Janet Alexander
Is your RV is ready for winter storage at an RV storage facility? Make sure you don't miss these easy-to-forget steps before you lock everything up.
1. Close your blinds.
Those mini blinds and shades are in your RV for privacy, but they are also there to help protect the interior of your RV. Unfortunately, shutting your blinds is easily forgotten in the midst of getting everything prepared for long-term storage. Make a mental note to tend to the blinds when you do your last walk-through before locking everything up.
2. Disconnect your battery.
Removing your battery before storage is one of those things that is super important to do. Disconnecting the battery will prevent unwanted drainage by anything you accidentally left on, and it will also protect the battery from corroding, which can happen if it is left connected. Pull off the negative terminal first, and then proceed to take your battery out and store it in a cool, dry place.
3. Run fuel stabilizer through the engine.
If you plan on leaving your RV idle for a few months or more, which is common for a lot of travelers, it is a good idea to get a bottle of fuel stabilizer to add to the fuel tank. This stuff keeps the fuel from breaking down while it is not in use. Once you have added the product to the tank, fire up your engine and let it run for a few minutes so it gets worked into all the fuel components.
4. Clean your windshield.
Your RV windshield goes through a lot, and it will collect a lot of gunk. The bad thing is that, if you leave this stuff on your windshield during storage, it will be hard as glue by the time you get back to it. Even if you don't have time to clean all the RV windows, go ahead and give your front windshield a good cleaning.
5. Pull out all washables.
Your curtains, bedding, pillows, towels—all the stuff in your RV that is washable is best taken out before storage. If you happen to lock up your RV with a pest, bag of rotten trash, or the slightest bit of moisture trapped inside, this stuff is going to have to be washed anyway. Besides, when you come back to an RV that has been in storage for a while, it can have a dank smell, and your stuff will probably have to be washed.
After I started organizing my basement, I could tell that there were a few serious problems with my previous storage procedure. In addition to finding more than a few issues with damaged items, I also had a problem tracking down the things that I needed, which was frustrating. I wanted to streamline the experience, so I started going through everything and getting rid of things I didn't need. It was difficult at first, but after a few boxes, things became much easier to handle. Check out this blog for great information on storing the smart way and avoiding trouble in the long run.