A rant about common courtesy to your neighboring campers

[runner_one]

I lurk here more than I post, but sitting here this morning I just need to vent. Sorry, but I am grumpy this morning and you will see why.

If you drive a big diesel pusher class A, or have a tow vehicle that idles louder than a bulldozer please don't get up at the crack of dawn and leave your engine idling for an hour and a half while you break camp.

There are some of use who came to the campground for peace and quiet and want to sleep later than the chickens. Others are on vacation and need the rest. But before the sun is even over the mountain tops your big diesel cranks up and wakes the whole campground.

Now that is ok, if you want to get an early start, we do understand that vehicles make noise.

But don't leave it setting idling for half the morning, that is not necessary and just serves to annoy your neighbors. Crank it up and drive away and leave the rest of us in peace.

[lakeside013104]

pnichols wrote:

gbopp wrote:


(1.) I think most of the guilty think they are properly warming up their engines.
(2.) A few want everyone to know they have a diesel.
(3.) Some are obnoxious and do it to bother others.
(4.) The rest are the 'all about me' types.

(5.) Feel better now?

Let's take a look at the above in more detail:

(1.) = probably based on diesel misinformation and/or noise misinformation ... pure and simple

(2.) = probably based on selfishness based arrogance or some form of (masculine?) insecurity ... pure and simple

(3.) = selfishness ... pure and simple

(4.) = selfishness ... pure and simple

(5.) None of the rest of us should feel better about (1.) through (4.). They should make the rest of us sad ... and even more committed to re-establishment of good old fashioned, but ultra-effective, societal mores.

P.S. FWIW .... we use a gasser RV, that idles ultra-quiet, that doesn't need any warmup, and we hate with a passion getting up early (I did that enough during my career years). 😉

Well written and spot on, pure and simple.

Lakeside

[Dtank]

JerryandSusie wrote:
I just purchased a 2017 Ram 2500 Cummings Diesel. My owners manual says that when I come off the highway I should let my engine idle for 5 minutes and if I'm city driving 1 minute of idle should be enough before shutting it off. I'm assuming that about a 5 minute warm up would also be plenty of idle time. If I idle more than that and it begins to annoy you don't be afraid to say something to me. We are all out there for a good time. Happy Camping to all.

J and S:
Spend some time on one of the Ram (diesel) forums to learn more about your CTD !! (Example: Turbo Diesel Register - "TDR" - and, there are several others)

As others have already posted - the *cool down* idle to to allow the turbo to cool down after *working* hard (as in towing/hauling a load on the highway, at "speed") - and generating high temps.

If you drive for a while on city streets (or?) at slow(er) speeds and load - it's cooling down, and the cool-down idle is not needed.

The suggested idle(ing) does *not* apply to start-up.

~

[JaxDad]

JerryandSusie wrote:
I just purchased a 2017 Ram 2500 Cummings Diesel. My owners manual says that when I come off the highway I should let my engine idle for 5 minutes and if I'm city driving 1 minute of idle should be enough before shutting it off.

I think you will find that they mean you can’t pull off the highway, like into a rest area, and just shut it off, it needs to cool down.

In other Cummins publications they make this more clear, stating that a slow easy drive a few minutes off the highway is plenty of cool down.

[momentum_rv]

JerryandSusie wrote:
I just purchased a 2017 Ram 2500 Cummings Diesel. My owners manual says that when I come off the highway I should let my engine idle for 5 minutes and if I'm city driving 1 minute of idle should be enough before shutting it off. I'm assuming that about a 5 minute warm up would also be plenty of idle time. If I idle more than that and it begins to annoy you don't be afraid to say something to me. We are all out there for a good time. Happy Camping to all.

The post driving idle is to allow the turbos to cool. Doesn't apply for warm up.

