Storing your RV

[JonMN]

I'm lucky. After removing our overhead door in our outbuilding and building an alternative door, I can store it inside. It's not heated, but still nice to have.

 

[dknightd]

The worst thing is the headlights are getting cloudy

I've always wondered about this. Why do some headlights get cloudy, and other not so much?

Does it effect their functionality, or is it just cosmetic? I'm guessing both.

How do Ford transit vans fair in this regard?

 

[jrobe-ClassB]

You can restore headlights

https://youtu.be/kyVCEbfrU-c?si=TUsInsN0BpknfO3p

 

[booster]

I've always wondered about this. Why do some headlights get cloudy, and other not so much?

Does it effect their functionality, or is it just cosmetic? I'm guessing both.

How do Ford transit vans fair in this regard?

It definitely affects the performance.


Yellowing is usually from sunlight AFAIK, but chips, scratches and the sandblasting of road grit dulls them also.


As was mentioned they can be reconditioned and it usually lasts a while, but eventually will be needed to be done again or replaced.


I put clear urethane covers on ours when new in 2008 and they still look great and light well, but we store indoors so it doesn't see much weather or sun.

 

[whoisjohngalt]

I also live in Minnesota and have had several vehicles that were "special purpose" as in only used in the non snow months. Hotrods, the Roadtrek, etc. Of course we also have had daily drivers but they are not what Bs are for most folks.


We have looked at a lot of vans in our travels, and plenty when we were looking for a B in 2006 timeframe, almost all in Minnesota but also in Florida while there on vacation.


In my opinion the vehicles that are stored inside shore much less wear and tear over time. While the paints have gotten better over time, they still oxidize, craze, and sometimes peel topcoat from lots of sun everyday. The plastic part fare even worse with color shifting and getting brittle. If the windows aren't covered the interior will fade and dashes crack also from the sun. Tires as was already mentioned are a known issue.



But the main concern to me, rust, is different depending on where you live. If you live in the desert you probably will never rust outside unless the paint gets too bad from the sun and exposes bare metal. If you live near the ocean the air is salty a considerable distance inland and builds up on the vehicles. Add a bit of rain or condensation and salt water is getting into bad places. They basically rust from the top down more than from the bottom up like northern cars do. Southern cars from humid areas get a lot of condensation so get wet nearly every night, often on the body and underbody and it will also cause rust but again slower than the northern cars and oceanside ones.


Northern cars, if not driven in the salty months, still rust faster than indoor stored ones, from all I have seen. Snow sitting on them and melting over time leaves water in any area it can settle in and be there a long time. Windshield and rear window frames are a common point for this kind of problem. The underbodies don't usually get wet from snow but they still rust from condensation do to where they are. The steel bodies and frames stay cold for a long time after a colder night and the sun will heat the areas around the vehicles and evaporate snow which raises the humidity. That moist air blows underneath and condenses on the cold parts that haven' warmed up yet. I have seen cars that actually had a thick layer of frost on parts of the underbody. For some reason brake rotors tend to rust very quickly and sometimes a lot over a winter of stored outside and will always grind a bunch in spring for a while. This can require sanding the rotors and pads and rebedding the brakes like you would new parts. Inside stored vehicles, unless they see a lot of humid air and temps swings will come out of storage and have clean rotors, or just a haze of rust that isn't usually and issue. Many people with hotrods will put a sheet of plastic under the vehicle to keep moisture from coming up form the ground or garage floor and condensing on the vehicle indoors.



Covers are not a perfect solution, IMO, as they can flap and wear on the paint and plastic and they can also be a trap for moisture and make it hard difficult to have that condensation dry out. They work well to keep rain, snow, sap, etc, off, though, and also prevent sun and acid rain damage.


Indoors is best, but often not easy to do or cheap if you can manage to find storage. Carports can be a decent compromise solution, though, in many parts of the country.

I'm in Minnesota as well, and am in the process of buying a 2015 RT 190. Do many people have problems with rodents when storing over winter in unheated pole barns? It harder to afford year round storage that lets you come and go as you please.....

 

[booster]

I'm in Minnesota as well, and am in the process of buying a 2015 RT 190. Do many people have problems with rodents when storing over winter in unheated pole barns? It harder to afford year round storage that lets you come and go as you please.....

Rodents always seem to be a problem with vehicles stored outside, especially they have the newer wiring that is made of stuff that they like to chew on. Pole barns rarely are sealed well enough to be mouse proof. RVs usually are a bit easier to get to the inside of the vehicle compared to cars as they my have more gaps or gaps filled with easy to chew out foam.

 

[HappyCamper1-ClassB]

I live in Southern California. Have had my PW van for 6 years. Always stored outside without a cover. Yes, the tires deteriorate quicker but I usually change tires by date rather than mileage. I would not recommend covering the vehicle. These vehicles are like cars so proper washing/waxing really is all that is required.

We've had our 2016 Roadtrek for 4 years now and it's always been outside. Living in WNY we get ALL kinds of weather, lake effect snow, sleet and ice. It's always off the road before they start salting them, sits on a concrete pad and is always hooked up to a battery tender. We cover our tires, not so much because of sun, but to keep the pads and rotors from rusting and sticking together. Window shades closed, windshield screen on, winterized, we've never had a problem. I also would like, if time prevails, to wash and wax for better protection.

 

[RT-NY]

We've had our 2016 Roadtrek for 4 years now and it's always been outside. Living in WNY we get ALL kinds of weather, lake effect snow, sleet and ice. It's always off the road before they start salting them, sits on a concrete pad and is always hooked up to a battery tender.

I also do not drive my 1999 RT 170 when there is salt on the road, but I do park it outdoors on bare ground. I am thinking that, even stored outside, a concrete pad would be better at preserving the undercarriage. Does anyone have any thoughts on this? And on what a concrete pad of this sort (big and sturdy enough for a 17 foot RV) might cost?

 

[youngnretired]

Dirt can hold significantly more moisture in it than concrete. Plus, as low as these are to the ground, it doesn't allow for a lot of air movement under the vehicle to move away any stagnant air under the vehicle. Our 08 RT 210P I believe was stored on dirt (and I think inside a pole barn) and has surface rust under it. It's not the type of rust that we get on vehicles driven in the salt, it's not factory fresh with a slight coating of rust, but it does have much more rust under it than what I would like. Nuts/bolts etc aren't rusted like I typically see with vehicles driven in the salt.

In short, interior is way better than outside (not just from a rust perspective), and concrete is better than dirt/gravel/grass. For costs, you could call a couple concrete companies and inquire. Costs will vary greatly by area and demand for their services.

 

[GroupB]

When my 08 RT 210 was parked outside on the ground, I built three layer 2X ramps to get the vehicle 4 1/2" higher off the ground and tires on wood instead of dirt. I think more air helps.

While up I spray where ever I can reach underneath with Fluid Film.

 

[HappyCamper1-ClassB]

When my 08 RT 210 was parked outside on the ground, I built three layer 2X ramps to get the vehicle 4 1/2" higher off the ground and tires on wood instead of dirt. I think more air helps.

While up I spray where ever I can reach underneath with Fluid Film.

I forgot to mention on my last post I always cover the tires, not so much for sun protection but to keep the pads and rotors from rusting to each other..Works!!