Neighbor’s Endlessly Idling Truck

[DECelt]

I’m camping next to an idler. These are the guys that start their truck in the morning and let it idle for 30 minutes before leaving. This is southern Arizona, it’s not cold out. Why is this encountered so often? A pet peeve of mine.

This time it’s a gasser. Diesels are even worse.

This campground is so quiet except for my neighbors endlessly idling truck. Perhaps we should have a civilized discussion about it.

Sorry for the rant but perhaps this post will change some hearts and minds.

Gotta let those diesels warm up....oh wait, that was like 20 years ago. I couldn't agree with you more!

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[4x4dually]

It's all about being respectful to others, period. If you own a diesel like I do and don't want to pull out on a cold motor, start it up, idle off and make a loop around the place or take a short cruise if you plan on pulling out really early in the am. Tear down camp and get everything ready to hook up then warm your truck, hook up, and head out. Motor longevity is common sense....let the oil warm up and get circulating, let the head and gasket warm up, let the transmission come up to temp, etc. But that doesn't mean you have to annoy the entire campsite to do it. These folks that start it up the minute they walk outside and let it idle the entire time they tear everything down are annoying. But seriously, where has anyone ever gone in the last 15 years where everyone is courteous? It's a failing art.

Gotta let those diesels warm up....oh wait, that was like 20 years ago.

So....just fire them up, hitch to a 15,000#+ trailer and head out on the highway, huh? No thanks. I'll keep my head gaskets and internal parts internal.

[OshawaDave]

I start mine when I'm ready to hitch up (Mine is a gasser). There is no need to let the truck idle beyond the time required to hitch up (unless you're camping on the shoulder of a highway). By the time you slowly drive through the campground to the dump station and out of the park, the truck will be at operating temperature.

[goducks14]

Depending on the rods out of the CG will determine my warm up. For the most part I only start the truck to hitch and then it's shut off until we are close to leaving. If the roads are flat and it's a ways till I hit the hwy or freeway then I don't worry about a quick warm up.
If I know I'm hitting the hwy or freeway quickly then I will let it warm for 5+ mins.
I have a diesel.

[trailrydr]

I start mine when I'm ready to hitch up (Mine is a gasser). There is no need to let the truck idle beyond the time required to hitch up (unless you're camping on the shoulder of a highway). By the time you slowly drive through the campground to the dump station and out of the park, the truck will be at operating temperature.

+1..... the gassers typically, if using stock mufflers, dont make much noise, deisels do. Either way, if one truly wants to be considerate of others, they could drive unhooked out of the campground to ensure a good temp instead of idling in place for a long period of time. But thats takes a mindset and a practice not too common in todays campground experience

[4x4dually]

I have to be courteous to others.....high idle on a cold morning with a 5" Aussie cut stack might be a little much for most folks to tolerate considering the only thing between the turbo and the pipe is a 17" resonator.

LOL

[traveldawg]

The owners manual for my last rig - a Class A with a Cummins said warm up for 3 minutes then go. I would not “go” immediately at 60 mph. It always took a few more minutes to get to a high speed road anyway.

So now I do the same with my Ford. Raises it never a comes up to temps (oil, trans, coolant) until I start moving anyway.

I need to go out a read my owners manual again I guess.

I still think there are a lot of old school folks who still do idle a lot.

[IBEW Sparky]

+1..... the gassers typically, if using stock mufflers, dont make much noise, deisels do. Either way, if one truly wants to be considerate of others, they could drive unhooked out of the campground to ensure a good temp instead of idling in place for a long period of time. But thats takes a mindset and a practice not too common in todays campground experience

While taking a ride out of the campground to warm up your truck may sound like a good idea I wouldn't want to be camped along the main road and have to hear several big diesel trucks running back and forth at 7am every morning as campers come and go. It also a waste of 15-20 minutes of breakdown time, putting away hoses, stabilizer bars, power cords, tank flushing, etc. Those things take long enough to do on departure day so I wouldn't want to add an extra 20 minutes to my routine. My GMC 8.1L gasser isn't loud and seldom runs for more than 10 minutes, 15 minutes tops.....heck it takes 45 minutes of towing just to get the trans temp to 150°.

[BobLandry]

No diesel has to warm up for 30 minutes. The guy is an inconsiderate ******. I would turn it over to the campground host. Any interaction with people like that can go south in a hurry. The campground host/manager signed up for potential situations like this, you did not.

[Redapple63]

Perhaps we should have a civilized discussion about it.

This is where I would start.