Full time, long time parking maintenance

[Sean Donohue]

We recently moved and will be living in our rig for an extended period of time, 3-6 months.  Are there any maintenance items I should be doing or watching?  Should I run the motor and at what interval?  Should I re-level every so often? We are in the Northwest and setup for cold weather and we are experienced with cold weather, so that is not a concern.

Thanks in advance for all input.

[Gerald Farris]

Sean,
I do not see the need to run the engine unless you drive the coach to get all systems up to operating temperature. Just starting the engine and letting it idle a few minutes every so often, I think does more harm than good.

I would fill the fuel tank before parking to lower the chance of condensation in the tank causing microbial growth (algae). I would also check the batteries on a regular interval to be sure that the house batteries are properly watered and the "Bird" system is maintaining the charge state on the chassis batteries.

Gerald

[Sean Donohue]

I topped off the tank before we arrived and have 20 gals on hand to replenish with as Aquahot uses it up. We have three solar panels on top, but will check the water levels, thanks for that tip. Tire and AC covers are on and I am using the extend-a-stay.

[Edward Buker]

You did not say if you will be plugged into a power source for 120V. I will assume that you will be and in that case it would be good to run the generator once a month for about an hour under load. Let the Aquahot cool a bit by turning off the burner and breaker to the heating element. Turn the heating element back on after a couple of minutes of generator warm up time, and then add a portable space heater or two into the mix or some other devices to create a decent load.

If you are off the grid, then the generator problem will take care of itself. Choose a dry day and do not short the run time by too much. The generator needs to be at temperature for awhile to drive out moisture and by choosing a dry day you will reduce the condensation that will form during the cool down cycle. Take the heavy loads off the generator for the last 5 minutes of run time before you shut it down. I know this seems like a pain in the rear, but the reality is that most generator problems are caused by lack of use. This exercise of the generator is far less expensive in the long run then the cost of repairs, that the lack of use causes. This is easy maintenance, no getting dirty on this one....

Later Ed  

[Sean Donohue]

Thanks Ed, good input

[Jerry Carr]

Hi Sean, don't forget to cover the wheels and add a good coat of wax on the roof!

[Richard Cooper]

I topped off the tank before we arrived and have 20 gals on hand to replenish with as Aquahot uses it up. We have three solar panels on top, but will check the water levels, thanks for that tip. Tire and AC covers are on and I am using the extend-a-stay.

Just how much diesel does the Aquahot use?  What do you mean by AC covers are on and using the extend-a-stay?

What are the temps where you are now -- lows and highs?

[Joel Ashley]

Richard, the AquaHot runs similar to the generator - about a half gallon per hour, but give or take depending on demand or electric element augmentation.

Sean means his roof Air Conditioners (AC) have protective covers over them as do his tires, and Extend-A-Stay is a propane system attachment that can be used for adding auxilliary tanks so he doesn't have to break camp to go get his onboard tank refilled.  If you dry camp a lot, the refer and stove would eventually run you out of propane, but if the refer has park power available most of the time, your propane supply will last a very long while;  our 6 month trip this summer barely used a quarter tank, if that.

Joel

[Richard Cooper]

I had no idea the Aquahot was so expensive to run.  

I'm in the market right now for a nice low voltage queen sized electric blanket, however.  

[Marty and Suzie Schenck]

Richard, I lived in my motorhome for six months in the winter of 2008 (oct.-march). Night time temps were in the low 30's-high 20's and we had two weeks of heavy snow (10-14in.). When I was in it the temp was set at 70 and when I went to work or was away at home the temp was set at 60. I had 50 amp power but when both the electric and diesel burner are turned on the diesel burner takes priority when heat is called for. I filled the tank two blocks from the campground when I parked it. Six months later when I left I filled it there again. It only took 35 gallons. Now thats not too bad  when you can use both diesel and eletricity. I should say, whenever possible, I did turn the diesel burner off when the electric element could keep up with demand.

Marty

[Bill Sprague]

I had no idea the Aquahot was so expensive to run.  

Fuel for the HydroHot is insignificant in the accounting after the costs of depreciation, insurance, maintenance, interest (if you have a loan), camping fees and license renewal.  

If you don't run it regularly and frequently, the fuel cost will be insignificant compared to the repair costs too!

[Sean Donohue]

All good input, the info on the Aquahot is interesting to me. We have been running the Electric element and electric heaters... And so far so good. I am watching the electrical meter and will decide whether it is cheaper here to use the Aquahot next week. The temps here in Beaverton are not as cold as you experienced Marty, 30-40 at night and days are 40-50 so far. I am curious if anyone else has the same experience as Marty with the fuel consumption by their Aquahot...

Sean

[Gerald Burns]

I was in Colorado for 6 wks and the last three were in the low 30's every night.  Auqa hot set at 67 in the front and 64 in the back two zones plus the basement.  Used about a gallon a day.  Then was in New Mexico for three weeks and was only 4 miles from fuel to campground so I got a good read with the temps in the mid 30's every night.  Again I used a little over a gallon a day.  My unit is the 50,000 btu unit and the book says I should use .03 gal per hour of burn.  At night my burner ran approx. 6 minutes twice an hour and maybe once durning the day for hot water so I think the running pretty close to what the book says.  My coach has the factory extra insulation package and I think that helps.  

[Bill Sprague]

Somebody at the Department of Energy made the most complicated spreadsheet I've ever seen to help figure out which heating fuel to buy.

http://www.eia.gov/neic/experts/heatcalc.xls

It has every fuel in it from corn husks to diesel and propane.  

[Joel Ashley]

Bill is right about the AquaHot not being as expensive as it sounds, given the overall picture.  Forgive me if Jerry's number of .03g/hr sounds not quite right, though his experience appears to back it up.  Perhaps in warm ambient conditions with the electric element or residual engine heat assisting, but burning less than 4 oz (half a cup) in an hour under normal hot water use and even summer night time ambient conditions sounds implausible.  He must have really really great extra factory insulation.

The point is that the burner runs on demand.  The demand can vary all over the place, with number of people in the coach, outside ambient temps. anywhere from full summer in Phoenix to dead of winter in Saskatoon or Fairbanks, warm nights or cold, windy or no wind, mountain or sea level, whether you use an auxilliary heater inside, whether you are plugged-in or not or use the electric element, whether you use the vents a lot or crack a window, whether you use paper plates or wash dishes, whether you shower daily or once a week, and of course where you set the thermostats or if you use the heat pumps.  A half gallon per hour is a number I've heard many times from many sources over the 6 years we've had our diesel coach, and I take it for what it is... a ball-park answer to a very general and unqualified question.  

Joel