aj8one Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 how long can i leave the van before i need to turn the engine over. put the tour bus into storage today on a very frosty day whats the average lenght of days before the battery needs to be turned before a jump??? yes the alarm is armed however every thing else is turned off ragerds #alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 If I was putting van into storage i would fit a solar panel to protect the batteries. as I would not be able to give a 230v top up. I would take it for a run at least once a month to get everything moving and nice and hot. a bit of left foot braking is an idea as well (with right foot on throttle) to clear rust from brake disks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 With the alarm on you may well need to fire it up between fortnightly and monthly to prevent the battery dropping to the point where a jump start will be needed - unless a solar panel or alternative mains trickle charger is employed. Given that breaks ins and damage also occur in storage it might not be such a bad thing to check it regularly anyway? Have you drained down the water system? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hallii Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 In my humble opinion the batter (ies) are the least worry. The more important thing is to get the oil round the engine / gearbox etc and keep brakes, clutch, and all the hundreds of moving parts on a modern van moving. The vehicle should be taken for a good run and brought up to full operating temperature and operated at full throttle for short bursts and the brakes used with gusto (don't go mad). Turn the aircon on as well. To do this less than fortnightly on a vehicle costing many tens of thousands is folly. Operated commercially these vehicles regularly do in excess of 200, 000 miles without major trouble, can we expect the same sort of service from a vehicle left to stand for months on end in our damp and cold climate? I think not. Geoff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aj8one Posted December 1, 2009 Author Share Posted December 1, 2009 thanks for that alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W3526602 Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 Hi, My 1960 Land Rover broke its layshaft in April. It has been parked in my back lane ever since. Last week, we sold my son's Spitfire, which has been in my garage since the Sydney Olympics, but was started two years ago. This time, the battery was absolutely flat, but a couple of days on a trickle charger, and the engine started ...... after I had removed and emptied the fuel tank, filled with fresh petrol. Mind you, all four brakes were siezed solid, the clutch slave piston stayed down, and the clutch plate was glued to the flywheel. Rear drums removed with a puller, and front pads forced apart with a hammer and screwdriver. Oh well, it was on Ebay as a "project", known faults honestly described. It fetched over £300. I gave the Land Rover twice as long as normal on the glo-plugs, and it started without recharging the battery. I drove it into the garage in top-gear, LO-cog. Luckily it didn't need to reverse it out again. Mind you, it didn't have a theft alarm. Probably not good practice, though. ;-) I once went to buy an old Range Rover. Vendor told me he started it every fortnight. Hmmm, NO oil on dipstick! I passed on that one. In the RAF, we had to rotate tyres by 90* every three months, and leave a chalk mark to show we had done it. 602 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 hallii - 2009-12-01 11:27 AM In my humble opinion the batter (ies) are the least worry. The more important thing is to get the oil round the engine / gearbox etc and keep brakes, clutch, and all the hundreds of moving parts on a modern van moving. The vehicle should be taken for a good run and brought up to full operating temperature and operated at full throttle for short bursts and the brakes used with gusto (don't go mad). Turn the aircon on as well. To do this less than fortnightly on a vehicle costing many tens of thousands is folly. Operated commercially these vehicles regularly do in excess of 200, 000 miles without major trouble, can we expect the same sort of service from a vehicle left to stand for months on end in our damp and cold climate? I think not. Geoff This is very good advice, although the generally accepted interval is about one month. If it is just left standing for the winter you will be liable to real problems with brakes, drive belts, clutch, etc when you try to drive it.Re the battery, this depends on the drain from the alarm, the size of the battery, which battery the alarm is connected to, the condition of the battery, and its actual state of charge when you parked your van. In other words, how long is a piece of string?Is the storage area secure and manned 24/7? If yes to both, why arm the alarm? If secure and not manned 24/7, still why arm the alarm? If it goes off, who will hear it, and will they do anything about it? If insecure and unmanned, why use it?Final point: have you notified your insurer the van is in storage? Failure to do so may invalidate any claim you may have to make. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peter Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 Spot on Brian, aj8one can't you keep it outside your house and run it now and again and put it on mains hookup. That's what i do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frankkia Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 The best thing to do with your 'van in winter is --- Use it. There are still places to go both in the UK and, as we normally do, abroad. Also the sites which are still open are quieter than in the summer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jb6981 Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 I leave my van (Fiat 2.8JTD, 2006) in a secure storage depot. If I leave the alarm on the battery goes flat in a week, so I switch the alarm off, but I was still getting a flattish battery (not strong enough to start the van) after about three weeks. On the advice of the depot manager, he sees this problem all the time, I remove the the connector off the negative terminal of the battery whenever I leave the van, on the mk2 Ducato it is a grey overcenter plastic clip, you don't need any tools. Since then I have left it up to 6-7 weeks without any starting problems, although I endorse what others have said about running your van at least every month; I take mine up the motorway for at least 25 miles. You have to re-synchronize the central locking by operating it a few times but other than that once you re-connect the battery everything is fine. However, my radio is a face off type and I always remove the face completely so there is no current drain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W3526602 Posted December 2, 2009 Share Posted December 2, 2009 Hi, I have read that signals (radio?) from passing aircraft can "alert" your theft device, so that batteries near airfields go flat sooner than expected. ????? Your local accessory shop will sell you an emergency cut-off switch to isolate your battery. The idea is that you tie a piece of string to the key, and following an accident, the first bloke to arrive yanks the string to kill the electrics. I simply use mine as an anti-theft device. You can also buy battery terminals with a built in heavy duty switch. Usually there is a fused outlet, which leaves the radio connected. 602 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aj8one Posted December 2, 2009 Author Share Posted December 2, 2009 thanks again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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