What to Know About RV Storage
Thinking about buying an RV or used motorhome? Perhaps you are wondering how you will store your RV or where you might find room to store it. El Monte RV offers some excellent advice on RV storage, either for the would-be RV buyer or the new owners of an RV.
Check out all the used RVs and motorhomes we have. Then learn how to store your new recreational vehicle best.
Storing Your Used Motorhome Outside
You would think that an RV is safe to store outside all year round, including in winter. It’s an outside vehicle, after all, right? Yet most RV sales associates do not recommend storing an RV outside in winter.
Because an RV has multiple parts that can be damaged by snow and ice, it’s best to store it inside a climate-controlled environment. Be sure that the facility doesn’t drop below 50 degrees all winter so that the plumbing and pipes in your RV remain intact. If you can’t store it completely inside, store it in a facility with walls to keep the snow and ice off of it.
Prepping for RV Storage
Other important precautionary measures for storing an RV include:
- Unhooking the battery to reduce electrical drain
- Checking and changing filters, changing oil, and topping off fluids
- Checking tires and inflating to the manufacturer’s required PSI
- Emptying the clean water, gray water, and black water tanks and flushing these tanks before storage
- Cleaning and clearing out cabinets and refrigerator of food
- Cleaning out the stove so there is no food residues
- Washing the entire exterior to prevent rust
- Keep the minimal required amount of gas in the gas tank while in storage to prevent air bubbles in the gas line
Doing all of the above preps your RV for the next warm season when you will want to take it out on the road again. Certain steps, like removing food and food residue, prevent animal and insect pests from attempting to move into the unoccupied RV. Regardless of whether you store the RV indoors or out, you do not want any water in the tanks that could potentially freeze, release harmful gases, and/or cause damage to the tanks.
Buying an RV to Fit the RV Storage You Have
While a lot of RV enthusiasts who come to El Monte RV sales locations want to buy the biggest RV they can, other customers take a proactive approach. They choose to buy an RV that will fit the space they have to store it. If you want the right size RV for your family and your available storage space, RV sales associates can help you choose. There are many different sizes of RVs and used motorhomes for sale.
Know the measurements of the storage you have available. If you are storing the RV or motorhome elsewhere, take measurements of the space or ask the facility for the measurements before you rent from them. Likewise, if you are storing the vehicle on your own property, find the measurements of that area on your property or in your garage.
Bring the measurements with you to El Monte RV and our sales associates can help you find the right-sized RV to fit that storage area. With so many RV and motorhome options and sizes to choose from, let El Monte RV sales help you get exactly what you are looking for.