I'm going camping/fishing this weekend but it's gonna be cold (high 20's) I've decided to sleep in my Runner over night. My question is this:

Will it hurt my engine to run it over night so I can keep the heater running?


Thanks,
David

 

No other than hurt your gas bill.

 

I know idling for long periods is really stressful on the engine but if it's really cold out...I don't know. For some reason, it doesn't sound like a good idea although I can't tell you why!

 

hhmm....i dont think it's good to keep your engine idle for more than 15 minutes much less all night. i remember reading something like that but i'm not positive...someone else will jump in and give their 2 cents

 

Be extremely cautious since any little exhaust leak into the car and you might not wake up in the morning. I think it's an iffy idea.

 

Might I suggest bringing a sleeping bag?

 

It's hard on the cams because at idle the pressure on the lobes is the greatest. It's also not the best for the engine in general because it's not operating at normal temperatures.

A good sleeping bag will be plenty to keep you warm.

 

Oh I remember a TV movie of the week where this couple and a baby get stuck in the mountains with snow drifts in the roads. They idled on and off all night to keep warm. Anyone remember that movie? It had Doogie Howser in it.
Anyway, it doesn't sound like a good idea unless you are in a life threatening situation.

 

Bring a bunch of blankets and keep a window cracked in the runner. No need to run the engine. If you have a dog bring em along, it will keep you real warm.

 

Crank her up for about 15-20 min every couple hrs if it's that cold. Really, in the 20's, if you're off the ground (in the truck) most any sleeping bag should do you just fine. There's no wind to contend with either. Idling all night is wasteful imo. I doubt it would hurt the truck, but couldn't be "good" for it either.

 

I don't think this is something I'd want to do outside of an emergency situation. Too much chance of problems with carbon monoxide...

 

I 'don't know if it will hurt the engine or not. Its not good to do this to an engine every day because it never reaches temps to burn off contaminants in the oil. I don't know about drivetrain stess on cams etc. My only concern would be CO poisoning. If its windy thats not as big a deal. If you camp a lot, get a good sleeping bag. I have a North Face 20 deg. bag. I've camped in weather like you're talking about in it. I was so hot I had to leave the bag half open to stay cool. You can use it in the summer to sleep on top of with a thin blanket.

 

I spent 2 weeks camping in the back of my 2nd Gen in the mountains of Wales when I was over there. It got plenty cold at night. Do what everyone is saying and get a good bag and you won't have any probs. Just DONT FORGET to crack some windows or you'll suffocate yourself. I did this once and woke up feeling very groggy with a pounding headache it wasn't cool at all. Vent visors come in very handy for this application.

 

pretty much what everyone else said. sleeping in 20 degree weather is hard, you get cold a lot and you have to wear many layers, thats if your outside on the ground. if your gonna be in your truck, it might get to 30 degrees in there so still wear the same amount of clothing, wear a hat or beanie and thick socks. a sleeping bag or a ton of blankets, oh and a sleeping pad will help keep your heat from escaping as well. as far as your engine, that does not sound like a good idea at all. just do what i stated above and you will be more than happy. promise

 

- Yeah I remember that one! They were in some crappy Ford Ranger or something.

 

thanks everybody. I do camp quite a bit but rarely in the colder months. I'll take a couple bags and if I' still cold I'll cycle the engine every now and again just to take the chill off.

Good advice by all.

David

keep the rubber side down.