[CavemanCharlie]

Jarlaxle wrote:

CavemanCharlie wrote:
If you want to talk about smoke. Our one grain truck has a 1970's Cummins non- turbo V8 in it. It will fire right up on the coldest days but, OH MY GOD the smoke. Stinkiest stuff you ever smelled too. If you get it on your clothing you can smell it all day. On cold days I start it up and run like heck to get away from it. You could drive it away like that but, it takes 10 minutes to pump up enough air into the tanks to get the air brakes to work anyway.

You should check on the air leak or a weak compressor, dude!

10 minutes is a exaggeration on my part. It's more like 5. There are 2 big air tanks and you have to get them up to 60 pounds before the buzzer stops. It's just the way it's always been. All of our other trucks are the same way.

[JerryandSusie]

I just purchased a 2017 Ram 2500 Cummings Diesel. My owners manual says that when I come off the highway I should let my engine idle for 5 minutes and if I'm city driving 1 minute of idle should be enough before shutting it off. I'm assuming that about a 5 minute warm up would also be plenty of idle time. If I idle more than that and it begins to annoy you don't be afraid to say something to me. We are all out there for a good time. Happy Camping to all.

[Jarlaxle]

CavemanCharlie wrote:
If you want to talk about smoke. Our one grain truck has a 1970's Cummins non- turbo V8 in it. It will fire right up on the coldest days but, OH MY GOD the smoke. Stinkiest stuff you ever smelled too. If you get it on your clothing you can smell it all day. On cold days I start it up and run like heck to get away from it. You could drive it away like that but, it takes 10 minutes to pump up enough air into the tanks to get the air brakes to work anyway.

You should check on the air leak or a weak compressor, dude!

[Jarlaxle]

jplante4 wrote:

Boon Docker wrote:
Nothing to hate about diesel, it's about the idiots that think they need to idle them excessively all the time for no reason.

From this thread, I think we agree. However the definition of "excessive" seems to be elusive. I ran into a guy in Delaware last year with an old Greyhound conversion. It originally had a Detroit diesel 2 stroke. He said he felt bad for the people next to him when he started up in the morning. Those old smokers needed to warm up or they blow oil smoke for an hour. The video I posted demonstrated that. After a couple of starts, it ran smoother.

No, wrong! A Detroit simply WILL NOT warm up idling...it needs to be driven!

[d3500ram]

CavemanCharlie wrote:
If you want to talk about smoke. Our one grain truck has a 1970's Cummins non- turbo V8 in it....

Too bad there are not more of those engines in RV's parked and idling in campgrounds....


...(might keep the mosquito population down) :B 😛 :W LOL

[CavemanCharlie]

If you want to talk about smoke. Our one grain truck has a 1970's Cummins non- turbo V8 in it. It will fire right up on the coldest days but, OH MY GOD the smoke. Stinkiest stuff you ever smelled too. If you get it on your clothing you can smell it all day. On cold days I start it up and run like heck to get away from it. You could drive it away like that but, it takes 10 minutes to pump up enough air into the tanks to get the air brakes to work anyway.

[jplante4]

Boon Docker wrote:
Nothing to hate about diesel, it's about the idiots that think they need to idle them excessively all the time for no reason.

From this thread, I think we agree. However the definition of "excessive" seems to be elusive. I ran into a guy in Delaware last year with an old Greyhound conversion. It originally had a Detroit diesel 2 stroke. He said he felt bad for the people next to him when he started up in the morning. Those old smokers needed to warm up or they blow oil smoke for an hour. The video I posted demonstrated that. After a couple of starts, it ran smoother.

[Boon_Docker]

jplante4 wrote:
Good thing you diesel haters weren't around in the 2-stroke Detroit Diesel days...

Skip to 5 minutes in to skip the lecture

2 stroke

Nothing to hate about diesel, it's about the idiots that think they need to idle them excessively all the time for no reason.

[jplante4]

Good thing you diesel haters weren't around in the 2-stroke Detroit Diesel days...

Skip to 5 minutes in to skip the lecture

2 stroke

[Jarlaxle]

For a single vehicle: 2psi in 1 minute with the parking brakes released, 3psi in one minute with the parking brakes released and service brakes applied.