storage - RV-Dreams Community Forum

jonesy · RV-Dreams Community Member

storage

Second Chance · RV-Dreams Family Member

You don't say whether the RV is gas or diesel. With diesel, there are a couple of issues: 1) if a partial tank sits for a long period over the winter, water can (or will) condense in the tank and contaminate the fuel. 2) diesel degrades over time and can grow algae - which would support the approach of completely emptying the tank... not such an easy task, either. I don't know much about storing gas vehicles.

Rob

bjoyce · RV-Dreams Family Member

There are additives for both kind of engines to stop problems while storing. With diesel, the additives stop algae growth and it is a good idea to have the tank as full as possible for the reasons Second Chance said. With gas, the additives keep the chemical makeup stable and a full tank won't hurt. Auto parts stores will have the additives.

But if you are only storing a few months, 3 or 4, you should not have any problems doing nothing but having the tank fairly full.

Bill and Linda · RV-Dreams Family Member

As Bill J and Rob mentioned, the condensation issue is a real one. In the airplane world we would always leave the tanks full when putting in the hanger even for short periods. As you may know, fuel is checked for water in aircraft via a sump drain before every flight. It was amazing how much water would accumulate even over a relatively short period of time. So full would be my recommendation along with appropriate additives if going beyond say 3 months. While I am not an "additive adder" in mindset, I do think it is a good idea if longer storage is required. Also, should you consider going to the vehicle to "start it" occasionally, I caution if you do this to get the engine to temperature before shutting down. Brief starts can cause issues with poor lubrication especially in colder temps. A battery trickle charger is good thing for long periods. If that is not possible then removal of the battery, if practical, to a warmer storage room with a trickle charger is not a bad idea.

My opinions.

Acheron2010 · RV-Dreams Family Member

I recommend a full tank. Depending on how long your storage period is, you should take a sample before you use the RV again. If you see algae, you can rig up a dual fuel filter manifold mounted to a scrap piece of wood with a 12V fuel pump, and cycle your fuel through these filters and back to your tank. Couple of Racor filters and you can eliminate the algae, water and any particles, and have confidence in your fuel for that first time startup.