Winter is coming!

[Wing It]

For the past 16 years I have put portable ceramic heaters in my butler if it gets near 32 degrees. I have never had an issue other than waking up frantic at night and running to check if my van is on fire. Now I have 2 vans with possibly a 3rd in the next year and multiple employees in charge of setting up the heater. As I look for commercial office space it makes things significantly harder and more expensive to find a spot where it's possible to put 2-4 vans in a heated environment. Are there horror stories of guys losing their trucks due to heater fires? Is it worth it to pay the extra money to find a warehouse space I can park the vans inside? I live in TN where it can consistently drop below 32 for a few hours a night, but rarely does it get below 20 degrees.

 

[Desk Jockey]

John that's a tough one. Fires? Most of the unit fires I have heard of were not related to truck heaters. Most were secondary fuel for water heater or other malfunction while running.

Freeze damage sucks. Some damage isn't found until long down the line. Its a big expense to house trucks. If the heaters are getting you by, I just keep doing as you're doing.
I think I'd replace the heaters yearly. Why risk it to save a few bucks.

 

[steve_64]

If you have employees and are running more like a business than an O/O I'd think about possibly buying property and a pole barn with a small office.

If we kepta regular schedule I was thinking about leasing some space for an office and a place for our equipment to get out of our house.

 

[Living The Dream]

I have anti freeze in my truck mount right now.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Yikes! I am not looking forward to winter.

 

[steve_64]

Yikes! I am not looking forward to winter.

I am! I need the rest.

 

[Nate The Great]

Winter? I welcome Ole man Winter!

 

[Desk Jockey]

I am! I need the rest.

LOL

 

[Spurlington]

Anti freeze would work but youd have to remove liquid chems and all tools and lines unless you run thru all .. which seem like alot of work. Do a video check up (facetime) as they lock up the truck to make sure heater is on and in the right position before they leave.

 

[steve_64]

Being in Tennessee i would probably just keep doing the heater on cold nights. I use to do that with my bane in Sub zero temps.

Glad my garage doesn't freeze now.

 

[kmdineen]

Anti freeze would work but youd have to remove liquid chems and all tools and lines unless you run thru all .. which seem like alot of work. Do a video check up (facetime) as they lock up the truck to make sure heater is on and in the right position before they leave.

I have been winterizing my Butler for years. I use windshield washer fluid to push the water out of the machine and live solution reel, then keep running the pump to remove all the windshield washer fluid. I pop off the auto water fill and pump gage as they are on quick release fittings and bring them inside with some spotters that may freeze. It is quick and fool proof.

I use mostly powdered prepays that won't freeze and pop a opposite quick release fitting in the wand or Zipper I used that day to drain the water.