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Exercising your Bus
I’ve not had to worry about exercising our bus since we’ve lived in it and drove it the last six months.
However, we are parked on the farm now until early July and, although we still live in it, I’ve not started the bus or taken it for a drive for two weeks.
What would you suggest is a good time frame to exercise the engine, seals, aux air tanks, etc. to avoid any issues?
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16 Replies
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Unless you are going to move it I see no reason to start the engine or drive it just to “exercise” it.
Starting a bus creates a lot of moisture. To get rid of that moisture it has to have everything brought up to temperature for long enough to evaporate it. It takes a long time for a coach to get the engine and transmission completely warmed up.
The seals, such as hub seals, contrary to what has often been stated don’t dry out or get flat spots. They are fully centered when installed and there are no forces acting on them when the coach sits. The only concern I have for short term inactivity is tires respond well to use, and when they sit the compounds that are distributed from the flexing that comes about while driving aren’t able to do their job. Those compounds resist aging and subsequent premature sidewall cracking. Longer term storage can cause some tire rubber compounds to flat spot, but usually after a few miles of driving that is corrected.
Short answer……..don’t do anything, but if you do, drive it for long enough to get everything from the engine to the transmission to the differential up to full operating temperature for a long enough period to drive out any moisture.
Do store it with full fuel.
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Tim, I don,t like to let it sit for more than a month. Then it,s a 20 mi loop at the least along w/gen and wabasto. Geo.
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FWIW, I tried to find information on storing coaches on the Prevost site with no success. I hate repeating unverified advice but I cannot find anything I consider more than opinion. Detroit Diesel has a bulletin regarding storage of less than 30 days and basically it calls for an oil change prior to storage. It is my opinion that is not necessary unless one is due. It says nothing about running an engine during storage.
There are professionals who have made good reccomendations with a basis in fact. Geo brings up the running of the Webasto and our friend Rudy is always reminding us of the merits of doing that because of the need to protect the nozzles from plugging.
But absent that I have no clue where any of us would find valid procedures for short or long term storage.
FWIW, we rarely use our coach in the summer. So for 26 years I park the coach usually in April or early May and do not use it again until September. If doing that, and nothing more than monitoring the batteries has done any harm I have not detected any damage. I was tempted to run it occasionally, but I was told by several people over the years not to bother unless I intended to do it for a longer distance such as 50 miles (a number likely pulled out of thin air) to get it all warmed up.
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FWIW, couldn’t find info either, so just picked an arbitrary time and miles based on conversations with people like Ben, Rick and Jeff. I’ve found that 20-25 mi gets everthing up to temp at least in FL. As far as once a mo., maybe not necessary that often, but it certainly can’t hurt. Everything is better off being used. Geo.
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I’m guessing you would suggest emtpying the holding tank and water tanks? My old plastic RV’ s had jacks so I deployed jacks taking some weight of the tires, but it always sat outside. My Prevost is inside out of the sun and rain. Fuel tank is full. Oh it’s plugged into a 50 amp to keep everything charged.
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The tire manufacturers have indicated at seminars how well our tires respond to frequent use. But they also indicated if we are storing the coach the best thing we can do to increase their useable life is to take the weight off them.
Storage is a complex issue because of various conditions under which owners store their coaches, so each owner has to determine the best compromise for their particular situation. The ideal storage is in which the coach is not exposed to the sun, is in moderate, steady temperatures, and is protected from rain, wind, snow, etc. Ideally the chassis should be supported and the air bags to be deflated so weight is off the tires.
Dump the tanks, fill with fuel, and keep the batteries fully charged at all times.
I do know from personal experience on a coach whose pneumatic system is bone dry that storage for any length of time (maybe a couple of months) may create “lazy” valves, both air valves that operate various house systems like pocket doors and floor slide, or suspension valves such as the Norgren valves. I have had to exercise them by having them work a few cycles before they operated the first time the buttons were pushed.
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FWIW, Brett Wolfe (FMCA tech advisor and regular Foretravel owners forum participant) advises not to start the engine unless the coach is going to be driven 25 miles. Getting rid of condensation created when the engine and components are not fully heated up is the reason.
We store our bus inside plugged in (not a climate controlled garage) and drive it about 25 miles every three weeks with generator, roof a/c’s and dash a/c running in the summer … alternating a/c and heat in winter if we’re home. We’re in the SC foothills so it’s a bit cooler and less humid here than farther south. More like Jon’s climate.
In storage, we’re trying out the roof air dehumidify cycle right now to see what happens but may go back to leaving a couple of windows and the roof vent open instead. Worked fine with the Foretravel with no shore power failure risk.
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tim
we full time it in our bus. When I run it, I do as Jon said, I run and drive it. Get the temps up and all systems moving. If you just start and run, you are not doing your bus any good. Put a load on the generator as well.
