I'll be leaving for a deployment around July and was looking for some suggestions on what and howto prep for about eight months of non driving whilst it sits in an outdoor uncovered lot. Also, some suggestions on high quality covers anyone has had experience with. Thanks in advance guys

 

Call up Covercraft and ask if they have any factory second Evolution 4 or better covers. If they have one you'll only have to pay about $40 plus shipping for it. The only thing that will be wrong with the cover is that it'll have a bit of dirt on it.Who cares? It'll get dirt on it the minute you put it on the car. If no factory seconds are available, you might still want to consider a Covercraft cover. They make some pretty good ones. I use an Evolution 4 cover on a '69 Volvo I keep stored outside all year around and it works well.

 

For storage I would recommend making sure the fuel tank is completely full and pouring the prescribed amount of fuel stabilizer into the tank just before you leave.

 

Eight months huh, well the battery will possibly be about dead upon return. Not sure if you are gonna be parked near electrical outlet, if so, I use 1.5 Amp Battery MINDers* on mine.
Or remove battery, take it inside, & have someone charge it at least once a month.

If you do use a fuel stabilizer, I'd highly recommend Seafoam* & add it BEFORE you gas it up full.
To mix it thoroughly & then run vehicle to get the mix thru entire fuel system & injectors.

Seafoam* will stabilize gas for 2 years, I have tested it. Best price is from WalMart, @ $6. a bottle.

And I also would air up the tires. If you don't have to, I would not engage the emergency brake for your time away.

PS: Thank You for your service.

 

Good advise above. Cover is a tricky thing. If it can stay on, great. But I've seen many sitting in long term lots on bases the cover is barely on the car. Wind whipping can cause scratches with the cover. If you can have someone start it a couple times a month, that would be preferred, but know it's not always possible.

 

Eight months , wow, thank you for your service! All very good suggestions, Sweetie says if you bring it up here, she’ll look after it for those months! She a very good driver and keeps her car spotless.

 

Wow, Sleeper, all really good advice!! I also have a battery minder, I think 3/4 amp. I would definitely take the battery out of the vehicle. It's parked outside, you don't want an unattended extension cord going to your car for 8 months. Also harder to steal without a battery.

 

And don't forget the tricks to open the trunk with no battery installed (use jumper points).

Those battery tender things like what Sleeper mentioned work great.

 

Thanks guys-

I used to use .750mA battery tenders from Deltran, till I cooked the battery in my Fat Boy.

I switched to 1.5Amp Battery MINDer* 1500 models w / temperature compensators. They come with 5 year warranty. or the 1510 has 10 year warranty, but a couple bucks more.

Makes a big difference. Hot weather the float level will be automatically lowered so not to boil it out, & in colder weather the Temp Compensator tells it to boost up the float rate. Set it & forget it.

Avoid Battery Sulfation with a Desulfating Battery Charger | BatteryMINDers

 

Thanks for all the input guys