Truck and Trailer Left for 2 Years - Advice Please

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We will check/test as much as we can in our week in Vegas before heading out.
I would check the electrolyte levels in the batteries as soon as you are able and consider all of the typical annual maintenance perhaps a little bit more than normal. I predict that you will have little or no problems that are related to the storage period of the RV.

Welcome back!
 
Check the air pressure in all your tires, it's likely they lost some air while sitting. Keep your speed down for the first 5 or 10 miles to let the tires work out flat spots and to let lubricants flow to wheel bearings, etc. When I was in Los Angeles my motorhome sat in one place for 4 years, so when I moved to Pahrump I stayed on lower speed city streets until I ran out of city and was forced to take the freeway. I then went 300 miles across the desert without issue.
 
Jackie, as people have said, be cautious but don't overthink this. Take the truck out after its initial start and put a few highway speed miles on it, but if the emergency brake was used when you stored it make sure it has fully released. As others have said, check battery levels, air pressure, oil and transmission levels, etc just as you would if it were a normal removal from storage. A can of silicon spray will likely come in handy as things will probably have dried out and a quick spray will help, such things as slide rails, electric motors, jacks and such.
You should look at all the propane orifices since spiders often nest at or in them. Since you likely don't have an air compressor, a can of compressed air used to clean your keyboard would work well, use it on the fridge, hot water heater, oven, and furnace. Do it before you turn on the propane.
 
Thought I would give you all an update on our experience.

We managed to get a local guy to go and tow our truck to his shop and he removed the tank and emptied the gas and cleaned the system. He had to replace the battery too. When we arrived we had transport which was just so good. We then took the truck to the dealer and had it serviced too. It needed the oil changed in the diffs and we had that completed. The tires definitely had a few flat spots but they seem to be declining.

We were very lucky with the trailer. Everything has been working. We did get the dealer to do a systems check for safety. We had the leak in the roof repaired, they had to replace 16" of the roof so it wasn't the cheapest repair but as we wanted to make sure it didn't get any worse we bit the bullet and did it. I know we could perhaps have had it done more cheaply but the dealer will fix it if something happens so we are happy. The slide had a slight alignment done too. We replaced the batteries as they were dead and would not take a charge.

We had the bearings repacked as they were due too. The tires were at about 45psi so we blew them up and they seem fine.

Our kitchen slide has 2 slight cracks in the fibreglass which were not there when we left. Obviously the heat has caused expansion somewhere. There is a boat repairer next to our storage place and he has told us that we are not to worry about them and that he will fix them when we get back in February. Apparently it is not a big fix. Steve had a brainwave thinking about him as I am sure he will do a great job and be much cheaper than the dealer.

So all in all we are fairly happy. We know things can and do go wrong but we are back on our travels and living the good life making more memories. That is what matters.

Thanks again for all of your advice it was greatly appreciated.

Jackie - Usery Mountain State Park AZ
 
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Glad you got things running, Jackie. Hopefully everything will work out well for you. I'm hoping things will work out to let us hit Q next month so that we can finally meet in person.
 
You've gotten lots of good advise. Just basic fluid and pressure checks should be in order. Don't worry about old gas. Don't toss it. Burn some if you can, down to about half tank, replace it with fresh and you should be good to go. Some water absorbent, like Heet, won't hurt a bit. Perhaps a can of Gumout fuel injector cleaner. But otherwise just drive like normal, though first few days might need some paranoia for little glitches.

For TT check all gas appliances for blocked orifices and exhausts. Wasps love to build nests in the most hard to reach places. This past summer my front AC fan motor got so blocked by a mud dauber nest it wouldn't turn, had to break up the nest by hand.

Kevin
 
Using stabil I have had non-oxygenated fuel (no alcohol) last over 2 years and be fine even on a small engine with very small passages in the carb. A chemical engineer friend once told me that by any objective measure alcohol should be considered a pollutant in gasoline. If you used stabil and alcohol free gasoline I would assume the fuel is fine.
 
thought I would provide a wee update on things that have happened which may have been as a result of our extended storage due to Covid.

1. Truck has been going well, however, the fuel gauge is playing up so we think the fuel sender is sticking and could be due to the fuel going bad. Anyhow that will be fixed in May 2023.

2. Trailer tires were replaced May 2019 and used for 6 months. We used the trailer for 3 months 21/22 and then again for a further 4.5. We got a big shock in Moab when we noticed that 2 of the tires on passenger side were bald in one small section and both had a split. We ended up needing all bearings repacked and we had to get 4 new tires. The guy said that they had probably deteriorated with sitting for so long. He called the effect "footballing" - the straps inside the tire burst and change the shape slightly. We were lucky to spot it and worried that it was a bent axle or something else.

3. Truck tires were new in August 2019 and used for 4 months. Again we used these for 3 months 21/22 and changed these after 3.5 months in summer, they were still suffering from the flat spots so that probably didn't help. They were Wrangler kevlar tires and had not done the warranted number of miles so we got some money back for that. Changed to Toyos. Don't have the mileage at the moment but if I get it I will update.

Truck and trailer back in storage and we are back home in Scotland until next year.
 
thought I would provide a wee update on things that have happened which may have been as a result of our extended storage due to Covid.

1. Truck has been going well, however, the fuel gauge is playing up so we think the fuel sender is sticking and could be due to the fuel going bad. Anyhow that will be fixed in May 2023.

Fuel quantity sending unit and fuel pump are both integrated together, so you will be buying a new pump. Even with the extra you have to disconnect to remove the 5th wheel hitch and however it may tie to the frame, it is much easier to remove the bed, and not deal with defueling and dirt/grit under the vehicle. Bed is super easy to remove, takes an hour or less, plus some time for the hitch.

I've pulled the bed three times so far on this truck, can do it in two hours and that includes removing the LEER topper first. Removing the tank is messy, lines get pinched or kinked and discovered later down the road, stuff gets damaged........ nah. Service manager at a Chrysler dealer near me told me they pulled the tank one time after he went to work there, after that he insisted they pull the bed instead.

Don't let the shop try to gouge you on the pump replacement.

Charles
 

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We have a good guy who dropped the tank to remove fuel for us and didn't charge an arm and a leg. Steve's aware we will need a pump.

Thanks for the info though. Appreciate it.
 
we are back home in Scotland until next year.

Whereabouts? I visited Scotland a few years ago and enjoyed my tour very much. Not hard to imagine touring all that coastline and countryside for an extended period.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM
 
2. Trailer tires were replaced May 2019 and used for 6 months. We used the trailer for 3 months 21/22 and then again for a further 4.5. We got a big shock in Moab when we noticed that 2 of the tires on passenger side were bald in one small section and both had a split. We ended up needing all bearings repacked and we had to get 4 new tires. The guy said that they had probably deteriorated with sitting for so long. He called the effect "footballing" - the straps inside the tire burst and change the shape slightly.
That sort of thing can happen due to storage, but I don't think it is common. I'd keep a close eye on the tires in the future, in case there is some other cause. As a safeguard, tire manufacturers recommend over-inflating tires to avoid flat-spotting and internal cord damage. Michelin, for example, says inflate to the sidewall max load psi when storing for long periods.
 
Some tire mfgrs. say to inflate to 10 PSI over sidewall listed air pressure for long-term storage. Then reduce air pressure before using the tires.
Trailer tires should always be inflated to sidewall listed pressure for use, due to the extreme sidewall stress's involved with tandem axles.
 

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