Storing an RV for the summer

[howejoyous]

Hi Everyone!? I have a question I'm sure you can answer.? My hubby and I just bought a used Dolphin Motorhome and are planning to use it for the winter months.? We will be snowbirds.? We are retiring to Wyo for the summers, and will return to CA for the winters.? My question is regarding what to do before we leave to best protect our RV while it is in storage from mid June to Nov. 1st. I am planning to leave it in a commercial RV Storage lot.? I have read some about winterizing, but not summerizing.? Thanks for any advice.

Very newcomers--3 wks old.

howejoyous

 

[BZam]

Hi Everyone!  I have a question I'm sure you can answer.  My hubby and I just bought a used Dolphin Motorhome and are planning to use it for the winter months.  We will be snowbirds.  We are retiring to Wyo for the summers, and will return to CA for the winters.  My question is regarding what to do before we leave to best protect our RV while it is in storage from mid June to Nov. 1st. I am planning to leave it in a commercial RV Storage lot.  I have read some about winterizing, but not summerizing.  Thanks for any advice.

With summer heat may want to consider keeping some moisture inside. On my previous RV I put a couple of pans of water around and filled the toilet. This water would evaporate over time. But on my current RV with double pane windows and its tightness I no longer do this.  Need to keep your cabinets oiled with something like Murphys Oil Soap or Lemon Oil.

Also consider buying these fleece cover square items that you can put up in the vents to the kitchen and bathroom fans as they keep the area sealed and light out. They are very good in winter also as a big source of heat escape is via these vents.. I just used mine at Quartzsite a couple of nights and they sure seem to help.

On subject of light damage, when I store I also cover the couch, dinette, and bed with old sheets to keep dust and light off. Also some windshield covers inside to between the drapes and windshield. Some say these foil reflective covers can damage the glass and one manufacturer recommended against using them in high heat and sun, like in southern states. I use the cloth ones that fold up.

On the subject of starting the engine and running the RV about, there is some difference of  opinion. Some say  its better to just leave it until you are ready. I have done this for up to 6 weeks, with an occasional visit to run the generator and charge the batteries, but after some problems, I don't go as long between starting the engine, raising the jacks and running it about. I like to to this at least once per month. Its good to have a battery disconnect on both the house and chassis batteries, as there may be some drain that not easily evident, like the engine or transmission computers, LP or Carbon Monoxide detectors.

Bob

 

[howejoyous]

Thanks Bob!  I will be sure to do all those preventative ideas.  I wish I could start it up monthly, but Wyoming is a long ways from here...so I hope sitting idle will be alright until we get back to it.  I will cross my fingers.

Howejoyous

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Can you arrange to have 110v power available? It would be helpful to leave a small "trickle" charger on the batteries so that they stay healthy and are ready to use when you return. A small solar charger might do the trick if no external power is available on the storage lot.

As others suggested, be sure to turn off or disconnect all possible power consumers. Use the battery disconect switch (Most Dolphins have them) for the house batteries but check things like CO and LPG detectors. They are often powered direct from the battery so that they work even with the disconnect switch off.  Even a ting amp draw will flatten the batteries after a month.