Cold Climate-Do you plug in your truck at night?

[DTroy]

Nice pics.



I was just curious to know why you changed the plug type?

 

[NavyDood]

No more fishing around for the stoopid cord and I wasn't going to let it lay all over the bumper. Also now, if I forget to unplug it, there is less chance of any carnage.

 

[PWitteveen]

You must not have blended fuel there yet. Your truck should start on the first attempt if you cycle the grids twice at that temp. We finally got our blended fuel just after Thanksgiving.



I have a 15amp outdoor timer from Menards. 3 hours is what it is set on now and it works good to -5 so far.

How do you know when there is blended fuel available? I haven't seen any signs at either of the places I usually fuel at.

 

[BHolm]

You guys from Texas and Georgia crack me up plugging your trucks in :-laf :-laf :-laf Anybody from Miami or Phoenix wnat to chime in



Just kidding, it certainly doesn't hurt to have them plugged in. I used to do it religiously when I lived in northern MN. Now the sun is so warm, even if the temps are down, it just doesn't seem worth the hassle. With all the snow piling up, I'd lose the cord, plow over it or do like my wife used to and drive off still plugged in



If I was still driving the 7. 3 PSD I would be forced to plug in, those are really sensitive.



I once watched my father-in-law start his 12V second gen after a -40F night. Boy did that thing chug and bang and smoke like crazy... but it started Better yet, it never seemed any worse for wear.

 

[johncameron]

Did it look kinda like this!



It was -40 this morning and the truck was NOT plugged in. It sat for ~14 hours.



J

 

[pullya]

That picture looks like Corpus Christi last year when it snowed there. Believe it or not--it does get cold in Texas----sometimes

 

[billyfury]

I used to plug in my 99 all night. I always wondered it that was neccessary of if 2 to 3 hours would be enough. I think if it is going below zero I am going to plug it in all night but if above zero I am going to just plug it in for 2 or 3 hours. I chuckled to see there are others that loop the cord over the mirror! My wife accused me of thinking she was stupid because I looped the cord on the mirror of her 300m!

Did it look kinda like this!



Yes! one time a couple of years ago I left my 99 unplugged. I started it in the morning and let it run for 10 minutes like that. I also started my son's truck to warm it up. It sat in the exhaust of the 99 for 10 minutes. That night my son said he had kids in his first and second hour ask him if he smelled something burning!!!!!!





billfury 70-71 fury collector

 

[JasonCzerak]

mine is on a timer. it goes on at 8:00pm and the oil [300w mag heater on pan] and coolent are warm when i leave at 11:00pm...

hmmmm,,,,, that's what I want. . magnet heater deal. . where do you get one?

 

[jwduke]

I plug mine in when I come home at night (If under 32*). I like warmth in the mornings, but its not instant.

 

[JHardwick]

There was a thread about this last year ... ... ..... or the year before, don't remember. Anyway, it came down to pennies a day for a warm motor and expensive timers left you behind the 8 ball cost wise and with a luke warm motor.

 

[JHardwick]

There was a thread about this last year ... ... ..... or the year before, don't remember. Anyway, it came down to pennies a day for a warm motor and expensive timers left you behind the 8 ball cost wise and with a luke warm motor.



Mine is plugged in

 

[Eco Rednek]

Just started plugging in the other night, what a difference!! The truck fires up in the morning like its been running all day. Been below zero here, I m running about 70% biodiesel.

 

[MCrossley]

I cannot decide whether I want to put the plug (same as shown above) in the lower air dam under the license plate or in the bed on the drivers side. I am a little worried about putting it in the air dam as it is not that strong and if I tread in deep water it would get submerged, I think I am leaning towards the bed...

 

[HOBrian]

I cannot decide whether I want to put the plug (same as shown above) in the lower air dam under the license plate or in the bed on the drivers side. I am a little worried about putting it in the air dam as it is not that strong and if I tread in deep water it would get submerged, I think I am leaning towards the bed...

I took the cord and placed it behind the bumper just below the tow hooks on my truck. The bumper holds the cord real well, I have had it there since last winter. I just got tired of closing the hood every morning.

 

[MCrossley]

I did that on my 01 I had a 6" pigtail extension so it would come out under the bumper, but it got really grimey and corroded from being in the ellements, that is why I am thinking about in the bed out of the line of fire, I can just run a 14 ga. cord from the recessed male plug to the block heater plug and all would be good, plus having the cord over the bed is like having it over the mirror you can't miss it...

I took the cord and placed it behind the bumper just below the tow hooks on my truck. The bumper holds the cord real well, I have had it there since last winter. I just got tired of closing the hood every morning.

 

[NavyDood]

There was a thread about this last year ... ... ..... or the year before, don't remember. Anyway, it came down to pennies a day for a warm motor and expensive timers left you behind the 8 ball cost wise and with a luke warm motor.



Mine is plugged in

750w element @ . 15 cents a kWh running for 24 hrs straight = $1. 92



Expensive timer? I paid $9. 99 for mine in the picture above.



I'm not worried about it mounted on the air damn. Backing up it will pull right out of the Marinco plug without a problem if I ever bonehead it and forget to unplug it. The drawback is you have to cut the end off the heater cord and wire it to the Marinco plug. Just like changing the end of an extension cord.



The part number is Marinco 150BBI. I got mine at Cabela's just north of Fort Worth. You can google search 150BBI and get many places to order from. I think the cheapest I found online was around $20 shipped.



This mod is my second favorite mod. Vent kit being first.

 

[Dodgentwo]

ok whats cheaper, a good heavy duty cord and heavy duty timer and a few more dollars in electric, or maybe having to replace a motor ?



now, i am not saying that the motor would die if you didn't plug it in when it is cold out, i'm just saying, WHY take any chances ?

 

[rbattelle]

Plug mine in when I get home at night.

Me too, every night it's going to be below 40. Specifically because of advice from JHardwick.



Coolant temperature is typically 120ish on startup for temps below 30.



I frequently leave it plugged in for days at a time - ready to go in case I need to use it. I don't pay any attention to the electrical costs associated with doing this.



I quickly tired of being shocked every time I plugged it in or unplugged it in the rain. I changed out to an Amphenol environmentally sealed connector. If I attempt to drive off with it still plugged in it will drag my entire house (or at least the garage) with it. :-laf I almost never consider convenience, only strength; someday that will likely prove my undoing. :-laf



I wish the block heater were more powerful... I'd love to get in and have a coolant temperature of 170 or 180 (thermostatically controlled) independent of ambient temperature!!



-Ryan

 

[MacHaggis]

Another plus to plugging in if you park out doors -- set your heater doors to defrost before you shut down, leave a window cracked just slightly so you can get a little convection going, and you're a lot less apt to have to scrape your windshield.



As fer that pleasant buzz in my fingers when pluggin' and unpluggin' a wet cord, both my parking spots, indoors and out, I have to go right by the wall socket going in and out of the house, so I'm always working with a dead cord n the truck end.

 

[HOBrian]

That little buzz you are talking about is what wakes me up in the morning