Laying-Up Motorhomes : Wisdom of Occassional Engine Running.

[Frank McAuley]

I have recently had DPF and EGR problems with my Fiat-based motorhome during trips to France which resulted in "enforced" stoppages awaiting parts.My learning from these episodes has been the neccessity to ensure the engine is taken into an adequate "rpm range" to avoid the sooting-up of these units; I have also considered having these units removed but the vehicle is still covered by warranty so I'm reluctant.

I have been consulting this site recently re winterising the motorhome but I have noticed one procedure that has been continually raised with which I have difficulty,viz: starting and running the engine for relatively short periods of time! I observed this practice in a previous mhome and I feel that contributed to the DPF and possibly,the EGR failure!

Perhaps it is better to leave the engine unless it is "adequately exercised" on an open dry/salt free road?

 

Your valued views please.

[Brian Kirby]

Frank McAuley - 2012-11-09 11:22 AM....................Perhaps it is better to leave the engine unless it is "adequately exercised" on an open dry/salt free road?

 

Your valued views please.

IMO, whether equipped with DPF or catalyst the implication of your para above is correct. Running it in neutral doesn't exercise it it merely warms it up. Both catalysts and DPF's seem to need real heat to stay healthy, and an engine running at no load doesn't generate sufficient exhaust heat to get either to their optimum temperature.

 

Beyond that, running the engine with the vehicle static doesn't use the gears, tyres, hubs, drive shafts, oil and grease seals, brakes, dampers, or any other odd mechanical bits, and it doesn't properly ventilate the engine bay to dry it out. It also usefully get the heater going, so its fan gets a bit of exercise. If your van is parked in a heated shed on an electric hook up, fine, leave it totally idle, but if parked outdoors, even under cover, I think it needs to be driven 20 or so miles (and "wound up" a bit, once it is thoroughly warmed up) about once per month.

 

There is no rigid rule to this, so weather can be taken into account. I do not take ours for "a walk" if the roads are wet and salty, as this merely causes other problems when it is subsequently parked wet and salt encrusted. Dry roads are ideal, but salt-free is, IMO, essential, which means to me after it has rained to wash off the worst of the salt, and ideally with the roads at least predominantly dry. So, if it goes six weeks somewhere to avoid bad road conditions, I think that the lesser of the evils.

 

Doing this will also get the DPF and/or catalyst good and hot, which is what most seem to need to regenerate adequately.

[Colin Leake]

I agree with you Brian and we do indeed take our out for a run at the very least once a month. Only problem is that my wife gets to decide where we should take it and that inevitably ends up spending money that would not otherwise have been spent!

 

Having said that money spent on just fuel will be well spent in respect of tyre life. The rubber contains chemicals and oils designed to protect against UV degration. If the tyres are not run this will migrate away from the surface and lead to surface cracking. Tyre experts reckon the difference between tyres that are regularly run and those left standing can be as much as three years.

[flicka]

One tip I was given regarding the "monthly" run for Euro 5 engines.

Start of on "A" or "B" roads to get the engine nice & warm, before a blast down the motorway / dual carriageway back home ( if possible).

 

 

 

[dikyenfo]

After about 30 miles I find a road without much traffic and run in 3rd gear up to governor cut-in and hold it for a while. This ensurers full heat in the pipes and removes any crud build-up. Also run with taps open and all drain valves as the rocking and vibration removes any trapped water and remember to give the pump a short blast to ensure water collection points are cleared in the pump itself.

[Derek Uzzell]

Colin Leake - 2012-11-09 6:57 PM

 

...Having said that money spent on just fuel will be well spent in respect of tyre life. The rubber contains chemicals and oils designed to protect against UV degration. If the tyres are not run this will migrate away from the surface and lead to surface cracking. Tyre experts reckon the difference between tyres that are regularly run and those left standing can be as much as three years.

 

Can you provide a reference to this advice, please?

 

On-line advice on UV-related damage to tyres usually seems to be on the following lines:

 

"As well as wearing out in use, tyres degrade naturally through exposure to heat, sunlight (Ultraviolet/UV) and rain. The amount of damage depends on the exposure and the severity of the weather.

 

Damage through ageing is more common with caravans, trailers and other vehicles only used occasionally. Tyres will normally wear out before they become unserviceable due to ageing.

 

Check for signs of cracking on the sidewalls of tyres four or five years old if your car is parked outside and get them replaced if cracking is severe. Any tyre specialist will be able to give you advice if you're not sure."

 

While received wisdom is that having a vehicle sit completely immobile for long periods with its full weight on its tyres may well result in damage to the tyres' structure, I've never come across advice that regularly driving a vehicle will increase tyre life by as much as 3 years as opposed to the vehicle being immobile for extended periods.

