8 Key Reasons to Check on your RV to Prevent Stressful Storage

You want to take care of your RV because it carries people, things, and even ideas that are important to you.  It doesn’t matter if you are on the road or storing your RV for the season.  If you are a long-time RV owner, you will already have a checklist handy for important transitions in your RV usage. 

And if you are anything like me, it doesn’t matter how many lists you have, you find it good to read through every list you come across just in case someone has a suggestion you haven’t come up with – or better yet, something you read gives you a brilliant idea to help with storage problems.  So, read ahead for general maintenance practices before, during, and after you store it.

Weather

Whether you store your RV indoors or in an outdoor area, you should be concerned about the weather.  Indoors may protect you from the sun’s rays or rain or snow.  However, sealing it inside can encourage new problems from heat and moisture buildup.  You may even place a cover over your RV if you store it outdoors – but then you should be concerned about wind. 

Either your cover can come undone and blow away or it can whip against your paint job if it isn’t tied down properly.  There is sometimes no way to keep the weather extremes away from your rig so, make sure you check on it regularly when in storage.  It can attack via moisture, create leaks and mold growth, or make cracks in the cold.  Even if you have a multi-season RV package you still need to go over your RV with a checklist of items that traditionally can go wrong in bad weather.

Pests

Insects, rodents, and more like to try and get in your RV even when you are in it.  But when your RV is not occupied, they like to move in and take up even more space than normal.  You may not see signs of any pests when you first store your RV.  Even with a lot of precautions, eggs can be laid that hatch and nests can be created for a new generation of babies after you inspect your rig for storage. 

Here are some important numbers you might want to know so you know how often to check your RV for certain pests that may arrive.  These have short lifespans so even if you get rid of them for initial storage, your storage time may require future checks to make sure new generations aren’t living in your RV.

·         Roaches live around 20-24 months.

·         Mice from six months to 2 years.

·         Flies irritate for 15-30 days.

·         Male Mosquito is only around for 10 days but a female can linger for up to 56 days.

·         Common spiders around 2 years.

So, some of these critters, if they hid well, will still be around when you take your rig out of storage.  And the damage from nests, webs, defecation, and more is not pleasant.  Based on the type of pests you are concerned about, plan the right times to re-check your stored rig for evidence or elimination.

Tanks & Pipes

How you take care of your tanks and pipes matters what type of weather you will be storing your RV in and how long you will be storing it.  If you are in warm weather, you will want to have your tanks deep cleaned so you will not have smells resulting from hot temperatures.  Keep your black tank full of water and an RV-approved tank storage chemical.  Keep your gray tank empty.

If it is a cold climate storage, do the same deep cleaning but do not fill any of the tanks with water due to freezing issues.  Make sure water is drained from all your pipes too.

It is not only related to the weather that you want to clean your tanks.  Without cleaning out your tanks and rinsing them, it can lead to issues like misreading sensors, probable odors, and clogged tanks from sitting too long.

Food Storage

Even if food will last until the next time you access your RV, don’t leave it behind.  Some pests will find their way into the food, and it will leave behind a mess.  You don’t need to leave behind an invitation!  Naturally, don’t forget the food in your fridge.  That is a nasty welcome back to your RV.  It is better to restock your RV each time you take it out of storage for the specific trip you are going to take and with exactly what you need to bring.

Fuel

If you are storing a diesel pusher or a class A, B, or C, use a fuel additive.  It will prevent gum and varnish from forming inside your fuel system and fuel injectors as well as improve your fuel stability.  Fill your fuel tank first and then add the fuel stabilizer if it is going to sit for a month or longer.  If you are going to be in cold weather, you might want to confirm what other types of additives are specific to your engine.

Sealants & Screws

While your RV is in storage is a good time to go through and lube your windows, doors, slides, etc., so when you go to use them again they will move or open easily.  While not in use, this is also a great time to go through the rig thoroughly and make sure all screws are tightened back up that may have wiggled out during your travels.  This way you are all set to get on the road by having some of the things complete on your departure checklist. 

Batteries & Solar

If you have regular batteries, make sure they are fully charged.  You do not want to store them in extreme heat or cold. If they will be in storage for longer than a month, you need to recharge them at least once a month or keep them attached to a smart charger that won’t overcharge them but will keep them with enough charge, so they don’t die.

For lithium batteries, you can store them at around 50% of their normal capacity so you can use them if necessary.  But they should NOT be stored fully charged.  They don’t like extreme temperatures either – especially freezing temperatures.  Keep in mind that extreme temperatures and overcharging are the two things that kill batteries.

If you utilize solar panels with your batteries, you will need to cover your solar panels (make sure to use manufacturer-recommended materials) and unhook your solar panels from your solar controller.  You may want to do this disconnect to prevent shorts. 

Electricity & Fuses

As a safety precaution, you should disconnect any fuses or electrical connections when your rig is in storage.  This protects against potential shorts from fires, fuses burning out, appliances overheating, etc.  If you are not using it in storage, you will want to remove any chance of it shorting or heating up.

No matter what suggestions you decide to try when you are storing your RV, ALWAYS check on the recommended storage procedures for your rig, appliances, and supplemental upgrades.  You can adjust your storage habits as you learn but starting with the manufacturer’s recommendations is a good starting point. 

It is also important to note that all these suggestions should be on your checklist when you get ready to store your RV.  Even when you aren’t storing your RV, you should be checking these items for safety and security.  But don’t forget about reviewing your checklist when you get ready to access your storage area after a season of rest too. 

Before, during, and after storage, are important times to check your RV regularly before you head out on the road.  I hope you came across a few ideas you can use in storing your RV next time around.  Because no one wants to open their RV excited about a new getaway to find any damage to your RV in storage from weather, animals, etc. That may only mean delays – or worse yet, no trip.