Winterizing

locky · Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2011 9:02 am Post subject: Winterizing

Snow is here, so that's it for the Thing. I will be storing it in my heated shop for the winter and doing some work to her over the cold months. No engine work, some electrical and a roll bar. I am wondering if there is anything I should do for her while she sits. With my snowmobile, I give it a yearly fogging for summer storage, anything similar I should do for the thing?
Thanks

GI Joe · Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2011 9:12 am Post subject:

Pull the negative Batt cable, mix in some Sta-Bil(fuel stabilizer) and run it a bit to get the Sta-bil into the carb. Throw a cover on her and enjoy your snowmobile!!!
With Our Thing not being a daily driver, I chose to add a Batt disconnect on mine, so if she'll be sitting for a month or more, I just switch the disco.

Short answer......
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FV195 · Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2011 11:11 am Post subject:

move to florida, or another warm place and drive year round. 79 and sunny today.
I know that is something not everyone can do.
I would also pump the tires up hard, all tires lose air, if they sit a few pounds down can cause flat spots. I myself, when I lived in a cold place would do a fresh oil change. old oil holds bad stuff in it, and when a nice day hits in the spring, she is ready to go, get yourself a "battery tender" the brand name one, not a cheap trickle charger. put on the battery, in summer you can use on snowmobile . stable in the gas is a must do. be sure to run to to get it to the carb. store with top up, windows in to keep rodents out, last thing, I would clean it good too.
THOR
hope this helps

Wildthings · Samba Member Joined: March 13, 2005 Posts: 50353

Always best to just remove the battery. That way if you don't fire her up next spring, but let her sit for a year or two you will not find the battery hanging out the bottom of the car when you do want to drive her again.

andk5591 · Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2011 4:22 pm Post subject:

This will help http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=159834

Some folks go a little overboard in my opinion. I just do fresh oil, grease, fuel stabilizer in a full tank of gas, plug the exhaust and disconnect the battery.
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lukesky · Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2011 6:38 pm Post subject:

I also heard that Bounce dryer sheets help keep the rodents away as good as mothballs, so I put 5 or so around inside the cabin. That could be totally wrong, but they sure do make it smell better in the spring. I hook up the battery to a trickle charger, then plug it in every month for a day or two to keep it topped up. When my dad had it, he'd take the battery out, but didn't keep a charge in it and a cell would go bad. He bought a lot of batteries in springtime.
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FV195 · Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2011 6:50 pm Post subject:

a trickle chager is fine for short charges, but if left on will cook the battery. spend the money, buy a "battery tender" they have a smart chip, that won't over charge it, can be left plugged in all winter with out thinking about it, ready to go in spring, when thing comes out, move it to snowmobile.
just don't start car with tender plugged in, that can fry them, my brother did it to 3 of them, I unplug from wall before a start. I leave mine, waterproof one in the car all the time. plug in when near an outlet. my ex father in law, used a trickle charger on his wave runners every winter. had to buy new batteries every spring. best of luck to you there is a lot more you could do but it is over kill

Semper_Dad · Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2011 7:04 pm Post subject:

hahaha, "winterizing" for me means adding another towel to help the defroster to clear the inside of the windshield. That and more blankets Laughing

. I drive year around
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Ferretkona · Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2011 9:17 pm Post subject:

Sadly for us winterizing looks like we are selling. Moving up to 4000 feet this month. No heater or windows.
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livy · Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2011 9:20 pm Post subject:

I'm driving mine all winter. I heard VW are great on the snow???

Rev. Scott · Posted: Tue Nov 22, 2011 7:42 pm Post subject:

winterizing...i put the top up. clean towel (defroster) for the season too.
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Ian Epperson · Posted: Tue Nov 22, 2011 7:50 pm Post subject:

Ian Epperson · Posted: Tue Nov 22, 2011 8:06 pm Post subject:

Wildthings · Samba Member Joined: March 13, 2005 Posts: 50353

A badly discharged battery can freeze which will cause mechanical damage to the plates and maybe even split the case. Pulling the negative cable off will prevent the battery from running down as fast and using a trickle charger occasionally will replace whatever charge is lost. Setting a battery on concrete will not cause it to run down, this is little more than an old mechanics' tale left over from the 1950's.

I try not to leave a battery sitting on concrete or metal though, not because it will cause the battery to run down, but because the battery can damage the concrete or metal if and when it leaks acid.

FV195 · Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2011 9:23 am Post subject:

this is for the hardcore that drive all winter long. when I liver in cold climate, I added a 12 volt booster fan to the defroster on my 74. could stand streamers up, and it helped pull the heat in, can get them at west marine or something like that

Semper_Dad · Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2011 9:32 am Post subject:

FV195 · Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2011 9:35 am Post subject:

don't have it set up anymore, changed things, sold one, bought one, moved to florida, so never set it up, still have the blower, will try to post photo, in the boating world they call them bildge fans
got pictures but, can't figure out how to post them Question

and it is a plastic fan, with rubber reducers to fit the hoses, had a 4 position switch off, low, med, hi. plastic, but worked real well. might hook my heat up again, GF gets cold at night, have a roof, but never put it up.

locky · Posted: Thu Nov 24, 2011 8:52 am Post subject:

Thanks for all the info fellas, and the advice. I think I will stick to BC though, I like our snow much better then Floridas. Better for snowboarding.

[email protected] · Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2011 4:13 pm Post subject:

It's better to put a tarp underneath the car rather then on top of it
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Wildthings · Samba Member Joined: March 13, 2005 Posts: 50353


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