.
Alas. it grew legs.. Nice genny. Just enough to charge my batteries (Generac 1000)
I have never had luck with Stabil or Seafoam. Instead, what I do is run non-oxy (0% ethanol) fuel for the last trip of the season. I have never had an issue and have never had to rebuild carbs or fuel pumps on any of my small engines (chainsaw, snow blower, lawn mower, etc) since I started running non-oxy fuel. I only use e10 in my MH in the summer while it is getting used every few months.
When it comes to batteries, I just disconnect them so they don't draw, but I leave them in the MH. As long as they are stored with a full charge, they will be fine all winter.
Regarding the water system, I blow them out with air and pump them with RV antifreeze. Although in colder climates, just blowing them out is probably safer. Last year, it got as low as -60F and that's pushing it for even premium antifreeze if it gets diluted at all. At least with air, there is some room for any residual water to expand when it freezes, so it doesn't break hoses or fittings.
When it comes to batteries, I just disconnect them so they don't draw, but I leave them in the MH. As long as they are stored with a full charge, they will be fine all winter.
Regarding the water system, I blow them out with air and pump them with RV antifreeze. Although in colder climates, just blowing them out is probably safer. Last year, it got as low as -60F and that's pushing it for even premium antifreeze if it gets diluted at all. At least with air, there is some room for any residual water to expand when it freezes, so it doesn't break hoses or fittings.
D
Dan23
Guest
John From Detroit said:
Thanks for the reply. Including the RV, I have three generators. The RV one is the only one asking for regular use. The two others sit for long periods without use and I've had no problems with them.
D
Dan23
Guest
Gary RV_Wizard said:
I am not a gambler. I drained as per the owner manual. Still...
The cover goes on next. supposedly it arrives tomorrow. Unfortunately, the weather amy not cooperate with installing it. So I'll have to wait. This is my first time having to winterize this RV and arose unexpectedly.
I agree the batteries should last all winter disconnected but if you have a safe warm place to store them (I guess they should be vented) then you will probably get more life out of them. Also, if you can keep them charged they will likely last longer. follow all safety stuff, of course.
