Storing Your RV

The RV shop I work at has a storage yard, cost about $150 a month for a 35 footer. Most U-Store-It places have an RV/trailer storage area in the rear. The advantage of this is it's usually 24/7 access.

If you look hard enough and get lucky, there may be someone with a plane hangar at a local airport that has open space enough to store it inside.

Great feedback from everyone - I appreciate you sharing your experiences and what is important to you in an RV storage facility. Lots of good things to think about.


Thanks,
John

One of the main reasons we moved to where we are now is so we can have our camper at home with us. It's so convenient to have it there. Like our first trip isn't for a month but we can just go out there this weekend to get the entire thing cleaned and ready to go, since we are busy every weekend after this until our trip. Also, we have to take it to the dealer to have a few things done to it before the trip, so having it right outside saves about an hour of time since we don't have to drive over to the storage place first.

The only negative of having it at home is it's sitting outside in a very wide open space. The sun has really done a number on the sides that face west and south. We're spending a lot of money to get it looking nice again. We're also getting ready to build an outbuilding to put it in.

But prior this house we had to use a storage facility since our old HOA didn't allow campers to be outside. For us, the important things were security and how easy it was to get the trailer in/out of the space (like was there enough room to swing out to back it in straight etc.

The facility we ended up using had on-site managers, they lived in a house right next to the front gates. They were former full time RV-ers and at the time, we were new camper owners so they were helpful when we had questions... really nice people. Each "tenant" had their own code to get in and out of the gate and there were cameras. Also the facility was also used by trucking companies to store extra trailers etc. so they had nice wide aisles that were easy to get in and out of. They also had 12' high fencing around the entire thing. And, sounds silly, but they had a large population of feral cats running around which helped keep mice away from the trailers.

For many years, my RV was parked at home. So convenient. I didn't realize how much until I relocated and had to give that up. No more loading a bit at a time before a trip. No more plugging it in for a while before a trip. No more using it as an extra bedroom. On the other hand, no more everyone knowing when I am away because the RV is gone.

I knew I would miss the on-site storage, but did not realize how much until health and family issues forced my relocation.

Consider all of the factors before deciding. It does sound like you have a choice and that can be reversible.

I would park it off street at the house - since you mentioned you have that option. Why pay somebody for something you can have for free? Get a RV cover if you want to, and if you have snow frequently where you live, but that may not be required.
I would keep it plugged in if you can run an extension cord to the trailer. Maybe put a fan on a timer inside to move the air around an hour or two per day.

We have been storing our current camper in two different facilities. I have personally been very pleased with both. The first one was a dirt/grass parking area (with a slight incline). The good: large spots. I would say they were around 20-25' wide and a good 50' long. Also, very inexpensive. The bad: It was about 25 minutes away (just far enough to be annoying at times) and insurance rates were actually higher in that city. The current setup is nicer. Sites are paved, but they are rather tight. 10x40. Doable but tight. Oddly enough I actually like it during storms as the wind is buffeted on either side of my camper. Insurance rates lower since it's in the same city we live in. Much closer at around 7 minutes away - much easier to check on things. Both facilities had security cameras though I like the current one better as they have huge screens at the main office as you go in so you can see the traffic within the gates. Price-wise, they are a little higher but worth it for me.
My requirements for storage:
1. Price
2. Security
I hope this helps.