How to Prepare Your Vehicle for Long-Term Storage
Discover the best ways to prepare your vehicle to prevent damage and ensure that it stays in good condition during long term storage.
Why Use Long-Term Vehicle Storage
Long term vehicle storage usually involves storing your vehicle for more than 30 days without taking it out of storage.
There are many reasons why you might put your car into long-term storage. For example, if you’re taking a long trip overseas or you’ve rented a campervan and opted to give ‘van-life a try. Or you’ve reached a certain age and the “grey nomad” lifestyle beckons. Perhaps you have a collectable vintage car that you only drive occasionally? Or you want somewhere safe to house your convertible over the winter months.
Whatever the reason, there are a few important steps to take before locking up you unit and leaving your pride and joy in one place for extended periods.
Here we’ll share some of the most important precautions to take to ensure your car stays in great condition while you’re gone.
Make Sure It’s Clean – Inside and Out
Thoroughly wash and vacuum the car inside and out to ensure it’s free from animal and bird droppings that can ruin paintwork. Get rid of any mud, grease, and tar which can cause corrosion. Make sure upholstery and carpets are clean and dry before storing your car. A coat of wax applied to the exterior will provide extra protection.
Change the Oil
Change the oil to remove contaminants that build up in dirty oil and cause damage to the engine while in storage.
Fill Up the Tank
This will prevent moisture from gathering inside the fuel tank and stop the seals from drying out. Use a fuel stabilizer to prevent ethanol build-up and protect the engine from gum, varnish, and corrosion.
Use a Battery Tender
A trickle charger or battery tender will help keep the battery from losing its charge if you’re unable to ask a family member or mate to take the car out for a drive every once in a while.
Don’t Use the Parking Brake
Although the parking brake is important in most circumstances, it’s best not to use it when storing your car for long periods of time. This is because, when the brake pads are in contact with the rotors for a long time, they might fuse. A chock or tyre stopper placed behind the tyre is a much better way to keep the car steady during long-term storage.
Protect the Tyres from Flat Spots
Make sure that your tyres are inflated to the correct pressure and, if possible, arrange for someone you trust to drive the car periodically. This will not only help to bring the tyres up to their normal operating temperature and remove any flat spots, but it will also help keep the battery charged, keep the engine and other components adequately lubricated, and flush the air conditioning system with fresh air.
Alternatively, you can remove the wheels from the vehicle and place the car on jack stands at all four corners to prevent flat spots forming on the tyres. This could save you from having to spend money on a new set of tyres when you return.
Keep It Covered
If possible, select an indoor storage unit to store your vehicle as it will provide optimal protection against sun, wind, rain, heat, and hail, as well as protecting against infestation by pests.
Whether in- or outdoors, a car cover will provide added protection against dust and debris. It will also keep the temperature relatively stable, limiting wear during long-term storage.
To keep critters from entering your vehicle during storage, it’s a good idea to stop up any gaps where they could enter. Plug the exhaust pipe and air intakes with steel wool. But, if someone is going to drive the car, be sure to mention to them that you’ve stopped up the exhaust pipe and air intake. They will need to remove blockages before driving off.
To deter rodents, spread mothballs or cotton wool swabs soaked in peppermint oil along the perimeter of the vehicle. You could also add a few mousetraps or rat poison to the storage space. Just be sure to have someone come round to check for and remove any casualties to prevent the smell from building up.
Make Sure You Have Appropriate Insurance
If you store your vehicle with a reputable self-storage company, they will offer excellent security and protection, but despite the best efforts of all concerned, things can go wrong. So it’s worth making sure your car is adequately covered by insurance while in long-term storage. Talk to your insurance provider to be sure you have the appropriate cover before heading off.
Want to know more about vehicle storage? Talk to our friendly team today.
