Winter Storage Proceedures

[ogsched]

Had great fun this summer with my “new” 1993 M998 for its first season at the fishing camp in the mountains. The time has now come to close up camp and say goodbye until next May or June. The old girl will be in an unheated garage, so it will sit for extended periods in sub-zero temperatures. Question for the collective brain trust - does anyone have a list of steps to prep the vehicle for long term cold storage? My preliminary list is below, but I’m sure there is a bunch more I should be thinking about.

1) add fuel stabilizer
2) top off anti-freeze
3) hook up 24v battery tender (or better to disconnect batteries altogether??)


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[SchmidtLegal]

Had great fun this summer with my “new” 1993 M998 for its first season at the fishing camp in the mountains. The time has now come to close up camp and say goodbye until next May or June. The old girl will be in an unheated garage, so it will sit for extended periods in sub-zero temperatures. Question for the collective brain trust - does anyone have a list of steps to prep the vehicle for long term cold storage? My preliminary list is below, but I’m sure there is a bunch more I should be thinking about.

1) add fuel stabilizer
2) top off anti-freeze
3) hook up 24v battery tender (or better to disconnect batteries altogether??)


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I see you're in Dallas. This confused me, as we have another four months of summer and never go sub-0. My M998 will just stay in the drive way for the winter. Fishing camp must be nice! Cheers.

 

[ogsched]

Ha! Thanks - the camp is up in northern NY state, not far from the Canadian border. Better than Texas in the summers, but tough winter conditions for sure...


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[Coug]

at minimum batteries need hooked up to tender, but even better would be remove them and store them in a heated garage so they have no chance of freezing.

 

[Milcommoguy]

All good ideas posted. You are the one that knows your rig. Just park it and could be a big headache next May.

IMO... A PMCS with winterizing in mind would not be a bad idea for 7-8 months of storage.

Give it a nice bath: inside and out. Get the fishy smell out LOL
Grease all things grease-able: pushing out any water / dirt
Check all fluids: Specific gravity, freezing point, top off properly with correct fluids
Quickie inspect electrical connections Check on battery terminals / posts. Good idea to disconnect one for thief protection, any drain, monkeys playing
Got mice, rats, rodents, cats, squirrels, critters. Something to think about. Couldn't be a happy camper seeing what could go bad there.
Might want to have it up off the tires, more work

Battery tender good idea. Don't need Amps. Light float / automatic.
A fully charged battery of 12.6 volts should be able to withstand a cold temperature of about -76 degrees Fahrenheit. That's burry cold.

It's FISHING TIME.........Another quick look over with hands on checking. Leave the starting fluid on the shelf. Check for puddles underneath, set all controls to the OFF-STOP position. Reconnect batteries correctly. Say...HELLO HumV.

Do all you can now and next May will be a breeze, CAMO

 

[JD4044M]

For 8 years my water tender sat for 8 months, 6 months of winter parked. I gave it a bath at the end of fire season, greased and a oil change & lube job and checked the anti-freeze, air cleaner oil level ect. Made sure I parked it full of fuel with anti gel. I do not use a Battery Tender ever but I would full charge them, unhook them & top them(Charge) off once during winter and start it mid winter and let it warm up inside a tent building. That's it and the next summer it was ready for inspection and another fire season of fighting wildfires.

 

[Mogman]

Once again you guys crack me up, Winter is the only time we can really enjoy an UN-air conditioned Humvee down here in S TX. IALOL!!!

 

[JD4044M]

Well my M1078 won't be put up for the winter for sure. I did not buy it to be a Garage Queen it is going out in the snow even if I need chains. All my trucks are 4x4 and they never have chains so I don't see why this will on plowed roads or snow up to a foot at a time? I will make sure I have a Either Can and Anti-Gel in the fuel tank. Might come up with a way to plug it in too. This was a overnight snow fall with wind caused drifts. We always have high winds in the winter.