Airplanes fall apart when the sit, the same has to be true for our buses. Use them, move them and they’ll last.Here’s what I do. when I need to switch spots at my camp ground, I do all the tire pressure checks, belts and fluids. Then I run it up and then take her on a trip around the Army post. If I feel brave, I hop on 95 and go top off the diesel tanks.
So far she has held up well.
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Chip,
We full time it as well, except the couple months on the wife’s family farm in KS. If you’re really feeling brave, take the bus downtown on Constitution Ave. and cruise the “Mall”!
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50 Miles every month is what I do. I load up the generator and run the webasto as well. 50 is what I was told on my previous coach so I do the same route with the prevost. It’s a bit of therapy for me as well.
I keep the fresh tank full as the bus is our backup house if we loose power. We are on a well so no Power no water. It’s saved us a couple of times.
Bill
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Bill:
Guess I’ll have to add 25 miles and call it therapy. Cool. Can’t wait.
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My intended use of the Coach is as a point A to Point B with occasional stops to and from AZ. We have homes in Wisconsin and Arizona. I am tired of airplanes and want to seasonally travel between both by Coach taking 10 days to two weeks. Maybe head to Florida for January to visit friends. So, that being said, It will sit in Wisconsin in a warehouse where the temp is 75 in the summer, I can put a dehumidifier in the Coach and in the warehouse to control the humidity, (Wisconsin can be Hummid), I can install 50 amp service and have it connected. I am very willing to take the Coach out and “excercise” the Rig anytime in the summer, take it out for two three day run to Northern Wisconsin to visit golfing buddies. In Arizona the winter will be dry and stored in outdoor covered storage. I do not know if the storage facilities have 50 amp service and need to check that out before the actually purchase. But after unloading the food at our house and the tons of the wife’s luggage, I will empty the gray and black tanks, top off the water and fuel and drive it to storage. Again I can take the Coach out and drive to Las Vegas and Palm Springs for weekend “excercising”. Beyond all this what suggestion would give to me for things to think about before purchase. Thanks Michael
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Michael I do pretty much what you’ve outlined. Once a month if we’re don’t have an immediately trip coming up, I’ll fire the coach up and drive a triangular route that is about 50 to 60 miles. Much of it on I-43 north and then back on STH 57 south to home. Easy drive, hardly any stop signs or lights, lots of room, light to moderate traffic.
In the summer store it outside 75 feet from the house on a dedicated concrete pad with a full tank of fresh water, the single waste tank empty, plugged into 50amp with the shades pulled, water pump OFF, water heater OFF, the Cruise-Airs set to 82*F A/C mode, bay heaters “OFF”. I do leave the 12volt and 24volt chassis masters “ON” despite Jeff Rowe telling me to turn them off if the coach will sit (I think) for more than 24 or 48 hours (I’m either lazy or forget, can’t remember which). When I do get ready for a trip I turn the ignition on to check the voltage of the chassis batteries (more than 24 volts? If not I’ll turn on the Guest charger … has happened ONLY once that I must have left something on, neighbors are pretty good about calling to tell me when I leave lights on), dump the water and refill it (I don’t like having a low/empty fresh tank, don’t want to go on a trip with 30 day old water in the tank), do a safety check, after I pull away from the parking place to hook up the toad, I check for any unexpected oil, grease, fluid, coolant leaks, and I’m ready to go.
In the winter the only differences are: Water heater “ON”, Cruise-Airs set to 40*F (unless it really gets extremely cold), water bay heater set to 40*F and “ON”, and I have three 1000/1200 watt 120volt heater/fans plugged into separate circuits to keep temps in coach at about 45*F or so. Its amazing how warm the water bay is with only the water heater running; even when its cold out.
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My coach routinely sits from early May until just after Labor Day.
I don’t start it unless I have to. I don’t exercise it. I don’t turn off the coach chassis batteries or keep them being charged. I do keep power to the inverters all the time.
It is in my garage where the spring temps are about 70, and by mid summer they are up to about 80. No A/C on unless I am inside the bus doing something.
When I am ready to roll after Labor day I do a good pre-trip inspection, might turn on the chassis battery charger, for a day, but other than that it is in storage but ready to go with little notice if needed.
If I were inclined to “exercise” the coach I would make absolutely certain I got everything up to the maximum normal operating temps, but if I need to run the engine as part of a service event I only run it long enough to do whatever is needed and then shut it down, such as checking filters for leaks or moving it a few feet to access something.
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I take my out every three to four weeks if not taking a trip. I run it at least 100 miles without shutting it down. At the same time I load up the generator and run it as well. I tell my wife this needs to be done so that I get a couple hours of seat time with no interruptions. She probably would like me to go for a 500 mile exercise drive.
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