What is the consensus out there with regards to fuel level at the end of the season?

DiamondDave952

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1. Fuel tank full + stabilizer
2. Run down fuel as much as possible + stabilize remaining?

Seems to be two camps out there and was just curious what folks do when winterizing. Thanks!
 
I fill mine before the dealer picks it up for storage ,they do the winterization ,oil change , lube ,filters ,fuel additives etc .
 
My dealer has never mentioned draining the fuel. What do they do with it, if you choose to drain it?
 
I've always filled it. But never full full! Fuel expands. When we first got our Benny on a hot early spring day the fuel actually came out of the vented gas cap .... Never made that mistake again.
 
My dealer has never mentioned draining the fuel. What do they do with it, if you choose to drain it?
I would assume they keep it and use it. I was thinking if they offered a deal where they would drain it and give you 1/2 the amount in fresh gas in the spring I might have done it.
 
At the end of the season, oil change, fill the tank, add stabilizer, run long enough to put treated gas through the system, and put the boat up on the lift.
 
I know!!! I used to be in the same situation this time of year. I actually miss the seasons.
 
I'm in the fill it full camp with a heavy dose of stabilizer. In fact, I add about 2X the recommended amount. Had a fuel related catastrophe 20 years ago read up on Stabil. There is no harm in overdosing it (up to 4X the recommended amount according to the FAQ on their website Stabil FAQ)

(Wasn't able to use my boat for about two years. I had treated the fuel with the minimum amount of Stabil. When I finally was able to run it, the 3 cylinder 60 HP Mercury overheated and burned a piston. Mechanic discovered one of the carbs was gummed up and that cylinder ran lean. Expensive mistake.)
 
My dealer requests minimal fuel in tank. I usually have less than 1/4 tank with Stabil. 10+ years, so far no issues.
 
My dealer requests minimal fuel in tank. I usually have less than 1/4 tank with Stabil. 10+ years, so far no issues.
I'm in the same camp as you SemperFi. I believe having fresh dinosaur juice at the start of the boating season is the way to go. I'm trying to wrap my brain around the condensation argument... By that I mean, is condensation really an issue? I rationalize my decision using the example of a cold bottle of beer on a warm Summer day. Because of the temperature difference between the cold beer bottle and the outside air temperature, I get condensation on my beer bottle. However, the gas tank is vented to the outside so both the tank and the outside air temperature would be at the same temperature so theoretically, there should be no condensation unless the gas vapors (from the remaining fuel) are dropping the temperature in the gas tank? Am I missing something?
 
First, I add Stabil Marine at EVERY fill up. Per my dealer, I drop it off at the end of the season with approx 1/2 tank. They stabilize the remaining fuel. Then, when it gets wet in the spring, I fill the tank with fresh fuel and I'll run it down as low as I safely can before the 2nd fill up.
 
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