preperation for long term living in my MCI-7

[moose]

Hello all
i am most likely going to be moving my bus to Houston and living in it while i work
What is my preparation for long term sitting and also what should i do with the 8D batteries on the 24 volt side
What about engine and transmission
anything special that i should do
thank you for all your replies
trevor

[Sean]

Personally, I would start it up every couple of weeks and drive it around the block.  That way you won't need to do anything special at all.  Drive it far enough to get it warmed up.

Never been a problem for us because we have two weeks' worth of waste and water capacity, so even when we're stuck someplace for months, we still need to move the coach every 16-18 days.

If instead you intend to park it for longer than, say, six months, I would:

• Block the frame up so there is no weight on the suspension or tires.
• Cover the tires completely so that no sunlight reaches them.
• Change the engine oil.
• Disconnect the chassis batteries completely.
• Add a biocide to the fuel tank, then
• Fill the fuel tank to the tippy top, so that it is nearly coming out the filler.
• Drain all the air tanks.

While you are sitting there, I suggest putting the batteries on a "battery maintainer," or else at least charge them periodically.

When you are ready to re-start:

• Change the engine oil and filter.
• Change the coolant.
• Replace tranny filter and coolant filter if equipped.
• Change the fuel filters.
• Re-install the batteries.
• Change the air filter.
• Check and top off all fluids (trans, diff, steering, etc.)

I'm sure I'm leaving something important out and others will fill in the blanks.

-Sean
http://OurOdyssey.BlogSpot.com

[bergdoll]

No big whoop! I reframed mine and did the siding while living in it at an RV campground. Was really nice living close to Industrial Metal Supply! If you've never been there & visit the Los Angeles area it is a must if you need almost any metal for a bus/RV.

[belfert]

If everybody in Minnesota who has a motorhome did everything on Sean's list after the winter I doubt many would own a motorhome for long due to the yearly start-up expense.

[demodriver]

Some of the things on the list that Sean posted seam extreme to me.

Changing the oil before and after its stored for one.

And how high is the bus going to be in the air if you jack it up high enough to take all the weight off the suspension?

Im not a bus expert by any means, just my .02

Eric

[luvrbus]

You guys think Sean's idea is extreme read section 15.3 page 1 of the DD bible for a 30 day storage lol that is where some of the info came from, oxidation is the problem with used oil and the straight 40 w doesn't additives to combat the acid
Drive that baby every 3 or weeks and do nothing lot's to see and do in and around Houston Tx my home miss it sometimes  

good luck

[bobofthenorth]

While I think some of the items on Sean's list may be more important in a warm climate, Texas for instance, we shut it off, throw the disconnects and walk away.  If its cold we run pink stuff into the lines before walking away.  And if its being stored indoors I make sure the noisy end is closest to the door. 

[Sean]

Some of the things on the list that Sean posted seam extreme to me.

Changing the oil before and after its stored for one.

As Clifford says, that recommendation comes straight from Detroit Diesel.  For good reason:

You don't want to store any engine, and especially a two-stroke, with old oil in it because the suspended contaminants, including wear metals, will settle out in places you don't want them to, and the exposure of the oil to products of combustion form acids that now sit around etching parts unevenly.

Once you are done with storage, you don't want to run the oil that has sat unused for 6-12 months because it has now accumulated moisture from the environment, and, no longer sealed in the factory container, has started to break down and lose its viscosity as well as additive concentration.  All very well documented.

No, your bus is not going to die on the spot from either of these, just as it won't complain if you use 15w-40 instead of the recommended straight 40-weight.  But do it over an over again, and little by little you will be decreasing the operational lifespan of the engine.  Your choice.

And how high is the bus going to be in the air if you jack it up high enough to take all the weight off the suspension?

Umm, he's got an MC-7, which has air suspension.  So the bus will actually sit lower than when it is traveling down the road.

