For most owners, when the vibrant colors of fall fade and leaves start to brown, this signals the end of the RV season. When winter arrives, it is time to get your RV ready and stored until spring.
So, if winter is knocking at the door, you need to consider proper preparation and storage to protect your motorhome investment during the harsh winter. Taking the proper precautions now will avoid potentially expensive repairs, and your RV will remain in excellent condition.
In this blog, our team at I-10 RV Storage has detailed what you need to know about storing your motorhome for the winter.
Choosing the right storage solution is one of the most important parts of protecting your RV during the winter. Many believe that covered RV storage has become one of the most sought-after options for providing extra protection because it’s one of the safest ways to store an RV. Unlike a standard open lot, covered storage offers the following benefits:
Storing your RV under a protective covering ensures that it remains perfectly prepared for use in the future. So, search for ‘covered RV storage near me’ and find a reliable storage option like I-10 RV Storage to provide peace of mind during the freezing months.
As you know, properly preparing your RV for winter is vital to keeping it in great shape. By taking a few essential steps before storing, you can safeguard against freezing temperatures, moisture, and pests.
In our experience, a preparation checklist that sets out clear steps can help you prepare your RV for winter storage. Here’s what you need to know:
Frozen pipes are always a danger to your home during winter; why would an RV be any different? Fortunately, winterizing your RV’s plumbing is a pretty straightforward affair.
Begin by draining all fresh water and wastewater at a local dumping station like the one at I-10 RV Storage. This process prevents pipes from freezing and removes stagnant water that can contaminate the system, making it rather odious to drain out in the spring.
Next, after draining the system, fill it with RV-specific, non-toxic antifreeze that prevents the plumbing system from freezing. If your plumbing system is rather complex, additional steps may be required, and a professional’s services might become necessary. For example, draining certain water heaters requires special tools or procedures.
Keeping moisture out of a motorhome can be challenging, but preparing your RV for long-term storage helps prevent moisture buildup, which may cause mold, mildew, and costly damage.
The first step in keeping moisture out while your RV is in storage is letting air circulate in it to help keep it dry. Start by opening a roof vent or installing vent covers. In addition, some moisture absorbers or desiccants should keep the humidity at appropriate levels.
Once you’ve aired out your RV and added moisture absorbers, take some time to review and reseal all windows, all the doors, and the roof to keep water out. You’ll also want to clean and dry all surfaces to prevent standing water.
After checking these things, keep cushions and mattresses off the floor to facilitate airflow and prevent trapped moisture. These simple, effective steps will keep the RV dry and free from damage until winter is over.
Cleaning the interior is the secret to keeping critters from making your RV their home and preparing it for spring. You’ll want to remove all food, trash, linens, and other items that could attract nasty rodents or insects.
Pay special attention to disinfection and wiping down the living area, bathroom, and kitchen. Don’t forget to clean the cabinets, refrigerator, freezer, shelves, and tabletops. Also, leave cabinet, fridge, and freezer doors open for ventilation; vacuum and mop the floors to eliminate crumbs and debris.
If your RV has slide-outs, clean the floors so they can easily slide in and out. Remember to keep them in when you store them for winter. Use tables to keep items of camping supplies or boxes, depending on how full you will be storing the RV during the off-season; this keeps your RV tidy and well-organized, thus making it efficient for storage. After you have cleaned your RV, disconnect all appliances from their hookups.
Mice and squirrels take advantage of any open door into an RV and make a winter sport of chewing up its wiring, plastic, and rubber parts. Although cleaning your RV does help prevent them from coming in, sometimes it’s not enough. So, to avoid this, it’s advisable to put mouse and ant traps inside the RV and around its perimeter.
You should also try to seal any access points into the RV through which rodents may gain entry. An RV dealer or service can inspect your RV for cracks or openings on the bottom. The Family Motor Coach Association says rodents often enter by crawling up the auxiliary electrical power cord to the RV, where the cord enters the wall. To stop this from happening, unplug and disconnect the cord and ensure the cable access hatch is closed tightly.
To save your batteries and protect your engine during winter storage, you’ll want to disconnect the batteries and stabilize the fuel. To do this, remove the batteries and store them in a cool, dry location. This will help prevent freezing and severe damage to the batteries.
Even though most batteries lose a little charge while stored, cooler temperatures reduce the discharge rate. However, to be on the safe side, check them monthly to ensure they are charged; this can minimize potential failure or damage when you want to get your RV back on the road.
Then, to protect your engine, it’s very important to stabilize any gas left in the tank. Over time, gasoline can break down and form sticky resin deposits that damage your engine. A fuel stabilizer prevents this breakdown. Add the stabilizer to your engine based on the product’s instructions, and top the tank off with gas.
Then, let the engine and the generator run for several minutes until the stabilizer enters the entire fuel system. It’s as simple as protecting the batteries and engine.
Now that you know what you need to know about storing your RV for the winter, you can start looking around for RV storage solutions. I-10 RV Storage offers many options for storing your RVs. Our covered storage spaces are burglar-protected and protect against bad weather conditions, such as snow, rain, and heavy sunlight.
Our self-storage solutions are secure, well-maintained, and easy to access, making it easier to store and retrieve your RV when needed after the winter. Prices for covered RV storage at I-10 RV Storage depend on the size of the unit and specific storage needs.
Options can include compact spaces for small RVs and trailers to larger units accommodating full-size motorhomes. If you want to know more about our competitive rates, speak to us and put your mind at ease during the winter months.
