Storage of your car while thru-hiking

[gonewalkabout]

What are hikers doing about there cars while thru-hiking? Do you just plan to let it sit?

Does anyone have good infomation on the efects of lettering a car sit for five to six months? My brother who is mechanic feels its not the wrost thing to do but it will shorten the life of many componets and the car itself. I know tires get flat spots and dry rot. Batterys go. More worried about engine, tranmissions, engine seals, brake cylinders and calipers etc.

I know it would be better if the car was driven a few times a month.

Thanks

[Phreak]

Have a friend or family member take your car for a spin once a week or so.

[flemdawg1]

Get a fresh oil change, Fill up with gas and add gas stabilizer. After you park disconnect the battery (the passive loads will drain it). This is what I did when I got deployed for 6-months in the Navy.

[mlkelley]

Get a fresh oil change, Fill up with gas and add gas stabilizer. After you park disconnect the battery (the passive loads will drain it). This is what I did when I got deployed for 6-months in the Navy.


In addition to the above, I would (did) place the vehicle on jack stands to prevent the flat-spotting of tires. Also, make sure not a leave a danish wrapped in a paper towel sitting on the console.:eek:

[maybeFritz]

Just confirming the above-6 months-1 year-18 month deployments are comon. I always use the disconnect method, but someone driving it once a month works just as well. Just be sure wherever you leave it is safe, and someone can check on it.

Also, talk to your insurance people-you can get radically discounted insurance if it isn't being driven-just covers you it if gets damaged or stolen. No liability, etc.

[George]

batteries can be put on a maintainer in or out of a vehicle(common for motorcycles) jackstands, oil change and stable is good but I like to leave the gas low so I can top it off with fresh premium gas right away to dilute the old gas. Storage cannot be to much of a killer a lot of good running bikes are 20yrs old with a few thousand miles

[rhjanes]

if someone drives it, make sure it is for 20 to 30 minutes. And that is DRIVE, not just sitting running. You need to get all systems hot to burn off moisture and corrosives that form.

[peakbagger]

Be aware that there are lots of reports that the new 10% ethanol gas formulation is causing all sorts of issues with storage of vehicles. The current recomendation is drain the system if the vehicle will not be driven for 6 to 8 weeks. The ethanol apparently drops out of the mixture and then sucks up enough moisture that it wont burn. When the car is started, it gets sucked up by the fuel pump and plugs up the fuel system. Seasonal equipment like motorcycles, boats and snowmachines appear to have the worst problem which may be related to them having fuel systems that are more open to atmosphere.

There are fuel additives that are being sold to help with the problem but to date I havent seen a lot of testing, so it may be "snake" oil.

[garlic08]

...but I like to leave the gas low so I can top it off with fresh premium gas right away to dilute the old gas.

On the other hand, less air space in the gas tank means less condensation of water vapor from the atmosphere, so less water in the fuel. I heard keeping a full tank in the winter is a good way to avoid gas line freeze, or vapor lock in the summer (is that still a concern with fuel injection and in-tank pumps?). But I'm not positive about this, just what I've heard somewhere.

If I don't sell it, I store the car at a friend's house and ask him or her to drive the car on an errand at least once a month.

[Many Walks]

Regarding fuel, I'd recommend filling the tank and putting in STA-BIL fuel stabilizer. Drive it enough to mix it up and to get it through the entire system. It will keep fuel fresh for up to 12 mos. and will avoid varnish problems. Works for me and a couple of friends who have vehicles that sit over winter and in storage. Regarding the car, unless you're in love with it you might just sell it and several issues are gone. Money in your pocket and no worries. You might want a different one when you get done hiking anyway. We did that with no regrets. Have a great hike!

http://www.goldeagle.com/brands/stabil/default.aspx

[fiddlehead]

As i've stated before on whiteblaze, all i ever do it disconnect the battery.
I've been living in Thailand 9-10 months a year for the last 6 years and haven't had any problems with my car back in PA. (i do have a garage that i keep it in)

Last year, i did have a flat tire when i came back and had to get a new one. (well, i buy used ones, so it wasn't new)
I haven't changed the oil in 2 years now and put about 2,000 miles on it every Nov/Dec when i'm back.