 

[Ajax MD]

The OP is physically far away from his truck when it's winterized. To me, this presents a conundrum.

- I have seen too many battery tenders fail in a destructive way. They either destroy the batteries by overcharging, failing to charge, or cause an electrical fire.
- Leaving the batteries uncharged in the vehicle for prolonged periods allows them to self-discharge and allows freeze damage.

Either of these issues can be overcome with an occasional visit and personal inspection but if the OP is in another state for 6 months...

I think I would fully charge the batteries, remove them entirely and wrap them in blankets or some sort of insulation material and store them in the most protected place on the property. It's the least destructive, safest option. There will never be a fire this way. If the batteries do self-discharge and freeze, at worst, the OP will be out the cost of a pair of batteries but the risk of damage seem low if the batteries are protected from the worst of the low temperatures.

 

[TOBASH]

My $0.02

1) Replace the coolant with 60%glycol and 40% water. DO NOT TRUST WHAT IS IN THERE! Winters get cold in that neck of the woods and if you assume your current coolant is mixed properly then you might come back to a cracked block.

2) Battery tender and disconnect the batteries. If you can't trickle charge on site, then remove the batteries entirely and keep them in a warm place with a trickle charger.

3) Disconnect some wires to discourage theft. Take pictures so you can remember what you did and reconnect and re-start next year.

4) Place axle jacks under all 4 wheels so if you get a flat you won't come back to cracked, "square", and useless tires. If you can't, fill each tire to the tires listed maximum. Removing a few tires and hiding the lug nuts discourages theft, (unless they want to steal the tires).

5) Change the windshield washer fluid to Winter fluid and run it through the whole system so it won't crack the system when it freezes.

6) Remove the plates/tags and hide them in the garage so if the vehicle is stolen it can be spotted.

7) Disconnect the headlights for the same reason so if there is a theft at night the vehicle will stand out.

8 ) Diesel fuel stabilizer!!! Then run the vehicle for 10-20 miles to make sure the additive is in the IP and the injectors.

9) Plug the exhaust with a loose fitting tennis ball or rubber sock. That keeps squirrels out.

10) Trust me on this one... Chilli pepper spray all over the engine bay and dried peppers in bags or sprinkled in the interior to keep critters out.

11) If there is power and Internet in the garage, NEST cameras to watch over the vehicle.

12) TELL NO ONE you won't be there and tell no one the car is parked there. Don't advertise the car or the location is empty and vulnerable.

13) Drain the tank. Limits how far a thief might drive. If they run out of fuel, they might not know how to flush air out of the system.

14) "Tile" is a device with an App that uses WiFi to track lost keys and wallets and such. They make them with stickie backs to attach to laptops too. Place one or even two in the vehicle. If you have a soft top, hide it in the fabric over the driver's side door. If it is a metal top, hide it under the fiberglass hood. If the vehicle moves, you will be able to find it.

15) [EDIT} Place a lock through the steering wheel and chain to chair so wheel can't turn.

16) [EDIT] Leave vehicle in R-Reverse, so it can't be started without shifting into N-Neutral. Most thieves won't know that older A0 and A1 HMMWV's don't have a park and can't start when in gear.

17) [EDIT] Get outta Texas! You might meet one of my exes... Move to Tennessee.

Best,

T

 

[JD4044M]

Lot of good ideas in that post. You must live in a bad area our 3 - 185 lb+ Newfoundland's tend to raise heck if someone is here. Having your nearest home 1/2 mile away pretty much makes you stand out where you don't belong. No joggers or bikes go by just looking. Taking the Neufs for a walk in our back yard during the winter. We live above the clouds often for better views.

 

[TOBASH]

I spent over a decade where temps swung from +90 to -55. Also moved from place to place so vehicles needed to be protected.

Love Newfies! Great animals.

 

[ogsched]

Fellas - many thanks for the comprehensive thoughts. Got the battery tender, security cameras, etc, but heading out now for final glycol resupply!


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