Storing your rig and Ethanol June 14, 2018, 12:34:59 pm The problem with getting old for me is forgetting what I once knew. Thanks to our government, Ethanol-free gasoline is hard to find. I don't mind using gas with Ethanol. But storing the rig with an Ethanol polluted tank is another story. I am not a chemist, but I have been told that Ethanol is corrosive and is not all that great for fuel system in long-term storage. If you can find Ethanol-free gasoline for your last fill up, I would not it. If not, consider adding a product like Sta-Bil.I have also been told that a full tank is better for long-term storage. True or not?
Re: Storing your rig and Ethanol Reply #1 – June 15, 2018, 12:50:19 am I routinely stored a 1998 E350 motorhome for 15 winters with ethanol gasoline fuel - no problems. Ditto for a 2005 E450 for 5 years. Unless your rig is more than 30 years old, it's designed and manufactured for gasoline with ethanol. It's not a problem, but I do drive it 5 miles once a month, and run the generator, too.Storing it with a full tank is likely best; anyway, I want if full in case there is an emergency where I have to live it for a few days, or run the generator to get power to the house is there is a power outage.
Re: Storing your rig and Ethanol Reply #2 – June 15, 2018, 08:54:56 am My motorhome has seldom been "out of service" for more than a month or two at a time. At the end of each road trip, I fill up before parking it, primarily to prevent moisture accumulating in the fuel tank, but also to be sure there's plenty of fuel to run the generator and/or "go" in case of an emergency. If I know that the rig may be inactive for longer than a couple months, the oil and filter are also changed, even if the change interval isn't met; the fewer potential contaminants in an engine, particularly a sitting engine, the better. If the rig had to sit for a long period, I would add Stabil to a full gas tank.As ever, YMMV.
Re: Storing your rig and Ethanol Reply #3 – June 15, 2018, 08:56:19 am Both Ethanol and gasoline attract water. The former more than the latter. Water in the engine causes corrosion of metal parts.I will take the more conservative route.
Re: Storing your rig and Ethanol Reply #4 – June 15, 2018, 09:12:23 am Quote from: Don Malpas - June 14, 2018, 12:34:59 pmThe problem with getting old for me is forgetting what I once knew. Thanks to our government, Ethanol-free gasoline is hard to find. I don't mind using gas with Ethanol. But storing the rig with an Ethanol polluted tank is another story. I am not a chemist, but I have been told that Ethanol is corrosive and is not all that great for fuel system in long-term storage. If you can find Ethanol-free gasoline for your last fill up, I would not it. If not, consider adding a product like Sta-Bil.I have also been told that a full tank is better for long-term storage. True or not?I run ethanol free gas in all my small motors like lawn mowers and chainsaws. My new to me LD is the first RV I have owned with an on board generator and since it gets it's gas from the main tank I figured I'd do just as you are considering doing. My last fill-up will be ethanol free with Stabil added. A bit off subject but when I purchased my LD the guy told me the generator needed a $400.00 part because it started but died immediately which it did indeed do when I was looking it over. I got it home with a nearly empty tank and added ten gallons of ethanol free premium to the tank with a big dose of Sea Foam mixed in. I started the generator and it died a few times but then as the good gas with the additive got into the carb it stayed running, a little rough but it ran. I let it run four hours and it was purring like a kitten when I shut it off. Since then I have started it several times and it runs great. Apparently this generator had just sat too long with ethanol gumming up the carb so I will definitely store it ethanol free and run it every month for good measure.As for your full tank storage question the answer is yes, fill her up.
Re: Storing your rig and Ethanol Reply #5 – June 15, 2018, 09:30:01 am Often found on fishing forums are discussions on the use of gasoline with ethanol added in inboard or outboard motors.In a nutshell, from much reading I've done, Yes, the engines are manufactured to run on the ethanol added gasoline.Yet when stored, the use of ethanol fuel can and does present some performance and often costly issues. When the boat is stored: over time the ethanol and gasoline, I'll say, separate, and stratify.If the boat is going to sit any length of time- months or more- it is recommended to add a product such as "Stabil" or"Starbrite" fuel stabilizer.Someone more knowledgeable will be able to tell us if there is a correlation.
