Drive it or Park it?

[Hydengr]

Folks,

Truck is in Sig below. Very good condition. During the winter months, I avoid driving it as much as possible due to the stupid amount of road salt used. However, I also realize the cons of letting a 17 yr old truck sit. I do have the ability to start it and let it warm to temp, then drive it around the block (0.2 mile) a few times to "spin" all the lube in the axles and such. There is NO salt used in the plan where I live, but accesssing the "outside" world is a totally different situation...

So, I welcome your thoughts on whether to:

1. Let it sit in the garage
2. Warm to to temp and do a few laps around the neighborhood every couple weeks
3. Drive it and forget about it...

Thanks in advance,

Mark

 

[sewlow]

#1 & #2! Just keeping it in a garage will do a lot to preserve it!

 

[Hydengr]

Thanks sewlow...

Sometimes hear that "short trips" are so bad for vehicles, but under the circumstances, I feel that driving it enough to let the engine get to temp then moving enough to spin all of the fluids has to be a good thing. FWIW, the truck does go out into the crap when the DD won't handle it, but with hunting season over and the freezer full, I like to park it until the roads are free of salt...

BTW, it's a Silverado w/ a manual... Always wondered how many of those are out there, and yes, I ordered it that way!

Mark

 

[sewlow]

Original owner? Cool! Not many of those around! Especially ones that were ordered!

 

[Hydengr]

Interesting note... When I ordered the manual w/ the Silverado trim, I got ~$800 off since an "auto" was part of the Silverado trim package...

 

[glfirefighter144]

my 96 is a RCSB Z71 with a manual, and i have seen two others like mine and one ECSS, they aren't necessarily rare, but they are far and few between, you have me on the original owner though, i was only 10 when my truck hit the road

 

[johnny_buchanan]

If the garage is warm, I'd let it sit thru winter without starting it. Don't think dry warm storage does any harm, throw a cover on to keep dust off and forget about it till spring. I've stored my vehicles like that for more than two decades with no problems. I don't even use trickle charges, just disconnect batteries. Come spring time I charge them up before 1st start-up.

If your garage is cold or moist then regular, good warm up and gentle drive would be better option, methinks

-J


Sent from my NSA monitored iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Hydengr]

johnny_buchanan,

Garage is integrated w/ house, but unheated... DD comes in and out and brings a lot of moisture (and crap) along with it. I have been doing the occasional start and drive around the block for years and will continue to do so. I keep a trickle charge on it and like I said, when needed, it comes out. However, as long as the snow's not to deep, I do tend to keep it away from the elements. (I've also been known to wash the rig when the temps were near freezing, afterwards... brrrrr!)

Thanks guys, as always, your thoughts and insight is appreciated!

Mark

 

[dowsewashere]

I know if you do plan on letting it sit, you will want to take the tires off and throw the truck on jackstands. Tires that sit too long will dry rot and sometimes bands will become all whacky causing vibration at high or even low speeds.
Now that i have a DD, i dont drive my tahoe very much but since the frame, and most of the underside is bedlined or POR15'ed ill bear the salty roads like you do when the DD cant handle it. I do short trips every other week to keep the gas from going stale and to get the fluids through.

 

[great white]

Meh, your plan to occasionally drive it is fine.

The other option is to go full storage.

Preserve the fuel (stabil or such)
Fog it (engine preservative)
Change the oil (removes acids and contaminants for when it sits.
battery tenders.
Don't park it near anything with electric motors (creates ozone, destroys rubber)
Check the tire pressures monthly.

That's a basic store. You can go more foolish with covers, waxing, etc. But it's not needed for a 3-6 month store.