Storing travel trailer in a metal building

Here in Texas, you have three choices with an enclosed building:

1: Air condition/heat it.
2: Have some form of electric fan to ventilate it.
3: Have some way to open it up so it gets air somehow, like a porch.

Failing to do one of the above will be like turning off one's fridge, closing the doors, and letting it sit... it will be very moldy inside in a short time frame.

If I were building a place to store a motorhome for a long time in a rural area, I would probably do an open pole barn. It wouldn't protect against debris tossed by the winds, but it would shield the rig from the nastiest of stuff, which would be the sun, rain, and hail.

eluwak wrote:
As others have said, ventilation is key. If you store the RV indoors crack the windows and roof vents some too so that the unit can breath a little.

Be careful. A neighbor did this and while his 5th wheel was stored in his outdoor metal machine shed the Raccoons broke the window open the rest of the way and lived in it all winter long.

As you can imagine they were not very clean guests.

I think he totaled it out.

As others have said, ventilation is key. If you store the RV indoors crack the windows and roof vents some too so that the unit can breath a little.

free radical wrote:
If I was building shed or garage or even house nowadays Id use only 3D concrete insulated panels

www.tridipanel.com

When I click on this link I get a notice saying that the address is not valid

We own two large metal sheathed pole barns made by Clearly in Wisconsin.

They are both vented on the ends.

We have never noticed sweating in either building and one is heavily shaded while the other in nearly full sun.

The newest building is only 2 years old and we considered adding a door high enough for my TT, but I just wasnt comfortable paying for a very tall door and driving it in/pulling it out thru the narrowness of the door.

I'm considering a car port in a couple years, where the TT may reside during 90% of the year vs todays 60%.

Goostoff, that is zn interesting issue, sad also.

Thzt kinda sounds like a humidity problem inside the camper as opposed to the environment it was setting in.

I helpped an elderly gentleman pull his prized Nuwa Snowbird out of his 40X50 pole building with concrete floor. He sold his truck and after 2 years of sitting in storage he decided it was time to sell the camper. I hooked up and pulled it out in the driveway. We ran the slides out and went inside to find that everything was covered with mold and his custom hardwood floors had buckled and were destroyed. I though he was going to break down in tears it was so bad.

I know this is a rare case but just be warned to make sure you have plenty of ventalation and air moving around your trailer when it is stored indoors.

If I was building shed or garage or even house nowadays Id use only 3D concrete insulated panels

www.tridipanel.com

We have metal pole sheds all over in this area. No sweating. But, they are built with vents installed. And, the ones on our farms have dirt floors. Also I'm in MN it might be different in the hot, humid, south.

My brother has a metal insulated shop with a cement floor. He did have problems with the floor sweating in the summer. He installed a window AC unit. Not to cool the building so much as just to dehumidify it. No problems now.

Morton Buildings are quite popular in this area. They are expensive but, built very well. If they have them in your area give them a call and ask. They will tell you straight up and let you know of any solutions if it is a problem in your area. .

The reason I had my large steel sided pole building (my toy barn) built with a wood roof and tarpapered and with high quality shingles and has a full length ridge vent down the middle was because of sweating issues which can or often occur with a steel roof. 22' high to the roof peak, has a 6" thick concrete floor angled from all 3 walls toward the wide door, 12' 6" clear span inside all the way thru under the ceiling lights which are movable should I need another 6" vertically, 14' wide by 13' high double sliding door and 2 entrance doors, not insulated inside like I'd originally planned to do but I do have heat on if I'm inside working for any length of time in cold weather. Perfect scenario for lots of condensation by frequent heating and cooling here in Michigan. Hot, cold, hot, cold, hot, cold...

Never sweats a bit nor does any thing inside rust either as I have lots of tools and works areas inside including welders, press brake, 2 hoists, gobs of bench tools, motors, fabrics/wood/steel materials/and even lots of foam cushions, lawn and yard etc equipment, drill press/saws/sanders, etc, boats, outboards, bikes, RV's etc. You name it! Yes, heat does escape in winter when heating but so does any moisture go out with it which is then replaced with outside colder dry air. Bye bye water vapor and humidity and welcome in to the dry air! Venting is ultra important!

BTW, my building was built in 1987 about Thanksgiving time which is roughly 29 years ago now and nothing, on, or in the building, has ever rusted and the original roof never leaked and is all original including the 2 X 6 trusses, the shingles, and all still in fine shape. Probably going to out live me and I plan to live to 150 young!