Re: Storing your rig and Ethanol Reply #6 – June 15, 2018, 09:30:30 am This site seems to provide updated listings of sellers of ethanol-free gas:Ethanol-free gas stations in the U.S. and CanadaHowever, listings in California (this may vary in other states) show only suppliers of high-octane (some really potent stuff that would lift the rig right of the road!) fuel.
Re: Storing your rig and Ethanol Reply #7 – June 15, 2018, 10:35:48 am With that fuel we should be running race engines!Does any one have a source for Ford 460 and 470 dragster engine installations in our beloved motorhomes?Chevs 350's are a dime a dozen in the race world.
Re: Storing your rig and Ethanol Reply #8 – June 15, 2018, 11:34:36 am Quote from: rodneyhelfrich - June 15, 2018, 10:35:48 amWith that fuel we should be running race engines!Does any one have a source for Ford 460 and 470 dragster engine installations in our beloved motorhomes?Chevs 350's are a dime a dozen in the race world.My LD has the 460 and I'm curious to see how it runs on the premium no ethanol fuel I put in to clean the carb of the generator.
Re: Storing your rig and Ethanol Reply #9 – June 15, 2018, 07:33:48 pm Don,I use Stabil in our gas engine dive boat. the tank holds 200 gallons and I fill it prior to longer transits and treat the fuel with Stabil. My reasoning is that if our plans change and we don't make the long run, the fuel stays good for the next one.This happened two years ago and I continued to use that fuel for over a year with no problems. If I anticipate not using the LD for over 6 weeks, I fill the tank and treat it with Stabil. It's cheap insurance against costly problems.Harold
Re: Storing your rig and Ethanol Reply #10 – June 15, 2018, 09:35:48 pm Quote from: Sawyer - June 15, 2018, 09:12:23 amA bit off subject but when I purchased my LD the guy told me the generator needed a $400.00 part because it started but died immediately which it did indeed do when I was looking it over. I got it home with a nearly empty tank and added ten gallons of ethanol free premium to the tank with a big dose of Sea Foam mixed in. I started the generator and it died a few times but then as the good gas with the additive got into the carb it stayed running, a little rough but it ran. I let it run four hours and it was purring like a kitten when I shut it offThere is at least one explanation that I think is more likely. Did your generator start and run as long as you held the Start switch, then stopped when you released the Start switch? That symptom generally means the generator is not producing AC power, and it shuts itself off automatically when you release the start switch. Sometimes, the cause is corrosion on the alternator brushes or slip rings, which might be removed with multiple restarts, and allow it to continue running.
Re: Storing your rig and Ethanol Reply #11 – June 16, 2018, 08:00:58 am Quote from: Eric Greenwell - June 15, 2018, 09:35:48 pmThere is at least one explanation that I think is more likely. Did your generator start and run as long as you held the Start switch, then stopped when you released the Start switch? That symptom generally means the generator is not producing AC power, and it shuts itself off automatically when you release the start switch. Sometimes, the cause is corrosion on the alternator brushes or slip rings, which might be removed with multiple restarts, and allow it to continue running.Never tried holding the start switch down but the fact that it ran very rough for a while and smoothed out after a couple hours of Sea Foam treated gas makes me pretty confident it was a gummed up carb.
Re: Storing your rig and Ethanol Reply #12 – June 16, 2018, 10:10:24 am Stabil added to fuel at 1oz per 2.5 gallons prior to letting fuel sit 4 weeks or more. No carb problems.When I have treated the LD fuel, I run the generator for 30 minutes or so after treating the fuel on the tank to get the treated fuel into the generator fuel system. No problems to date.I buy it in the quart bottles at Walmart.
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