The following is a list of things that you should have on your truck for winter time travel. Don't wait to get these things. Keep extra on your truck. Things Like winter hats and gloves we keep in a Wal-Mart plastic tub in the front of the box, just because you never know when you need them.
*Chains or Approved Tire Socks
*Extra Windshield Washer Fluid
*Radiator Coolant
*Extra Anti-Gel Fuel Additive
*1 Gallon of Diesel 911 by Power Service
*Lock De-Icer
*Small Handheld Butane Torch
*Stocking caps, thick warm gloves (Not fueling gloves), and a good thick jacket. Spend the $100 bucks and get a good Carhart or Columbia jacket. You wont be sorry and it will last a lifetime.
*A case of water. Your sink water will freeze up.
PRO TIP: Do not go below 1/2 a tank of fuel when the temp is below 34 degrees.
Always use fuel additives with every fill up when temp is below 34 degrees. . Keep tanks as full of fuel as possible when temp is below 20 degrees. Turn in all receipts to Thomas for fuel additives. When you put fuel additives in the tanks, be sure to run the APU and Espar heater for at least 15 minutes to get the treated fuel into the lines.
PRO TIP: When Temp is below 20 degrees, Run your APU all the time if the engine is off. This helps to keep the engine block warm as it returns warm coolant to the system. When temps go into the single digits and below, not only do we run the APU full time, but once every 6 hours we start the truck just to make sure that the fuel in the tanks is not freezing up and to let some warm fuel recycle back into the tanks.
NOTE: If your truck is froze up, contact Thomas or new drivers contact your assigned coach and they will walk you through how to use the Diesel 911 and get it into the fuel filter.
An additional step, when you add the Anti gel to the fuel tanks when you fuel, make sure you start the APU and ESPAR heater and let that treatment run through the fuel lines for about 15 mins. I always used to fuel when it was time to take my 30 min break so part of my break I used to run the espar and APU to get the treatment through those lines. I can't stress enough that the Truck stops DO NOT USE ENOUGH ANTI GEL IN THEIR TANKS. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE add additional Anti gel to each tank and every fill up with temps this low. I don't want you guys to not have heat or APU's not starting. The ESPAR fuel line is just a plastic line that's barely 1/16" opening so it doesn't take much for the fuel to gel. Another issue with the cold temps is the water lines and drain line for the sleeper. I invested in small ceramic heater that I placed in the compartment where the water pump and Inverter are to keep that area warmer and prevent lines from freezing. You can pick those heaters up for about $9 and have a safety button on the bottom that shuts the unit off if it tips over.