How to store? (Tacoma not used for months)

So, I've ended up getting jobs back-to-back which have kept me out of state and away from my Tacoma for 6 months. My g-friend said she'd start the truck & my motorcycle every week, but that hasn't happened and so both have sat dormant for almost 6 weeks.

1) The Tacoma's battery is dead, so I told her to just leave it. Is there anything I should be worried about while leaving it until I return Dec 18th? When I get a new battery, will it be able to start up fine or should I drive it straight to a dealer for a checkup? I'm worried about all the fluids and any gas left in the tank...

2) Same with my motorcycle. Any advice on that? Battery is at least on a trickle charge attached to the wall, but I'm worried about any leftover gas and fluids just sitting there. Is it safe to start after 2 months of inactivity? (I'm checking out the RAT forums, as well, but thought I'd ask here, too)

Any advice would be helpful. Thanks, guys!

 

it wouldn hurt to put a fuel stabalizer in your truck

 

Gas starts to go bad after about a month. If you didn't use fuel stabilizer, I'd remove the tank on the bike and drain it. Bike fuel systems are a little more sensitive to bad gas than cars. Especially bikes with carburetors. Bad gas will clog up the low speed idle jets in no time.

If she gets a jump, she may be able to bring the truck battery back from the dead. She can then put in some fresh gas with some fuel stabilizer. As long as she runs the truck for a few minutes each month, it should be fine.

 

Every time I think about fuel stabilizer I get this horrendous image of my girlfriend dumping it over my truck/bike and ruining the paint. Don't I have to have a nice amount of fuel in the tank? I'm guessing most would be evaporated by now.

 

Nice! Tank removal on the bike, huh? You think the other liquids should be alright (ie sitting oil) before starting it up?

 

If the oil was fresh to begin with, I'd leave it. If it is due for a change anyway, swap it out.

 

It's best to top off the fuel when adding stabilizer. Plus it helps mix it. I wouldn't bother stabilizing the bike now. It's easier to just siphon out most of the bad fuel, drain it, and refill with fresh new fuel. Should take you about an hour to do.

 

You think the tank can stand as is until Dec 18, then I can remove it, clean it, etc? Or do you think it'll be rusted too badly by then? (2011 Triumph Thruxton) Oil was good before this. I don't think my g-friend could put gas in the bike w/ out spilling it all over the tank.

+1, btw

 

Is there someone you trust to do some preventive work while your away?
They could siphon the fuel from the bike and add stabilizer and start it up for you to get fresh fuel in the system. If not just do it when you get back.

And as far as the truck goes. I would put a trickle charger lead on the new battery. Then when you leave you can add stabilizer and hook up the tender.
Just put a note on the steering wheel so you don't forger it's hooked up.
Treat every away job as if your going away for a while and you won't have a problem.

fuel treatment, battery tender, pump up the tires. 10 min and no worries.
Good luck. Say safe away from home......

 

Good advice. Can't think of anyone that knows bikes or wouldn't drill a Makita thru my windows. Sounds like neither will be dead, but I will definitely have to tend to them asap when I get back. Thank you!

 

Your Welcome....

 

My bike sat for a year with a trickle and only being started 1 time in that year..had to go to the shop for the carbs to be cleaned and of course any dri-rot replaced. It sat inside a trailer at my moms in AZ and it had been treated with stabilizer(sea foam) as for the truck couldn't tell ya..sorry

 

use marine formula stabil...regular stabil is useless with the ethanol content in todays gas.