I guess I've been doing it wrong all these years.
Winter storage question
- Thread starter AlexCB500
- Start date
I think I'm going to switch to this kind of Sta-bil going forward. Apparently it's a little better as it specifically neutralizes ethanol.https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/sta-bil-ethanol-fuel-treatment-0380131p.html
Hack
Well-known member
You go ahead and drive your little econo box... Just don't call me when you need to pick up anything bigger than a toaster from Home Depot.
I often get flack, albeit in fun for driving a giant pickup truck... Of course who do these enviro-"mentalists" call when they need help moving or buy something at IKEA they can't take home in their Prius...?
Taking their size/weight into consideration modern light trucks are pretty efficient... Yes, my F150 takes $140 to fill, but... It has a large tank and that'll get me about 1000km on the highway...
My wife's Honda Pilot is only marginally better.
This is a fools argument. Simple math proves it.
I used to drive a 1-ton dually diesel. I had a NEED for it because I was hauling our 35' RV or my 40' 4 head horse trailer.
With both of those sold and no need for the truck anymore, I dropped it like a hot potato and bought an econobox...before the Volt, but that's another story.
I drive about 20,000KM/year. My truck burned about 15L/100KM. Fuelly.com shows that the F150 averages about 13.5L/100KM. A decent average for an economy car is around 7.5L/100KM.
So lets do some math, shall we?
Over a 20,000KM year (which is average) the F150 will burn 2700L of gas.
The economy car will consume around 1500L of gas.
At the average of about $1.25L in the last few years, that's $1500 PER YEAR in extra gas you're burning. Own that truck for 10 years and you've burned an extra $15,000 in gas.
Now, a few weeks ago we bought a new refrigerator. Back when I owned the truck I would probably have hauled it home myself because I had the truck, sure. But instead I opted to pay a whole $75 to have Lowes deliver it instead...and haul my old one away, at that. Saved my back, too.
For the average person needless to say even if you're paying for delivery on something maybe once a twice a year, you're still WAY ahead not driving the enormous truck. Reality is that most trucks are pavement princesses who have never had anything more than a few bags of groceries and a two-four in the back. MOST people don't need them, they just make up justifications in their head for why they think they do.
Case in point.
By the way, when we bought a brand new dishwasher last spring from Lowes....it fit in our Volt. The hatch even closed. Didn't need a truck. I have a photo somewhere to prove it if you'd like to see it.
But is the bumper still attached?:lmao:
Yeah, curiously enough, it is! Nobody is going to get the joke however.
Caboose, ours was still in all the original packaging so it had a lot of extra bulk, but it still slipped right in there with the rear seats folded down..with space to spare.
The refrigerator was the first time since I sold my truck (nearly 3 years ago now) that I had to pay to have something delivered. Everything else, from hauling gardening supplies in the spring (about 500# of soil and such) to hauling refuse to the dump...the Volt has managed just fine. In a few weeks I'll have probably 750# of beer in it, I'm buying for a (yes, licensed) function we are running and I offered to do the booze run.
The above math aside, compared to my truck the Volt is saving me about $3500 a year in fuel expenses.
I don't need a truck anymore, and I'm not trying to somehow kid myself that I do.
I’ll be able to pick up a dishwasher. That one was a floor model and out of the box already. Got a good deal on it
I’ll be able to pick up a new washer and dryer when we get them soon.
I’ll be able to pick up more lumber, insulation, etc, for a basement reno.
I’ll be able to pick up a new washer and dryer when we get them soon.
I’ll be able to pick up more lumber, insulation, etc, for a basement reno.
Trailer FTW. I don't have a hitch on either of our Volts yet, but will probably eventually...as it certainly further negates the need for a truck ever again.
My poor old Sonata must also serve as a trailer mule from time to time. It makes dump runs, appliance pick-ups and pulls my motorcycle around surprisingly well.
I’ll be able to pick up a dishwasher. That one was a floor model and out of the box already. Got a good deal on it
I’ll be able to pick up a new washer and dryer when we get them soon.
I’ll be able to pick up more lumber, insulation, etc, for a basement reno.
JTR
Well-known member
If I'm not mistaken, most cars smaller than a crossover(and even some crossovers) have a warning in the manual to not tow with the vehicle. And a dealer trying to get out of doing something could probably void your warranty if you brought the car in with a hitch, even if it's a genuine manufacturer accessory. Cars aren't rated for trailers, and it's generally unsafe to do so as it's extremely easy to break into a tail wagging the dog situation.
https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/star-tron-enzyme-fuel-treatment-0607567p.html#srp
This stuff comes highly recomended foom a # of MC forums...its what i use
Anything can tow 1000lbs. Anything.....
But yes, some vehicles aren’t given a tow rating at all. The Volt does not have a tow rating, neither does my buddy’s Type R. My car is out of warranty also....
Saying it’s “generally unsafe” is simply not true. Some thought must be given to loading, weight distribution, and total weight, but it’s not rocket science. And this can be said of any vehicle hauling any cargo or any trailer. (I won’t be using the Volt to bring home drywall.... too heavy)
Small cars with a hatch can still be very practical.
Many cars are rated to tow trailers, and do so just fine.
Many that are rated to tow zero here are magically rated to tow many thousands of pounds overseas.
It's a liability thing, not a capability thing....drivers are far better trained on the other side of the pond and manufacturers are less likely to be held at fault for someone else's stupidity like they are here in the "not my fault!" mentality.
You don't need a pickup truck to pull a 1000# trailer, despite what the marketing for pickup truck manufacturers would have you believe.
Trials
Well-known member
the hazard with ethanol is that it is hygroscopic :| absorbs water like a sponge, aka gas line antifreeze.
... theoretically if exposed to water condensation ethanol can absorb up to its weight in water from the atmosphere, at some point in its storage life that whole conception can separate and you have bad fuel in the bottom of your tank.
Fuel "stabilizer" is an additional expensive chemical added to interfere with that issue,
realistically now you have ? additional chemicals to the ethanol gasoline and possibly water going through your engine :|
you got some pretty heavy chemistry going on there to predict the impact to the motor and entire fuel system, but as you say you haven't seen problems yet.
https://brtransport.com/m/datasheets/Stabil MSDS.pdf <- there's your magic chemical, petroleum distillate.
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Trials
Well-known member
Um, we live in a really really huge country, travel relatively tremendous distances on some of the largest roads and road networks in existence, we also happen to be an oil producing nation not a stellar corn producing nation, that would be the USA.
I buy diesel trucks because the motors out last 2 truck bodies, diesel engines run exactly the same all the time, fuel conditioner is simple and inexpensive, diesel engines perform better because the fuel has a greater energy potential then gasoline and most other available fuels (did you know some diesel engines actually have water injectors, they can add water to the combustion process and turn it into energy, plus water dissolves carbon deposits)
I buy diesel trucks because the motors out last 2 truck bodies, diesel engines run exactly the same all the time, fuel conditioner is simple and inexpensive, diesel engines perform better because the fuel has a greater energy potential then gasoline and most other available fuels (did you know some diesel engines actually have water injectors, they can add water to the combustion process and turn it into energy, plus water dissolves carbon deposits)
roadrash
Well-known member
Hmm but doesn't the fuel stabilizer prevent fuel from breaking down ? I was thinking storage for 4-5 months should be ok this way. Guess this won't work for prolonged storage (few years or more).
Well too late now anyway, I winterized my bike already.
