During the winter, is it necessary to move the Barth so the tires don't stay in the same spot?

IMHO, it is a good idea to exercise any RV for a dozen miles, or so, every month. It's not just good for the tires. Warming the engine thoroughly drives out condensation, & running all the mechanicals keeps seals from drying out, keeps gears & bearings bathed in oil, reduces the amount of rust that accumulates on brake rotors & drums, etc.

I know people who park their RVs in the Fall & let them sit. Nearly all of them have a tale of woe the first time they take it out in the Spring. From the time I started the monthly exercise program I never had that problem. Of course, if you park in a weather tight insulated garage, you'll have fewer problems. Nevertheless, almost all mechanical devices prefer regular use to sitting idle for long periods.

So I should open up the door to the storage building and drive the Barth through 3 feet of snow down the steep driveway and out on to the salt covered roads?

Some of us don’t have the luxury of exercising their rigs….If I could I would!

I will agree with Roy on the monthly drive, but up the ante to 20 miles.

However, if you can't do that, then jacking the coach to prevent sidewall deformation is good. If you don't want to jack, then increasing the inflation will help.

An engine should never be run without getting it up to operating temp for a while.

I had a teacher, a retired engineer from Wright Aeronautical Engines, who said 90% of engine wear occurs during cold starts. That is because the oil has run down from the bearings, cam followers, valve stems, piston skirts, etc. A number of our engines at work needed to be cranked until oil pressure indicated before they would light off.

Even if you obviate that condition by such measures as a pre-oiler, block heater or cranking until oil pressure indicates, the engine needs to warm up and stay warm long enough to cook off the evil stuff that a cold start puts in the oil.

The rich mixture from the choke in a gasser also washes valuable oil from the cylinder walls and piston wear surfaces.

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Originally posted by chrisW:
So I should open up the door to the storage building and drive the Barth through 3 feet of snow down the steep driveway and out on to the salt covered roads?

Welcome to my world too. Oh wait... You live in NY. ... Nevermind.

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Originally posted by chrisW:
Some of us don’t have the luxury of exercising their rigs….If I could I would!

You got a storage building? Lucky you...

If you will park the coach on pieces of 2" x 8" or wider lumber you can avoid flat spotting. Concrete and asphalt will create the flat spots. Running the engine until it completely heats up (and the generator with a load) will take care of the condensation. When you park for the winter grease every fitting, spray oil (not WD-40) on all bushings, seals and hose clamps and you should be able to fire it up without any problems. A trickle charger will handle the batteries for you but check them monthly.

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You got a storage building? Lucky you...

It’s a funny Barth story actually!
I always wanted to get an RV to tow the car to the track but I refused to even look at one until the building was done. Winters are pretty nasty around here and I could not stand getting an RV and seeing it sitting outside in snow drifts. I am a bit fanatic about taking care of stuff I own.

A week after the concrete floor was poured (building already done) I got a call from a friend telling me I should really go look at this RV that was for sale near his house – way out in the woods on a barely traveled road. He thought it was a Bart or something like that. At that point I had never heard of a Barth…I did some research and it started to sound like a real find…went to look at it (10 miles from my house!) and bought it on the spot. It needed some TLC mechanically but other than that it was in great shape.

It did have to sit outside for a couple of weeks as the concrete cured…I did not like it when it rains on my New Barth…!

The storage building is attached to my work shop – and it was filled pretty quickly…40 x 60 is not as big as it sounded once you put a 35’ RV in it!

I repectfully disagree with the concept of running the engine stationary to warm up. Diesels should be allowed to idle cold only long engough for all cylinders to fire (and getting the air pumped up), then loaded right away.

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Diesels should be allowed to idle cold only long engough for all cylinders to fire (and getting the air pumped up), then loaded right away.

...yet big rigs set in rest stops idling for hours, wasting fuel and pumpimng smut into the atmosphere. somebody should clue these guys

It's kind of hard to push start one of those when the battery goes dead...

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Originally posted by Dick Dubbs:

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Diesels should be allowed to idle cold only long engough for all cylinders to fire (and getting the air pumped up), then loaded right away.

...yet big rigs set in rest stops idling for hours, wasting fuel and pumpimng smut into the atmosphere. somebody should clue these guys

Those are warm idles, and while not ideal, much less stress on the engine.

I guess stinkpot fans have an answer for everything.

Had a great day Saturday so we fired up the Barth and went on a 20 mile ride to see Bill G. All systems were 'go'.