Indoor Storage For Class B

[fruch]

I would like opinions on storage for a Class B RV. I have a couple of options for storage. I can just park outdoors next to the garage with a cover or tarp, or I can pay for a large garage door to be installed and park in the existing heated garage. Local building code will not allow for a carport structure over parking area next to garage. This is our first RV. Any opinions on whether it is worth the expense to install the garage door vs. the problems that might occur with outside storage under a tarp would be helpful. Also, if you were installing a new garage door, what is the minimum height and width you would install? Thanks.

[booster]

Indoors is always better, in just about every way, IMO. As long as you have adequate ceiling height, I would certainly do the new door. You probably will get the cost back from resale on the van as it will be in better condition, plus the added value to the house.

I think most would want to go 11-12 feet opening height by at least 10 feet wide, but if you have the room, you may want to go bigger just in case you ever decide to move to a class C.

[jrobe]

Well that is a no-brainer. A heated garage (must be a cold climate area) for only the price of a garage door. I would jump on that. Just having the batteries warm is worth it. It must even have electricity for a trickle charger. Sitting outside is nothing but trouble.

My sprinter RV with AC just barely fits in my 10 ft tall door (modified for the full 10 ft ht). I think the RV is about 9' 10" tall with AC.

[avanti]

I would probably go for the door, too, if I were in your position. However, I disagree that it is a no-brainer. In my fairly long experience with two different rigs, I have seen very little downside to outdoor storage. Modern paints are incredibly robust. If anything, cold storage is probably BETTER than heat during downtime. Doesn't hurt a fully-charged and disconnected battery at all. Moreover, a modest solar panel and a Trik-L-Start will keep all your batteries happy and ready to go.

The only real exception is sun damage to the interior. Good shades solves that one. Some people have critter issues, but I never have.

If you DO decide to go with outdoor storage DO NOT use a tarp. Does far more harm than good. Traps dirt, causing abrasion in the wind.

[InterBlog]

We pay for enclosed off-site storage, $135 per month which includes electricity (but not heat, which we don't need).

We ceased needing an electrical hook-up after installing our lithium battery system, but we like the storage facility so much that we just continued the contract as-is. Conveniently, it also has a really good dump station and water supply.

Sun damage varies depending on your location and is correlated with heat. On the Gulf Coast, there is no way I would consider outdoor storage. We had to keep our rig at our house for an extended period while we were DIYing the lithium system. I was horrified at how visibly accelerated the UV degradation became during that period. By the time we were done with the lithium, I was looking at having to tackle a new caulk job and roof sealant / total re-coating project on a rig that started out looking like it would need little to no work in the shorter term.

[GeorgeRa]

Recently, we decided to move to a single level home and due to market limitation decided to build. It was a very reasonable cost to raise the ceiling to 12’ and garage doors to 10’ height. A lot of benefits but 2 came to the top:

- No winterizing needed
- Doing any work is done under the roof, for a few days long projects I don’t have to pack for nights.

[booster]

I think that were you live is a big consideration, especially in the winter, or if you live in a high humidity area.

Underbody corrosion is greatly increased in areas that cause condensation from the ground, snow, etc. It is a combination of high humidity, warm days and cool nights type of thing, along with air circulation blocked by things like snow.

Many people here in Minnesota store their classic cars, and very many of them put a sheet of plastic down if the storage barn is unheated. The bottom of a vehicle will stay cold for a long, long, time in the morning and if the sun is out and melting snow or evaporating puddles, it will condense on all the underbody parts and rust them.

In hot, low humidity areas, just put a sunscreen over it, but in the north, keeping it from seeing big temp and humidity swings is the most important part, and much more important than the actual temp and humidity.

All of this also effects the rest of the van also, but to a lesser degree than the underbody.

[markopolo]

Yes to indoors. It makes a big difference here where the climate seems similar to what Booster describes. That underbody rust shows up on infrequently used RV's even if not driven on salted roads.

You really get to understand the meaning of relative humidity here.

[avanti]

There is a huge difference between a classic car and a modern vehicle. Corrosion was a very big issue up through the early 1990s. On every vehicle I have owned since then, it has been a total non-issue (and I keep vehicles for a long time). Perhaps trucks have lagged somewhat, but neither of my Sprinters have had any issue with outdoor storage. I do admit that modern corrosion-avoidance techniques don't always extend to the upfitter-added stuff we have on our RVs. Best to keep an eye on them under any scenario.

I heartily agree with both of George's reasons for wanting a garage, however.

[booster]

Originally Posted by avanti

There is a huge difference between a classic car and a modern vehicle. Corrosion was a very big issue up through the early 1990s. On every vehicle I have owned since then, it has been a total non-issue (and I keep vehicles for a long time). Perhaps trucks have lagged somewhat, but neither of my Sprinters have had any issue with outdoor storage. I do admit that modern corrosion-avoidance techniques don't always extend to the upfitter-added stuff we have on our RVs. Best to keep an eye on them under any scenario.

I heartily agree with both of George's reasons for wanting a garage, however.

Here in the frozen north, we still see lots of vehicles with rust, from Subaru to Sprinter and most everything else. While some vehicles seem to be a bit better, many, many, are not and have lots of rust holes in them, and nearly every nut and bolt on the undercarriage is rusted solid. I have worked on lots of them over the years, and a torch is a Minnesota mechanics best friend to get off rusted stuff.

[fruch]

Thanks for all the advice and opinions. The new garage door seems like a much more practical idea now.

[Doneworking]

When we built our home with a three car garage twenty years ago we had the third garage door be nine feet by nine feet. It would have been bigger except that would have required a complete and rather ugly change to the design of the whole north end of the house. We built it to accommodate a Roadtrek 190P we owned at the time.

Now, a 2007 Roadtrek 210P is at home there. We bought this new, kept it for years, sold it to a person that also mostly stored it inside. and we missed it and bought it back. Our garage is heated and air conditioned. We live in Oklahoma City and it was down to four above last winter and we often have one hundred plus days in the summer.

I can tell you this: there is virtually no deterioration in our 210P, inside or outside. The paint looks new and there is no fading whatsoever on the inside. We simply walk out into the garage and there is a Roadtrek. We can keep it packed and ready to go. The rubber around the windows and doors is like new. I am meticulous for maintenance and silicone them once a year. Additionally, the B stays completely clean.

The only limitation is that we are pretty limited to a RT on a Chevy chassis or a Sportsmobile because of the nine foot door. The bigger the better garage wise.

Paul

[Porsche911]

Originally Posted by InterBlog

We pay for enclosed off-site storage, $135 per month which includes electricity (but not heat, which we don't need).

We ceased needing an electrical hook-up after installing our lithium battery system, but we like the storage facility so much that we just continued the contract as-is. Conveniently, it also has a really good dump station and water supply.

Sun damage varies depending on your location and is correlated with heat. On the Gulf Coast, there is no way I would consider outdoor storage. We had to keep our rig at our house for an extended period while we were DIYing the lithium system. I was horrified at how visibly accelerated the UV degradation became during that period. By the time we were done with the lithium, I was looking at having to tackle a new caulk job and roof sealant / total re-coating project on a rig that started out looking like it would need little to no work in the shorter term.

$135 pm for inside storage, wow you are lucky, it's is $180 pm here in Los Angeles for a scruffy outside 25' space in an overcrowded storage facility with a host of service trucks used daily by landscapers and contractors, I'm pleased my B just fits on my drive.

[jrobe]

$105/month here in Wisconsin for a 10' x 30' individual private locked space with my own garage door and electricity (no heat). It is cheaper to rent here than to build a garage or even modify my own garage for the extra height.