Winter storage

[smokeater75]

Hi, everyone.

My wife, Susan, and I are totally new to RVing. We have just purchased a 2003 Monaco Windsor and have to store it until we can leave for Palm Springs in February. We have the coach outdoors in a compound and it has been winterized. The transmission, engine and generator fluids have been changed to synthetic. The antifreeze is good to -60.

I also installed a 400-watt oil pan heater on the generator. The tires are filled with nitrogen and have styrofoam pads under them. I plan on taking the coach out once a week for a hundred-mile run with the generator running so that everything should be okay when we leave.

The problem that I'm facing is that I can't run power to the coach all the time, and when it's sitting with the power off it will be flat on the air suspension. I'm assuming that this is not a good thing. Is there anything I can do?

Oh, by the way, we are in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada and in the winter it is not uncommon for the temperature to stay at -30 for one or two weeks. Thank you for any help you can offer.

[wolfe10]

Air leaking from the air suspension is quite normal over that time period and will likely cause no harm. Your chassis manual should address this, including how to store your coach for long periods of time.

Do you have jacks or just air leveling? If jacks, consider leaving them deployed when storing it. We have done that since 1993 with our coach with HWH jacks-- no problems. Again, your coach owners manual should have a suggestion on this.

And you do not need to drive the coach as frequently as once a week to keep the machinery up. In your reasonably dry climate, I would suspect once a month would be adequate. And hopefully, you will have one "nice day" a month to take your baby out to play. Now, if this is a bonding issue for YOU, I completely understand!

If you are doing this weekly just to keep the batteries up, if you don't have access to shore power, might consider solar or some other means of keeping battery voltage up. If you are on shore power and have a newer high end charger or inverter-charger, read it's owners manual on programming it. Many DO allow you to tell your charger the ambient temperature range. That way it will automatically raise voltage to more suitable values for REALLY cold temps.

And when you do start it for a drive, you are doing it right to run it long enough that the engine OIL (not just coolant) gets up to operating temperatures. We are in Texas with milder climates, so 30 miles is all I have to drive mine to get everything up to temps.

If you filled up with diesel this summer/early fall, it may be SUMMER BLEND diesel. You will absolutely need to add the appropriate amount of additive to "reformulate" your fuel for winter blend (#1 diesel added to #2 diesel) SO YOUR FUEL DOESN'T GEL!

Also, be sure to store with the diesel tank topped off to reduce condensation . Might read this topic here on the FMCA Forum: http://community.fmca.com/index.php?showtopic=661&hl=.

And if you are not going to burn that tank of diesel within 3 months I would also add a BIOCIDE to eliminate the changes of algae growth.

Brett Wolfe

[smokeater75]

Thanks Brett for the information, I did have #2 diesel in the coach but now have #1 I also put a stabilizer in. I have a hydraulic as well as air levelling system I just wasn't sure about the hydraulic jacks in the extreme cold. You were right about the bonding. I was a firefighter for 32 yrs. and this coach is a real pleasure to drive. Thank- you for your time and patients I'm sure you have answered this question many times. I am still reading the manual, its like a large phone book.

[wolfe10]

Thanks Brett for the information, I did have #2 diesel in the coach but now have #1 I also put a stabilizer in. I have a hydraulic as well as air leveling system I just wasn't sure about the hydraulic jacks in the extreme cold. You were right about the bonding. I was a firefighter for 32 yrs. and this coach is a real pleasure to drive. Thank- you for your time and patients I'm sure you have answered this question many times. I am still reading the manual, its like a large phone book.

You might check with the manufacturer of your jacks in terms of their use in extreme cold weather. If HWH, I know they are in Iowa, so expect they KNOW what cold temps do to their jacks.

Look forward to your getting down south where you can enjoy the coach.

Brett Wolfe

[bounderfreddy]

Great questions and even better great answers. Looks like I have found another great forum.

Thanks

boundfreddy