I put the coach away a week ago and did all the winterization, except top up the tanks. The tank is about half full. I put diesel conditioner and bio additive in it. I am not sure whether condensation is going to be an issue in our cold dry winters in Canada but am wondering what the consequences will be if I leave it and get some condensation in the tank. What issues with starting am I going to run in to?
I have checked for mobile delivery services but they charge a minimum fuel rate ( I think I require about 90 gallons to fill) here in Canada so can I leave it??
Comments would be appreciated
Peter
Peter, I try to leave my fuel tank as full as I can before storing it or even parking it for a month or so. With a cold weather additive and biocide added to a half tank you should be OK. Run your generator with this fuel mix to make sure it is in the fuel filter and the AH as well for the same reason. If you can run the AH and the generator once a month do so. Leave the coach engine off until you are ready to drive it for 30 miles or so until it comes up to temp.
Peter,
Though in a dry climate, you have huge temperature fluctuations.
If you have "dry" air at 70 degrees F and the temperature drops to zero degrees F, two things will happen:
More outside air will be drawn into the tank as the temperature drops. Then, as the temperature rises again with the next warm front, air exits the tank. This repeats itself each heat/cool cycle. Said another way, air is exchanged-- you don't just have the moisture in the initial air to consider.
So, it is not just the air that is in the tank that is in play.
The second thing is that cold air holds less moisture, so moisture condenses. This water then goes to the bottom of the tank (water is heavier than diesel. It can NOT evaporate. Suspect this happens in your sticks and bricks house as well.
Not saying you have to fill the tank, but the more the temperature swing, the more it helps.
Were it me, I would use jerry cans to add 10 gallons at a time. Consider it coach LOVE.
Good weight training. BTW, we did this on the sailboat in many areas where our draft prevented us from approaching the fuel dock. LOTS of weight training from dock to dingy and dingy to boat deck.
Yes, this is more "best practices". Clearly, another philosophy-- "what I got away with" can be considered.
I agree that keeping the tank full is the best idea but when we parked equipment
for storage the tanks weren't filled and sometimes the equipment would be parked
for years and it didn't seemed to be a problem. We pulled the batteries and left them.
Go to any truck stop or parts house and buy some stabil for diesel. End of problem
Agree with Brett. I much prefer having a full tank in the winter because of big swings in air temp from day to night.
If it was me, I'd buy or borrow a couple 5 gallon fuel cans and make the required trips to/from fuel station until the tank is full.
But it's your coach, so DWMYH.
Sorry, don't see that "curing" water in the diesel tank.
Remember: Nature abhors a vacuum. So it works on filling any void....like a fuel tank. Maybe not enough to fill it up but enough to cause you problems.
We have stored our coach, always with the 100 gallon tank full minus what we used driving to the storage (30 miles at 9 MPG) and have never had a problem when we picked up the coach in the spring.
Of course I did the additive thing per Brett Wolfe so I could sleep well at night.
Norm,
Really glad you are able to sleep at night.
I was awake most of the night concerned about that!
Thanks for all the advice. My shoulders are currently incapable of carrying fuel tanks because of surgery but as soon as that is better will give it a shot The temp swings where I am in Canada are not that great. Once it gets cold it stays cold... 23-41 f. At the moment