Question on Winter Storing a Diesel Pusher

[clintonmotor]

To all you professional RV'rs, I have a couple of questions on winter storage in Michigan.

1999 Monaco Windsor - Just purchased a couple of months ago. I am getting the water system winterized by a local RV shop in my town.

Questions:

1. Should I extend the jacks and get the weight off the tires for the winter?

2. Should I remove the batteries or leave them in and plug the bus into a 50amp circuit all winter?

3. Mice? Moth balls, Fabric softner sheets? How do you keep the cridders out.

4. Fridge, Baking soda and leave the doors open?

5. We are removing all blankets, towels and etc.

6. Engine- does it hurt the 8.3 to sit all winter or should I start it periodically, note I will have to plug it in to warm up the block.

7. Do you dump the Airbags or let them settle down themselve. 8 airbag suspension.

8. Anything else ?

Please respond we are covering it for the winter and leaving it outside, this winter, we will store indoors next year, we are starting construction

for a new shelter for this coach.

Thanks, Phil Barr - Michigan

[Guest BillAdams]

I don't know about jacks but I would think you should roll the coach onto some plywood and leave the jacks stowed.

If you are only going to stow for the 3 Winter months I would leave the batteries in and on a charge. If you are going to be out of commission for 6 months I would be sure they are fully charged and remove then to a warm location and do nothing with them.

I would be sure the fridge was off and leave the door open. Nothing else.

Do NOT start the engine unless you are ready to take the coach on a long drive. "Warming" the engine is bad. Fully heating the engine with a nice drive of a 100 miles or so would be a good thing.

The time that the coach will be continually stored makes a difference. Personally, I prefer to blow out the water systems rather than add anti-freeze but you will want to add anti-freeze to all of the drains (don't forget the washer) no matter what winterizing procedure you follow.

As a full-timer it's always hard to hear about folks having to store their coaches. We did this when we first started RVing in '94 and it was always a very sad day when we had to cover her up. We are parked beside our house so any excuse we could find would put us on the road again. One year we even busted out of a 24" snow drift just to drive 3 hours south to pick up Janet's mother and bring her back for the Christmas holiday. We took her home by car but it was fun to just get the coach back on the road.

[garykd]

Hi Phil,

When I lived up North this is how I would answer your questions:

1. Should I extend the jacks and get the weight off the tires for the winter?

Leave the jacks stored. Put the tires on wood, plastic, etc. Do not leave them on concrete, grass or dirt.

2. Should I remove the batteries or leave them in and plug the bus into a 50amp circuit all winter?

Fully charge the batteries and let them stay in the coach. Plug the coach into shore power if a trickle charge capability is available.

3. Mice? Moth balls, Fabric softener sheets? How do you keep the critters out.

If you have had a history of critter problems, then ad a deterrent you think best. They all work, sometimes, and not all work with all critters. If you have not had the problem, then do nothing.

4. Fridge, Baking soda and leave the doors open?

Turn the fridge off, clean the inside and leave the door open.

5. We are removing all blankets, towels and etc.

This is personal preference. All our stuff stays in the coach.

6. Engine- does it hurt the 8.3 to sit all winter or should I start it periodically, note I will have to plug it in to warm up the block.

Change the oil and filter. Change the fuel filters too. Let the engine sit idle until you are ready to use the coach again.

7. Anything else ?

Don't forget the generator. Do the same for it that you do for the engine.

[Jon796]

Keep the fuel tank full to cut down on the condensation in the tank.

[wolfe10]

Keep the fuel tank full to cut down on the condensation in the tank.

Full, and I would add a Biocide since the fuel will be stored over 3 months.

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/store...9&langId=-1

And I know Michelin recommends in writing to inflate the tires to the max PSI shown on the sidewall while in storage. Be sure to re-set to correct PSI when you "de-winterize".

Brett

[clintonmotor]

Thanks to all that have replied. I only have 400miles on the engine oil and filter, and the diesel fuel filters. Thanks so much.

[clintonmotor]

I forgot to ask about the Airbags. Do you leave them alone and let them leak down on there own. OR, dump the bags? Thanks.