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Old 10-11-2024, 03:04 PM   #1
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Gasoline preservative

Got our Bay Star Sport all gassed up in anticipation of an upcoming trip then the trip got cancelled. No more trips planned for 6 months with winter looming and nearly 80 gallons of gasoline just sitting in the tank.
I assume that people would recommend a gasoline additive to preserve the gas? Which one? Drive the rig around for a bit to get it all stirred together after adding it to the gas?
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Old 10-11-2024, 03:50 PM   #2
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Sta-Bil works well for us in small engines. Don't know about larger ones, seems it would do the same.
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Old 10-11-2024, 03:56 PM   #3
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I have used Sta-Bil in three classic cars for decades. THey sit all winter with trickle chargrs and start up in the spring. I put it in at every fill, as these get about 1000 miles a year and I never know when will be their last trip for the year.

I also use it in the gas cans that feed my small engines; a lawn tractor, a mower, a snow blower and a weed eater.
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Old 10-11-2024, 04:27 PM   #4
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I never used any kind of gasoline stabilization in my motorhome with 8.1 Workhorse engine. Here in Montana, it sat, unused from November till May every year. Coach was winterized, and connected to shore power the whole winter. Never a problem with gas going bad. I no longer own a motorhome now as I have aged out.
Enjoy your motor home, don’t worry about the gas going bad.
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Old 10-11-2024, 04:42 PM   #5
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I always make sure my tank is full before storage. Gas will be good sitting over the winter , but for piece of mind you can add sta-bil to the tank. It wouldn't hurt to take it for a drive to get it mixed and into the lines. Don't forget to run the generator as well.When mine is in storage, I never start the engine or run the generator.
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Old 10-11-2024, 10:18 PM   #6
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Originally Posted by dieselclacker View Post
I never used any kind of gasoline stabilization in my motorhome with 8.1 Workhorse engine. Here in Montana, it sat, unused from November till May every year. Coach was winterized, and connected to shore power the whole winter. Never a problem with gas going bad. I no longer own a motorhome now as I have aged out.
Enjoy your motor home, don’t worry about the gas going bad.
My old Workhorse sits for months at a time without any kind of additive added. I do store it with a full tank. My lawn equipment (zero turn, tractor, push mower, weed whackers, chain saw, tiller) go through the winter and never have any fuel related problems. Fun stuff like the boat and four wheelers sometimes get stored for months at a time, no problems with those either.

Ramona, I don't think you need to worry any since the tank is full.
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Old 10-12-2024, 02:01 AM   #7
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Use Starbrite Startron in the blue bottle
Lasts twice as long as Sta-bil and you can’t over treat
Much better product IMO
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Old 10-12-2024, 07:46 AM   #8
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My RVs sit from October to May every year. I store them with a full tank of fuel the ignore them until spring. I got my first RV in 1970 and I have never had a fuel problem.

Be sure to store the RV with a FULL fuel tank. A full tank gets less condensation during temperature changes.
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Old 10-12-2024, 07:58 AM   #9
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Gasoline in storage.

The main reason gasoline goes bad is that good stuff in it evaporates. I any modern vehicle fuel system the storage had has the fumes controlled. There should be some residual pressure preventing or reducing fuel vapors going into the atmosphere. 6 months to a year storage should not be any issue at all.
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Old 10-12-2024, 08:17 AM   #10
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Some have had great success storing GAS vehicles for long periods of time and cite their success.

To me, adding a can of stabilizer is far cheaper and easier than draining and flushing the tank, cleaning/replacing fuel lines, rebuilding the fuel pump and hoping the glazing on the cylinders will burn off.

But, that's just me.

Here's what JD Powers says;

"Gasoline goes bad after a period of stagnation. Depending on the type of gasoline used, it could lose its combustibility in as little as a month or last nine months to a year. To keep your vehicle running smoothly, drive it a few times a week even for shorter distances, consider adding a fuel stabilizer, and keep the fuel tank filled to avoid moisture build-up in the gas tank. Although gasoline has a shelf life, there are plenty of actions drivers can take to avoid this becoming an issue in their vehicle."

If you have a DIESEL powered vehicle, you also need to have a full tank to reduce condensation in the tank - PLUS you need to add a biocide (such as Stabil For Diesel or Bio Kleen) to prevent microbes, bacteria and fungus from growing in the tank and lines. (Different world than for gasoline which breaks down and become shellac as it degrades.)
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Old 10-12-2024, 09:18 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Soppy
I always make sure my tank is full before storage. Gas will be good sitting over the winter , but for piece of mind you can add sta-bil to the tank. It wouldn't hurt to take it for a drive to get it mixed and into the lines. Don't forget to run the generator as well.
Exactly. Putting the Sta-Bil or whatever in the tank just before filling it so the added gas mixes it in and then going for a ten mile drive with the generator running to distribute the treated gas through the fuel systems is the best process.

Remember, most gas generators use carburetors and we always read of people who are having generator problems that are cured when they run Seafoam or a similar fuel system cleaner through the generator.

Also remember that Onan's recommendation is to run their generators for two hours every month under a load to keep the generating portion working properly. Low generator hours on a used motorhome is not a selling point; it's an indication that the owner did not follow the manufacturer's maintenance requirements so I always wonder what else they're not doing.


It's not just air causing evaporation and sealed fuel systems preventing it; it's the use of ethanol in gasoline. 10% is the usual but more and more stations are going to 15% ethanol. There is a problem where water in the gas causes a thing called phase separation and yes, it can occur in a vehicle. This is a good reason to keep the tank full for storage.

See this article, which is for gas stations, but explains the problem: https://www.veeder.com/us/blog/phase...e-implications


While a lot of people say they do nothing and never have a problem, what they probably are really saying is "The engine starts right up and seems to run normally." They are not measuring the water concentration in the fuel to see how close they are or are not to phase separation. They are not tearing their generator carb apart to see if varnish from stagnant gas is building up, etc.

Everyone's experience is a Sample Size of One and a sample size of one is bad statistics. Me, I'll follow guidance from manufacturers and industry associations for preventative purposes. A bottle of Sta-Bil to treat 80 gallons of gas costs about $15. It's cheap insurance to me. If I do have a problem later on I have already eliminated one possible source.

Do you have to take preventative measures? No, of course not. It's your credit card, your time, and your inconvenience if there is a problem so you get to do or not do what you want.

FWIW,

Ray
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Old 10-12-2024, 09:45 AM   #12
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Phase separation is the real problem.it takes time but is far worse for engines than octane loss..We use Startron for long term storing and add Lucas before using
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Old 10-12-2024, 04:22 PM   #13
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Talked me into it

I decided to try the StarBrite StartOn. I'll be adding it to a tank of gas that's already full, so will drive around for a bit, with the generator running) to get it all mixed in, I hope.
Thank you all
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Old 10-12-2024, 04:27 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by justcheckn View Post
Use Starbrite Startron in the blue bottle
Lasts twice as long as Sta-bil and you can’t over treat
Much better product IMO
Agree completely..have proven it's effectiveness repeatedly
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