This quote taken from recent thread re. bulkhead repair leaves me wondering how others store their coach.
"Storing the coach in damp, humid conditions, over earth, gravel or crushed rock will all but guarantee sweating and water wicking into the joint as well."
Personally my coach is stored under a new 22x40 car port with complete covers on both side walls. The floor is dirt at this point. I live in Texas. SO apparently if the quote is accurate I have two strikes against me...dirt floor & humid Texas.
I like all of you take the care of my coach very seriously, and now it seems I have parked my coach in an environment which of itself will damage the frame eventually. Concrete is obviously the best material to park the coach on correct?
How is your coach stored?
Thanks,
dave
Ours sits in our driveway (blacktop) next to the house - no cover, but at least it's not humid!
On concrete pad with corplast pads under tires. Not covered but we are Desert so no humidity and very little rain etc. The pit is right below as this is my hide out every day, checking checking checking EVERYTHING and cleaning. Obsessive me.
JohnH
....am in Florida, but on black top level pad under a port, surrounded on 3 sides by other coaches...only the front end is showing....so far no damage underneath in almost 3 years....hooked up to 30 amp, super secure storage facility 42 miles from us...best place in the TPA area! Oh yeh, $256 a month but worth it.....
Secured, heated, indoor storage.
Forty ft. Secure facility Covered back and sides to ground with North facing entrance on gravel, tires on pads. No sun ever in any season, tires covered, 30 amp power supplied. Dry as a bone year round. $60/month, what's not to love?
Store in warehouse all secure. Compressor turned off. HWH off. 12volt off. Plugged in to 30 amp box. Trickle charger on cranking batteries. Always ready to go.
We built a barn (coach house) on concrete next to the house. 30 amps in the barn, compressor off, HWH off, 12v stays on, smart charger on the start batteries, inverter/charger is on, tires on moisture isolation pads. Winterize the water system for the winter, always, store for more than a month or two with tires at max psi. Adjust when we leave,
Dani, we are down to about $160/month now for the six years we have had the barn and it is going down every month. Lucky to have the space for it and to have the coach nearby.
In my opinion, "best" is relative to your conditions and circumstance. I'd ask if a heavy plastic tarp on the ground below the coach would be satisfactory or at least an improvement. If concrete is an option, I'd get advice to determine what grading and fill might be required to help keep the slab dry and if a moisture barrier below the slab would help,
I'm reading this... are you saying that storage in normal conditions -where you live can cause bulk-head issues?
That's just not right.... store a vehicle in a temperature control ed and humid environment...
Perhaps that is a bit of an over-statement.
BUT, humid conditions, particularly if near a sea coast can contribute to degradation of any mechanical/metal item. Don't think the bulkheads are more/less susceptible than other things. Also applies to your car, house, etc....
So, yes, a mechanical component will degrade less in a temperature/humidity controlled environment (think antique car collection), but probably not practical for most owners.
Yes, we store our coach indoors on concrete (tires on plywood) when not on the road.
I park mine on sand gravel and that doesn't worry me. What would worry me would be my coach sitting outside with no roof over it having the roof and sides of the coach exposed to the baking sun and other elements. Texas sunshine is a lot more of a culprit than a dirt floor and it sounds like you have that covered. JMO.
I am parking on FLOR carpet tiles. Heavy waterproof backing. About 19"x19" each. Outlet store tiles are $1.00 each. Watch for a sale and they are $0.75. One per tire. I ordered six and got 5/6 matching not that it matters.
Random Pattern Tile - Outlet - Carpet Tiles (http://www.flor.com/carpet-tiles/outlet/random-pattern-tile)
Michelin suggests storing with some isolation between tires and concrete, asphalt, gravel or dirt.
10/4 Roger.. I do like having something under my tires .. I park on 3/4 in plywood but would be interested in the tiles.
We store ours indoors, on concrete as well. No plywood yet. I guess my thought was: heck, these tires will age out anyway so what am I preventing by parking on plywood? But my hero parks on plywood, so that tells me a lot.
Stored in an unheated, no electricity/water, crushed granite floor steel pole building 18 miles away in cold Wisconsin for the winter--November until April 15 or thereabouts for $275 total.
Batteries come home and on maintainer setting and coach water system drained, blown out with air, then RV antifreeze thruout the system, then drained RV antifreeze, then blown out again with air. Removed all screens from faucets, all faucets and drain faucets open, all water traps & toilet contain RV antifreeze.All clothing and food removed, peppermint oil soaked cotton balls in half soda cans thru out engine compartment and compartments, all curtains/blinds closed, everything locked.
Before we took the coach up to storage I unfurled all awnings and made sure they were dry & clean. Washed & waxed the coach, totally, TOTALLY, flushed the holding tanks, then added some RV antifreeze to keep seals soft. Changed oil & filters, greased all fittings, cleaned radiator, topped off all coach liquids that don't freeze--Don't forget the windshield washer fluid--make sure it is -35 degree rated.
Sorry, forgot the fuel treatment additive I added after filling up.
Am I excessively paranoid? No, I don't think so. Coach is 28 years old and deserves being treated like the quality coach it is.
Thorough! How long does that entire process take?
"Rocket" sleeps the winter away in my heated shop, hooked to 30 amp service, water in so I can run the ice maker. Battery tender on the chassis batteries, slide out (we watch movies in it every once and awhile). Tires sitting on large pit mat, too lazy to remove before parking. I need new tire and coach batteries this spring, so I will be more careful about storing the coach next year.
I do not have the leveling system on, just the aux compressor to keep the slide bladder sealed. Have not run the coach since parking it in early November. I still have two or three inches of clearance on all tires, I guess that means I have no leaks and the airbags are good?