[mtnkngxt]

If you do leave it outside, do yourself a favor and get a car cover. UV light and dirt will ruin the clear coat on a car.

[Lyle]

Also, talk to your insurance people-you can get radically discounted insurance if it isn't being driven-just covers you it if gets damaged or stolen. No liability, etc.

Check with your State DMV also. I got into an expensive situation when I was laid-up for several months, not driving. Since my insurance lapsed (no liability insurance) prior to my plates expiring, the State assumed I was driving illegally. When I resumed driving, they forced me into the "High Risk" group insurance pool for a year - very costly.

[mtbmatty]

i secound the idea of checking with your insurance co. and DMV just so you can save as much money as possible and avoid any problems. if you uninsure it and DMV is notified cause the car is still registered, i'm sure they will not care what the reason is, and only accept an apology in the form of cashola.

i just called the dealer that i leased my car through. they said full tank of gas (fuel stabilizer optional) have someone drive the car once a week to blow out the cobwebs and give a good stomp on the brakes to avoid rust build-up on the rotors.

i'm lucky in that i can stash my car in my mommys garage and have her drive it around for me:)

[gonewalkabout]

[quote=Many Walks;776298] Regarding the car, unless you're in love with it you might just sell it and several issues are gone. Money in your pocket and no worries. You might want a different one when you get done hiking anyway. We did that with no regrets. Have a great hike!

Thanks for the info however as the car is only 18 months old and paid for I loose too much on it.

[DapperD]

In addition to the above, I would (did) place the vehicle on jack stands to prevent the flat-spotting of tires. Also, make sure not a leave a danish wrapped in a paper towel sitting on the console.:eek:From what I have read this is not recommended as it puts the vehicle's suspension in an unnatural state. Someone suggested instead to slightly overfill the tires with air. Also I read that unless the car will sit for more than 1 year, the gas stabilizer isn't really necessary, but filling the tank is recommended to prevent the formation of rust.

[snowhoe]

I wrecked mine and the insurance paid me $1500.00 and I bought 27 years worth of ramin.

[mtbmatty]

I wrecked mine and the insurance paid me $1500.00 and I bought 27 years worth of ramin.

dude you must really like ramen noodles that's hardcore!!!

[gonewalkabout]

From what I have read this is not recommended as it puts the vehicle's suspension in an unnatural state. Someone suggested instead to slightly overfill the tires with air. Also I read that unless the car will sit for more than 1 year, the gas stabilizer isn't really necessary, but filling the tank is recommended to prevent the formation of rust.


Acturaly I've heard from mechanics that the gas out there now doesn't remian stable very long not even a few weeks.

[George]

I have heard that also, than started the lawnmower after 5 months with 7 mo old gas it did not run nice but it ran until I topped it with new gas I tend to go with what I see not what I am told so take what I tell you with a grain of salt

[DapperD]

Acturaly I've heard from mechanics that the gas out there now doesn't remian stable very long not even a few weeks.Well that may be true, however I doubt that a full tank of fresh fuel, say around 20 gallons give or take, is going to become rapidly unstable, so unstable that in 6 months time the vehicle is not going to run or run badly. If this were the case, you wouldn't be able to get your hands on fuel stabilizer as all the car dealers across the globe who have cars sitting idle and unmoving on their lots due to the state of the horrible economy would be buying and adding it to the millions upon millions of vehicles they can't unload:D

[1Pint]

:-?
Whatever you decide, just remember some of the advice you receive won't work together... that is, you can't tell your insurance company to drop coverage due to the car be stored while you hike and then also ask someone to drive it around once a month while you're gone. If you do, you're asking someone you care about to drive a vehicle that's not properly insured and putting them at risk with the law.

Good luck with getting this figured out and have a good hike!