ok so i am up in cobleskill new york for school--diesel. well as you know it gets cold up here and there is no place to plug in your truck. what do you think about puttin a small generator in the bed, locking it so no one can steal it and then a few hours before i need the truck fire up the generator and fun an extension cord to the block heater up front. think its a bad idea. i mean this would only be for the fridgid days the cummins always starts unless it really gets down there.

 

i wouldnt even mess with that. just wake up a little earlier to let it warm up

brett

 

not a bad idea as long as you can keep the gen from freezing up.

 

i think the point is just trying to get it to crankover(it gets a tad bit nippy up there)diesel oil at -20 is like mollasses.

 

im sure there is a better way...i dont see that generator hanging around for long!

brett

 

keep gen in cab to keep the seats warm ,specially if ya got leather

 

The Forest Service, BLM, Colo. Game & Fish and others in Gunnison country used to outfit there 'stay out in the boonies all night' trucks with a propane-fired tank heater ...I guess you can still get them.

 

That is exactly the way many of the big trucks do it, with the exception that most of their generators draw from the fuel tanks, and are frame-mounted to the truck.

They have bunk-warmers for winter and A/C units for summer, among many other electric conveniences.

 

Ya the propane heater is the way to go. I have used them in the bush and they are a good.

 

not a bad idea; I'd make a box to put the generator in, out of diamond plate, or wood, etc. to cover/ hide it. I'd drill a hole in it near the exhaust pipe to let the exhaust out too. Throw rakes or shovels over it to hide it, etc. & you should be alright, as long as its not too noisy.

 

john deere makes an excellent 0w-40 synthetic diesel oil you could switch to for the winter months....

do that and make sure you've got 2 good batteries and a clean fuel filter ( run additive) and your truck should start fine.


my 98 12v started numerous times last winter at -10 F and it was fine, sure it runs rough for a few seconds but it does start, and that was with 15w40 rotellla

 

We Run Zero 40 or 5-40 synthetic in are trucks in the winters up here in northern B.C, -35 to -40 and I havent plugged in my truck. Just fire it up 15 minutes before you leave.

Nick

 

You could also look into an Espar. A generator would be cheaper (there are some that are more expensive), but the Espar would be a little more convenient.

It's probably overkill. Good synthetic oils in the engine, etc. should be enough unless it gets really cold.

 

I use a 3500w Wen I got at Menards. It works great for heating the block up. The biggest problem is getting the gen started. I use 0-20 or 0-30 oil. this winter I'm switching to a synthetic as it is just too hard to get the gen started at -20. I wish I could have afforded an electric start. I haven't found one in this size but I hear they are available. The thing is a bit noisy so if you live in an apt face it away from the buildings. Usually there is snow here when it is that cold so it soaks up the noise. I also have a tonneau cover so I just drop the tail gate. Mine weighs about 100 pounds and with a log chain wrapped around it it would be very difficult to remove.

I sometimes leave it run while I'm driving as it helps add to the motor heat and warms it up faster. I've let it run all night or all day as the need be. cheaper for a few gallons of gas than a tow.

I also use it to drive the battery charger so when it is really cold I can run both the battery charger and the block heater.

Also you need winter fronts or at least cardboard in front of the radiator with a 6-8 in hole centered on the fan. You need the biggest batteries you can get. A good ice scraper and brush. Shovel helps too.

 

Exactly, how long would that thing stay in the bed of a pickup parked on a college campus?

Cobleskill, there's a couple of people from my area that are there right now. One is in the ag mechanics program I believe. He never had a problem last winter with starting his truck and he had a 97 'cough' powerstroke 'cough'.
And I had to unhook his fuel heater because it had broken loose inside the can and shorted out, told him to run extra additive.

My 93 was started at +5 F in Beaver Dams, NY with no grid heaters, PCM wouldn't turn them on. Took 3 attempts, but on the 3rd attempt it caught and stayed running.