What do most of you do with the coach batteries, let the Prosine look after them or disconnect them and use a battery tender?
Back to work.......
Steve
From Michelin...
LONG TERM STORAGE OF RV TIRES
Unless the RV owner is a full-time RV-er, the vehicle probably spends some time in long-term storage. But what the RV owner probably didn't know is that rubber tires age when not being used. So, if the owner must store the RV, a cool,dry,sealed garage is the best bet. Also, some storage surfaces can cause tires to age faster. That's why Michelin recommends placing a barrier (cardboard, plastic or plywood) between the tire and the storage surface.
Here are some other steps the RV owner can take to help reduce the aging effects from long-term storage:
1) Thoroughly clean tires with soap and water before
placing into storage.
2) Cover tires to block direct sunlight and ultraviolet
rays.
3) Store out of a high ozone area.
Note: When a vehicle is stored, tires should be inflated
to the inflation pressure indicated on the sidewall.
James, once the gray and black tanks are dumped the winterizing process for the water system takes about an hour. The first time it took more. It is simple but you have to do it step by step. I am a regular user if WaxWashAll so the cleaning part doesn't count. Tubs come out of the coach and basement wit stuff we don't want to freeze. Easy to move tubs back in and go.
Our coach sits in the barn sometimes at -30°. Fire up the AH and we are ready to go in 24-36 hrs with a warm engine and coach, it is plugged in to 30 amps and the batteries are on the inverter/charger or a smart charger. It was -4° when we left three weeks ago. The AH on 110v, thermostat at 40° and a 600 watt electric radiator in the LR for 4 days before we left and it was 40° in the coach. The day before the diesel side was turned on, engine preheat on and it was 72° in the coach when we left. Engine started right up with a coolant temp of 68°. Wonderful.
Steve, if you are storing it inside you can probably turn off the small compressor. Many of us have added an air pressure gauge to the auxilliary air tank, the smaller one just behind the generator case and in the air line to the bladder (should be about 10-15 psi). This lets you see at a glance how these parts of the system are working.
I really would be hard put to say how long it takes me. I "putz" around doing as much as I feel like every day during the last week before we are supposed to take the coach up to storage. Weather affects what & when I can do some things.
Being retired and able to do everything right here in our yard helps. I have water, electric, air, and all the tools I need right here.
The driveway is blacktop, coach is level, and the DW does the emptying of everything in the coach while I haul the stuff for her. Wash and waxing the coach & wheels I do on a nice day--before opening and drying the awnings. For washing I use an extendable mop made for this purpose--goes real quickly. Waxing I use Turtle Wax Ice--this does take a while!! But results worth it.
The holding tanks are thoroughly flushed at what I know is our last outing at the dump station so I know only clear water comes out here at home (third valve and tank spinner help) onto the lawn.
On my prior post I forgot to add that I lube all compartment and door locks and hinges, and go around and tighten any screws that might be loose on the beltline moulding. I also check all external lights and make sure they are in working order. Easy since all clearance lights are now LEDs.
Our engine takes only twelve quarts with two (2) quart filters. I prefill the filters, have made a little rack to hold them upright so they don't spill when I have to drag them under the coach.
Tire pressures? I check & fill them with my long air hose while sitting on my roll-around seat.
Also, I do scrub the roof with Mop & Glow (another one I missed listing) before wash & wax from the ground.
Adding RV antifreeze? I use a 12V pump I bought from Harbour Freight and plumbed into the overflow hose on the fresh water tank. I put in about 9 gallons and then use the onboard Shurflo pump to circulate throughout the system. I have extended the floor drain hoses so I can catch the antifreeze after saturating the system. I reuse it once, then it goes in the sink traps, toilet, and holding tanks. (catch it or it will kill the grass)
I do put the wheel covers, windshield cover, and windshield wiper covers in the coach bedroom.
After parking in storage I/we will open the doors on the fridge and U-line ice maker, and then remove the batteries from the smoke alarm, the CO2 alarm, and anything else that stays in the coach that has batteries, like clocks. One year I forgot to remove the battery from the CO2 alarm and it kept sending a change battery signal until the battery died. Drove the landlord nuts!
So many things to do and usually whenever I find time between Drs, PT, and lawn work, so you can see I really can't put an exact amount on prepping, so I say one week. Sorry
It is a labor of love, kind of like taking the DW wherever she HAS to go since her surgeries.
Nitehawk..where did you get the entry step and front wheelie ramps ?
Thx
Hans
The foldup step/porch came with the coach. I made the ramps just before my rotator cuff surgery and added the wheels and an eyebolt on the inside of each ramp. The blue paint I use to tell me when the center of the wheel is correctly located on the ramps. I line the axle hub "cap" over the blue paint and then know I am there. Used to have the DW help me line up but have added these indicators so I know I am on the ramps correctly. I marked the driveway so I always put the ramps and blocks in the same place each time. Each ramp also has a stop on the front end, although I don't think they would stop much, if anything. I flip them over, use my awning rod hooked thru the eyebolt and then roll each ramp into the garage. There are two large wheels and two small wheels on each ramp.
Because our driveway slopes I also made blocks that go under each HWH leveling jack so I minimize the jack extensions. The rear wheels sit on 7" of rebarred concrete that the DW and I dug the hole for.
I do have to be careful I stay along the driveway on the driver's side or I might end up poking a hole in the passenger corner from the garage roof.
We are looking for a secure place to store the coach for the month of September. We are going out of the country and would really prefer an inside storage spot. Any suggestions appreciated! We do need to plug it in as well. Near a major airport is also a plus! Thanks Faith
Bob,
What part of the country???
Hi Brett,
We will be heading back to California from the northeast so anywhere in between is probably doable.
Bob