General Boards > General Discussion

Procedures in putting coach on winter storage

<< < (3/4) > >>

Steve Huber:
Richard,
Your call. I use it any time my coach is going to be sitting for about a month. I'd rather be safe than sorry. If I remember correctly, you get a bit of rain in south GA (hi Rh) in the winter. Stabil helps reduce water in fuel.
Steve

Richard Cooper:
Now it seems I have a new problem.  See the first photo above in the original post.  It looks to me like you could back into the open space at an angle and swing into it with back and forth movement.  The manager told me today that these storage units were not built for the purpose of motorhomes, yet the space inside is 15' x 50' with high ceilings and high door clearance.  He says there is not 40 feet of space between the fronts of these and the smaller ones across from them.

I guess I have to go over there in my car and see for myself.  But maybe I can't wiggle my rig into one of the spaces, but maybe someone else could.  

Gosh, I need indoor storage for the next 3 months and I don't want to have to drive to Florida to get it.  My next trip will be from Alabama on Interstate 10 going west.

Edward Buker:
I believe that CAT does not really endorse additives to the fuel except in cases of high levels of moisture being available and warmer storage temperatures where algea might grow. That can occur in an RV but it is a much more prevalent problem in a marine environment. For three months of storage, in the winter time I would not be concerned about this issue. Keep the fuel tank full and you will not have a condensation issue which is the best prevention.

I understand Stabil for gasoline ageing issues but diesel can be stored for a year without degradation, so the real issue is moisture and if you need a biocide or not. I do not think that this Stabil for diesel has a biocide in it. It indicates that it helps remove water that supports the growth of algae which means you have to run Stabil through your engine along with any water droplets. Frankly I do not want any water passing through filters and the injection system, I would rather have it seperated out  by the filter system. Stabil may break the water down into such minute droplets that it will pass through the system. I'm not sure how this Stabil system works but I thought that biocide vs non biocide for the storage was a good question and if Stabil was the right product.

I am not knocking Stabil, I use it in my small gasoline engine fuel and my gas powered boat all the time and in that case it is surely needed.

http://www.amazon.com/Sta-Bil-22254-Stabilizer-Performance-Improver/dp/B0030553CC/ref=pd_sxp_grid_pt_1_0

Later Ed

Keith Oliver:
FWIW

My boat stores up to 600 gal of diesel.  Last year we didn't go out from October 1 to June 1.  At the end of the season I had over 1/2 a tank left.  That fuel sat there undisturbed all winter.  I usually fill up in the fall, but didn't get to it last fall, so it sat there with  lots of opportunity for condensation.  Condensation provides the media for algae growth.  I haven't had any trouble with algae at any time in the past 18 years that I have owned this boat, but I always feel better when my tanks are left full.
I have never added Stabil.  In the early years I added some Biobor, but when I failed to do so, I didn't have any issues, so discontinued the practice.

Steve Huber:
Just spoke with CAT. Rep would not say anything pro or con re Stabil for long term storage from CAT's perspective. However, they did recommend changing the oil just prior to storage, as older oil will tend to have/draw soot and contaminants that will collect and then get circulated upon start-up. Fresh oil is much less likely to do this. I asked the rep if he would use Stabil in his own coach, and he said no, as CAT had some additives including a biocide that were more effective.
Steve

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page

[*] Previous page