Nothing can put a damper on that cross-country RV trip to see the grand-kids, like engine troubles in the middle of nowhere. Your Cummins diesel engine was built to give you hundreds of thousands of trouble-free miles on the road – provided you kick in a little TLC along the way.
Here are a few suggested precautions you can take to ensure your travel plans do indeed go as planned:
1. Idle Worship is a Sin – While it’s a good idea to let your Cummins diesel engine idle for about 10 seconds before take-off in normal weather conditions, you can avoid problems like overheating and carbon build-up by otherwise keeping the idling to a minimum.
2. Proper Diet is Essential – Yes, your engine needs to watch what it eats (or drinks) just like you. Keep a list handy of the recommended replacement parts and fluids for you Cummins. Avoid bargains if they mean straying from those prescribed for your engine model.
3. Take Her Temperature – Cummins recommends operating your engine under light load until the coolant temperature reaches 150 degrees.
4. Check Your Oil, Mister? – The suggested interval for changing the oil in your Cummins can vary with the model anywhere from 15,000 – 18,000 miles. Bear in mind that if your RV has been sitting in the driveway since last year’s trip to the Grand Canyon, you’ll want to replace that oil regardless of mileage. Always change the oil filter whenever you replace the oil.
Stay on top of your Cummins diesel RV’s maintenance schedule, keep accurate service records, and you’ll save yourself time for the really important things – like figuring out how to open those photo files the grand-kids sent to your email.