 

I could accept that having a motorhome static in the sun for several months overwintering in Spain probably won't do the tyres any good. However, if a motorhome is overwintering in the UK and just being driven for a few miles once per month, I'm unconvinced that doing this will make any difference regarding UV-related tyre degradation.

 

(Putting the tyre issue aside, for vehicles with air conditioning the manufacturers will often advise that the system should be operated regularly. In the case of my Transit Mk 5, Ford advises a minimum of 30 minutes operation per month.)

[thebishbus]

This is a catch 22 situation with newer vans, fortunately for me my old vehicle is not affected .Those of us that lay our vans up over the winter months cannot take them on the road, we have no tax (VED). We still need to run the engine though, if only just to keep the air-con seals lubricated , then run the risk of clogging up the exhaust system. So far mine has survived all those years doing this.

Brian B.

[Mike88]

From November to March mine stays on the drive. I even keep in taxed as I have every intention of using it in the winter but never do. I might charge the batteries occasionally but I do have a solar panel. Never had a problem in 7 years of Transit ownership and 2 years of Fiat ownership.

 

I have just left Spain where many overwinter and their vans don't move either nor are started.

 

I can't help feeling that starting the engine and running it for a few minutes does more harm than good.

[Frank McAuley]

I think I'm convinced that,providing the mhome is stored in a fairly warm and less humid enviroment, it's better leaving it hooked up and stationary- without starting the engine!

That being said, another issue appears: what about the habitation and cab air conditioning units,viz bacteria and seal failure? It's possible to run the habitation unit off the hook up but what about the cab unit?

 

[Wooie]

Regarding the situation with tyres.

 

Is this the reason why you see so many American RVs with the wheels and tyres covered up ?

 

I was under the assumption they did this because they are " Parked / Pitched Up " for long

periods at a time and covering the wheels and tyres stops or at least considerably slows

down the suns UV effect on the tyres.

 

Regards.

 

Graham.

[Colin Leake]

Derek Uzzell - 2012-11-10 9:32 AM

 

Colin Leake - 2012-11-09 6:57 PM

 

...Having said that money spent on just fuel will be well spent in respect of tyre life. The rubber contains chemicals and oils designed to protect against UV degration. If the tyres are not run this will migrate away from the surface and lead to surface cracking. Tyre experts reckon the difference between tyres that are regularly run and those left standing can be as much as three years.

 

Can you provide a reference to this advice, please?

 

On-line advice on UV-related damage to tyres usually seems to be on the following lines:

 

"As well as wearing out in use, tyres degrade naturally through exposure to heat, sunlight (Ultraviolet/UV) and rain. The amount of damage depends on the exposure and the severity of the weather.

 

Damage through ageing is more common with caravans, trailers and other vehicles only used occasionally. Tyres will normally wear out before they become unserviceable due to ageing.

 

Check for signs of cracking on the sidewalls of tyres four or five years old if your car is parked outside and get them replaced if cracking is severe. Any tyre specialist will be able to give you advice if you're not sure."

 

While received wisdom is that having a vehicle sit completely immobile for long periods with its full weight on its tyres may well result in damage to the tyres' structure, I've never come across advice that regularly driving a vehicle will increase tyre life by as much as 3 years as opposed to the vehicle being immobile for extended periods.

 

I could accept that having a motorhome static in the sun for several months overwintering in Spain probably won't do the tyres any good. However, if a motorhome is overwintering in the UK and just being driven for a few miles once per month, I'm unconvinced that doing this will make any difference regarding UV-related tyre degradation.

 

(Putting the tyre issue aside, for vehicles with air conditioning the manufacturers will often advise that the system should be operated regularly. In the case of my Transit Mk 5, Ford advises a minimum of 30 minutes operation per month.)

 

I think the information came from Michalin but I can't recall where I found it or even be certain that it came from them rather than some other manufacturer. Covering the tyres up will help improve the situation especially if they are exposed to direct sunlight. When we had a caravan it used to be parked against a wall with the other side exposed to direct sunlight. I only used to cover the exposed wheel.

 

When we used to race model cars the man (sadly no longer alive) who used to make our specialist wet weather tyres used to advice us never to leave them exposed to direct sunlight as it would degrade the rather exotic rubber from which they were made. We used to sell dry weather tyres track side on display in clear bags but the wets were in sealed bags in boxes. On one occasion at a World Championship race in Holland the Americans were so impressed with the performance of the wets they bought our entire stock at the end of the meeting. I learned later they Vacume Packed them in black plastic bags and kept them in cold storage because they believed they were specials we had for the championship that are different from the ones we normally sold!

[Guest pelmetman]

Naturally most of the advice here only applies to new vans re hairing down the motorway once a month :D.....................Us older vehicles just need a regular bit of motion to stop bits seizing up ;-)