The usual technique is to put cribbing under the frame at the factory-specified lift/jacking points, then let the air out of the suspension until the bus settles on the cribbing.  Voila -- no weight on the suspension or tires.  There is no "jacking" involved -- you don't even need to own a jack.  Plus, if you position the cribbing correctly, the bus will now be properly level for living in.

-Sean
http://OurOdyssey.BlogSpot.com

[demodriver]

Thanks for the info.

What would be the effects of letting the motor sit dry or with say a cheaper oil then 40W in it?

Im just thinking of saving some of the cash that all that oil will cost.

Eric

[artvonne]

  When you really consider the real cost of the mill crankin away back there, plus the running gear, nothing you could do is really all that extreme.

 In aircraft, Lycoming deducts 40 hours from TBO for every 30 days the engine sits dormant, unless the engine is pickled. Even pickled, you have to inspect it and rotate it periodically.

 But they dont know your local climate conditions. 6 months is a long time for all that weight resting on the tires too. If you simply block the body up and blow the air, resting all the weight of the body on blocks, the only weight on the tires will be the axles, certainly many, many tons less.

 As far as oil, at least change it in spring after its run up hot a while, and dump it hot. Topping off the fuel tank prevents condensation. Fuel additive protects from fuel going sour, forming fungus, etc..

[artvonne]

  What Sean is saying is well documented. However, if your changing oil regularly so the engine is always clean inside, there shouldnt be a lot of crud settling out. You wouldnt necessarily have to change it before you park, as long as its reasonably fresh, but make absolutely sure that you do change it in the spring. And make sure you run it up good and hot for 30 or 50 miles and dump it hot. Changing oil when its cold is almost worthless. Always change filters too.

  And like Sean said too, its not going to self destruct if you dont do those things, in fact youll never know the difference next year no matter what you do or dont do. But you will never get the extended life out of it that you might have gotten. Maybe only 300K, or only 200K rather than 400K, something like that.

  Same with tires. Those suckers are getting pretty spendy. Getting most of the weight off and covering them from exposure to sunlight is only going to help save you money.

 

[lostagain]

I change the oil before parking it before winter. That is usually about 10 to 20000 miles. Full tank of fuel. That's all. Then it sits in the shop for 4, 5 month while I do PM and fix/build this and that. It is jacked up and down as needed to work on it.

You guys with your meticulous pickling methods are funny, LOL.

JC

[luvrbus]

No one I know ever worries to much about it but I always parked mine with fresh oil and full of fuel and being a Eagle I just lowered the leveling jacks and removed weight from the suspension was good to go when ready,if you followed the DD book would take a week to do just drive it once a month if you are worried about it.
If one is going to set for few years I will drain all the fluids and use fogging oil on one,really don't know if that does any good or not but was what Cole told me do that is way they do the military engines for long shelf life

good luck

[Sean]

What would be the effects of letting the motor sit dry or with say a cheaper oil then 40W in it?

I would not let it sit dry.

You'll probably be fine with an inexpensive 15w-40 diesel oil for storage.  The few minutes you will run the engine after the change to circulate the fresh oil will not be enough to worry about, and, in fact, when you re-start months later, the lighter oil will make its way to the now-dry journals and rings more quickly.  Just change back to high-quality 40-weight right after the re-start/warm-up.

I still suggest that, instead, you just drive it every few weeks.  Less hassle all around, and it's better for everything -- engine, tranny, axles, tires, air bags, batteries, air system, the list goes on.

Also, as a disaster responder, I have to tell you that keeping the bus in ready-to-drive condition at all times is always a good idea, and that will be especially true in Houston, which is subject to hurricanes, flooding, and tornadoes.

FWIW.

-Sean
http://OurOdyssey.BlogSpot.com

[thunderstruck]

Imo living in your rig really dosen't change much as far as storage goes. Do what you normally do when your not staying in it. The main difference is you going to have to be plugged in to use all your electrical systems like your A/C, etc. Your rig is parked either way you look at it...