Question for diesel owners

[nehog]

Originally Posted by zzotte

...no reason to idle modern Diesel ...

Clearly said by someone who does not have air brakes! And the time to fill the air tanks is about the time needed to get the engine's oil circulating and for you to ensure that everything is working correctly. That's about 2-5 minutes for most diesel pushers with air.

[Clemson]

Originally Posted by SoCal3

Nobody wants to hear a loud engine running, but consider this: Many DP's have air suspension and more importantly air brakes. I have to idle about 5 minutes to build the pressure enough to operate the brakes safely and get the suspension off the bottom of the air bags. Also, my unit has hydraulic slideouts so the engine has to be running to pull the slides in. So to all those saying it is totally old skool thinking just don't know what they are talking about.

Sir. Your hydraulic slides do not require the engine to run to operate. Only electric to the hydraulic pump my friend. You are correct that you do need the engine running to build air pressure but the OP was talking about running for extended periods not 5 minutes. Enjoy you coach

[Clemson]

The OP was talking about extended idling periods not 5 minutes. I own a DP and it is irritating to have your neighbor idling for an hour or more

[Arty1313]

After all my DEF issues last year, I was told by Cummins DO NOT idle the engine longer than necessary, with todays' electronics and engineering on the newer engines it is not necessary nor good for the engine and will cause DEF issues.

[lightsluvr]

They have to come up to proper air pressure, and in addition I have to operate my slides with the engine running.

[lightsluvr]

Originally Posted by Clemson

The OP was talking about extended idling periods not 5 minutes. I own a DP and it is irritating to have your neighbor idling for an hour or more

An hour? Who does that? I've never come across a long idler except at truck stops and rest areas.


LL

[wolfe10]

Originally Posted by RAMBLNFAM

How long is prolonged? We typically run ours 15-20 min prior to departure to warm it up, build up air, and it is required for slides etc. Same applies when we arrive, usually a 15-20 "cool down" and slides etc.

Chris

Sorry, that is WAY too long on both start up and shut down.



Please find and post anything in your engine's owners manual that suggests even 1/2 that much time.

[Classic6200]

Things to ponder:

My coach CAT manual states 10 min at first start and 5 min idle before each shut down.

CGs are always the same when it comes to people. From Harley’s to barking dogs. The point is…expect noise. Campgrounds are packed with noisy things side by side.

People have also spent their money to be there. Grin and bear it.

I’m handicapped. It takes me longer to get things stowed and put away. I may go 15 minutes of idle time. Sorry.

But these are just some of the reasons I boondock, if you don’t want to deal with any CG drama or dilemma, then boondock. Isn’t that what camping is? Getting away from society to unwind and relax from the rat race.

And ‘YES’, you can find camping boondock style everywhere. You may have to drive 15 minutes to get into civilization but that’s the trade off.

We used ear plugs in the military around high decibel noise making devices. Soft foamies are cheap. You will be surprised at how well they quiet your surroundings.

If I’m going to get charged over $100 to stay in a resort that only provides a spot and hook ups, then I may as well just reserve a condo or house. Fly in and get concierge service to pick me up and then enjoy the beach or mountains without any hassles of the CGs noise issues then prep- drive-refuel-drive-CG check in, set up, prep for departure-CG check out,drive-fuel up, drive-repeat process.

If you can’t relax on vacation, then you are doing it wrong.

[joelsplace]

Granted mine is older (1997) but it is electronic injection.There is a sticker in the dash that says to not allow it to run below 1250 RPM until warmed up. That can take 30 minutes or more in the winter. DT466e

[SnowNCycle]

Define extended periods??? I wait until the last possible minute to start mine, but I have 3 slides that must be retracted with the motor running. That takes some time. I then must retract my jacks, again, with the motor running. I then engage the switch to inflate the airbags. Lastly, I collect my jack pads, stow them away and then disconnect power cord before I pull out. This process takes about 15 minutes...maybe an eternity to someone who is trying to sleep, but I have no choice in the matter.

[wolfe10]

The reality is there isn't or at least SHOULDN'T BE any "here is always how long to run a diesel before putting a load on it or shutting it down".


What is ambient temperature?


If below 45 degrees F, the block heater on for an hour or two will materially speed up engine warm up.


After 30-45 seconds, bumping idle speed to 1,100 RPM or so also materially speeds warm up compared with idle speed.


Answer is different if you are driving at low speed out of a CG and on city streets VS parked at a freeway entrance and you will be going to WOT within the first block.




On shut down, idle time is again dictated by conditions. Did you just climb a 5 mile 6% grade and pull off in a scenic overlook. 5-6 minutes idle time is perfect.


Did you pull into a CG and idle while registering? If so, when you get to your site, shut it down immediately.


In short, use your head to determine the best answer for your current condition.

[Smitty77]

Long thread on a subject with too many mixed variables to give one answer for all vehicles and situations!

Our Practices:

- When coming into a campground, if we've driven a few miles off the interstate to reach the park, we turn of our engine at check in, and at our campground, once we've leveled and opened our slides. (We will sometimes open our slides with 50A Shore Power, it's a 60 seconds difference of running longer, if we do it via the engine running.)

- When leaving. If we know we need to get an early start, we try to advise, and apologize to our neighbors on each side the day before. No way a ISX600 is not heard!

- We get everything ready to go, slides in off of 50A Shore Power. We then start the engine, and fast idle, until we reach appropriate air pressure levels. Our previous coach, we could start, and be ready to roll, in 3-4 mins. The current coach is a 4-5 mins.

- If temps are in the mid 30's or below, I use the Pre Heat on our engine. And if we are going to leave a campground and immediately hit a freeway, I pull out and find a place to pull over, and fast idle a bit longer. I also turn of Jake Brake, and avoid OTR AC, until we've reached operating temperatures.

===

We do our best to be courteous, and minimize our impact coming in/out of a campground.

Now, let me tell you the story of the gent with an older F53 with 460 and headers, that let his engine run for 10+ mins, as he was unhooking and putting chairs and such away.... (My point here, is not just DP's are capable of making noise, and not just some DP's owners can be impolite at times...).

$.01!

Best to all,
Smitty

[Fred66877]

Originally Posted by CamJam1

Is there are reason people let diesels idle for prolonged periods before they hit the road in the morning? It's really irritating for those of us in the campground who are trying to sleep in. Had a couple of Harley riders do the same thing recently, so it's not exclusively a diesel thing.

We have an Aqua hot system in our RV and the night before we leave I enable the engine pre-heat function. This allows the hot coolant to flow through engine and when I start up in the morning all I have to do is wait for the air bags to inflate than off we go.

[johnjr490]

My wife and I have a system. We rig down the interior and exterior for travel. We then start the diesel engine and retract the slides while building air and raising jacks. Once jack pads are put away and we have completed our once-over travel checklist, the engine/transmission are usually sufficiently warmed up for travel, if the weather is cold, we warm everything for an extended period of time. I am a Canadian and a retired oilman. I have worked in severe cold temperatures for most of my life. It is impossible to overstate the importance of warming up an engine and transmission prior to initiating a heavy load. I will continue to warm up my engine and equipment. I am almost positive that someone will be offended by my procedure. People are offended by pretty much everything these days, I am offended by the price of parts and premature equipment failure due to cold starting. I will gladly pay the extra cost of diesel for the extra few minutes of idling time.