what will happen???

We left our TT in AZ one summer, I won't say it "ruined" it, but it sure as heck roughed it up. We took all the precautions cleaned it, waxed it, covered the windows, covered the tires, had the neighbors check on it. The sun was BRUTAL on it. All of the decals were severely degraded and the filon was dull and chalky. The rubber roof faired the best but needed complete reseal.
Never again will I leave our RV in AZ unprotected . Now, unless we are using it, it is parked in an enclosed shop.
The RV never really fully recovered from that one summer in the AZ sun.

Friends left their 5er in Arizona one summer. Pack rats got in the belly and did $6,000 worth of damage which fortunately insurance paid.

The shop that did the repairs said they would not warranty the work and although everything was working, they suggested selling the RV. Our friends were fearful of what might fail in the future so they did as suggested and traded on a new 5er.

Very good point on the electronics. Tires were treated. We will see what I come back to, and decide next year whether it comes with me to New England or stays. By the way. Recently, the temps in Carteret County and MA were only a degree or two apart. Same with humidity. That of course, can change, and the sun is more intense in NC.

I would be somewhat concerned about UV radiation and it's impact on tires. The other concern would be electronics. There are some electronic components (particularly capacitors) where the life of the component is going to be impacted by shortage temperature. There is some advantage (you double the life of the component by storing it at 85F versus 105F) in storing them in a cooler environment.

dpgllg:

Our unit is on a cement RV pad of land that we purchased. We have a landscaper who visits the property every week or so. The unit was Washed, waxed and seals lubricated just before we left. I check for sealant wear at least every 6 months. It will be 6 months when we return, and I get to do all this over again. I am sorry you had this problem with your unit, and you are right, it can happen any time to any unit. I am hoping that my vigilance caring for my 5er will pay off. We have lived in it full time for the last 6 years. Last year we did bring it North. This is our first year leaving it alone.

joelc wrote:
I did that with my unit this year. Left mine in NC and am in MA until November. I washed and waxed it before I left. Slides are silicone and in. Hopefully, there will be no problems or hurricanes.

I left my previous 5th wheel in storage in Myrtle Beach over the winter. It went through 2 small hurricanes and a tropical storm. We went back that summer and after spending almost two weeks there I decided to pull it home to perform maintenance. We were not on the road a 1/2 hour and the entire drivers side from the very front all the way back to the window just blew off.

Seems there was a small leak where the front cap met the roof and side. The water got in and loosened the laminate and the result was the photo below.

I will never leave my 5th wheel that far away from home again. Now it is stored near my house during camping season and then in an underground mine for the winter.

I'm not saying that this will happen to you but storing it where you can not at least check on it periodically I think can cause problems.

One summer isn't going to ruin the rig. Every rig in the south that isn't sold in the first 4 months or so has gone through a summer in the elements, you don't hear about some massive amount of early deaths due to the sun. In fact the number of older trailers in the south vs northern climes is way, way higher. I'd say that winters with freeze/thaw and high amounts of moisture in the shoulder seasons is worse than a bit of sun for a trailer, only thing worse would be salt spray from being near the ocean.

I was recently in 4 days of 100+ weather. Now, all my slider windows are hard to open.

The sun does a number on them covered storage is the best way to protect your investment. Dries out the caulking and rubber roof, fades the paint and graphics, dries out and cracks the tires. Dries out and shrinks the rubber around the windows. If the sun isn't blocked coming in the windows fades the interior. Makes all the exterior plastic yellow and brittle. Fiberglass oxidation. Fades all exterior lighting. Dries out and destroys the awning material.

How do I know this? I bought a used trailer from Florida that was 5 years old, never again.

haddy1 wrote:

Terryallan wrote:
Prolly the graphics won't be hurt. Wax them to get them back to new. However. You will need to check the fittings on top. Skylights can be pulled up by the sun, and Fridge vents can be dried, out and made brittle, as well as crank up vents.

I would NEVER apply wax to anything that is left outside. The newer polymer products are far superior in performance and much easier to apply.

Guess that is why my stuff looks like new. I love to see the wax bring the paint back to original shine. But that is just me. The "new" stuff just doesn't remove the little scratches, oxidation, and leave the paint slicker than glass Like a good cleaner wax does.