RV Fuel Problems in Winter by Adrien White

If you are hitting the road during the peak winter months, you can run into fuel issue in an RV. Obviously, this assumes you are in an area that gets cold, not Arizona.



You have two choices for fuel with an RV – gas and diesel. Gas engines are generally not problematic in the winter. Gas stays more or less at the liquidity levels as one would find during the summer. Okay, perhaps a bit thicker, but no so much as to effect your engine. Diesel, on the other hand, is an entirely different story.



Diesel fuel can be sensitive to temperature changes. If you are camping in Wyoming in January, you may wake up in the morning to find your engine will not start? Why, the diesel has become thick. Instead of destroying your starter and batteries by cranking them over and over, you need to consider some options.



Many an diesel RV have manifold heaters installed in them. These run off the battery. They perform the same function as a heating blanket in your bed, but for the fuel lines in your RV. Lower end RVs, on the other hand, usually do not have such heaters. If you have one of these, you can usually get a local tow truck company to come out and apply a heater to area. You do not need an RV specialist. In colder areas, most tow companies perform this service for regular cars when their radiators freeze over.



With a little planning, you can avoid the cold diesel issue. If you are in a warm area and driving to a cold area, you need to consider the diesel you are filling up with. In warm areas, they use diesel 2. It does great in warm areas, but freezes in cold ones. As you are driving towards the cold area, try to time you fuel use so that you can fill up at a truck stop station as you enter it. These stations use diesel 1, which smells nasty, but does not thicken in the cold.



Another step to take is to use diesel additives. At practically any RV or auto supply store, you will find additives for keeping your diesel liquid in the cold. They work. That being said, you should only use them sparingly as they get pretty pricey.


Adrien White is with RVRentalsforYou.com - information on RV campgrounds and more.



Article Source: RV Fuel Problems in Winter