I have not been driving my truck for the last couple of months , do to driving my company car. I do have the truck plugged in on a timer cycling 2 hours on and off, is there anything else I should do or be concerned of?

I know it is a shame to let a cummins sit, but please don't beat on me to hard.

 

is it garaged or just sitting outside?

 

It is sitting outside.

 

You don't even have to have it plugged in. Just start it every few days and let it run for 20-30 minutes. We have an extra truck where I work in case someone's needs to be put in the shop. Thats what we do. Just let it run for a while every now and then and it will be fine.

 

Thanks, that is what I will do.

 

I have had my truck sit for about 2 yrs over 4 deployments. It is fine. This latest 6 monther it will be sitting 6 months straight without starting.

 

I planned on driving my truck alot in about 6 months when my company lease vehicle is up. Why put the miles on my own vehicle when I can put it on theirs.

 

I've been told to keep the tank full to reduce the chances of getting water in system.

 

I would get a trickle charger for the batteries and leave it on. The new ones desulfate the batteries and make them last much longer.

 

There are 2 thoughts on the fuel- 1 is to leave it full, hence less room for condensation.
The other is to leave it half full, in case the fuel does go bad and start to grow algae. Then you fill it up when you are to use it again, and it will be mixed with 1/2 tank of good fuel. If you leave it full, and the fuel goes bad, you might have to drain the complete tank.
I left mine 1/2 full.
I also have spiral wound batteries, so they will be better than having standard batteries, but I never had a problem with the stock batteries, either. I never had a charger on them, but they were in good shape to begin with.

 

I will be returning from a six month deployment after Christmas. The truck is at my parents house in SE New Mexico, and my dad hasnt been cycling it like I asked him to. He said he's put maybe 20 miles on it since June. Is there anything I should be concerned with or anything I should check before I make the 600 mile trip back to Corpus Christi, Tx? TIA, I'm hoping the low humidity will help in not messing with my fuel to bad.

 

Mine sat for a year at my dad's house while I was deployed. When I left it had 8500 miles on it and when I got home it had just over 9000. My dad dove it every couple of weeks and fired it up once a week or so. I was a little worried because my dad has a habit of not putting any miles on any of my stuff. He takes really good care of all my stuff, but he doesn't want to drive anything because he is afraid of it getting hit. My 93 Mustang has been sitting in his garage with just under 100,000 miles on it for at least four years because he wants me to be the one to have it turn over. My truck made the 1900 mile trip from Iowa to Washington with just an oil and fuel filter change before I left, and i didn't have any problems. Now I can't stop putting miles on the truck, it's just so much fun to drive. Theres no way I would let it sit if it was up to me.

 

Personally I wouldn't just start it for a short period of time. I wouldn't start it unless you were going to bring it up to operating tempuratre. Heat/cold cycles will cause condensation, eventually contaminating the oil.

 

I guess I might have to suffer through and drive my truck atleast once a month to get the temperature up to normal.

 

Should be fired and brought up to temp, driven to lube and turn the fluids and avoid flat spotting the tires.
If it can only be fired, than just over inflate the tires, I like to fill the tank w/fuel to avoid condenastion here in the midwest also a battery tender for anything more than 60 days is what I do, anything more the 60 wheels come off fuel/batteries come out plug exhaust/intakes, lube weather stripping and hinges and mothball it those mice love new nesting sites..