When you fulltime travel, at some point you may have to consider storing your caravan motorhome of campervan.
Those that have folllowed us for some time, will know, we also have a campervan in the UK. When there was no pandemic, we would spend time between Australia and travelling Europe. Therefore there was always one rig that we had to prepare for long term storage.
So here are some tips and pointers that we have learned from having to store our rig for a long period of time:
- Disconnect the battery or depending on your storage location/security attach a solar panel to trickle charge the battery and ensure it is maintained
Prevent flat spots on tyres - If possible, again due to where it is stored, jack it up and support frame so tyres are not on the ground. This will prevent flat spots on your tyres and prevent you having to replace them. Alternatively, factor in tyre replacement as a possibility. When road tripping they are VERY important.
- Remove all food, even the stuff you think will be fine, you can not possibly know what the weather or rodent issues may happen in the time your van is stored. The more troubling issue is, what the rodent may eat through to get in there. Or eat while there (wiring). This is especially important if not local to where you are that you can check on it. One exploded can, or mouse infestation will have you double and triple checking this item on the list!
- Empty your toilet cassette and clean with either a mix of white vinegar and dishwashing liquid. See our Camping tips and hacks cleaning or use citric acid & water mix or toilet cleaner from any caravan and camping supplier.
- Turn off all water pumps and go through and de-pressurise the taps in your rig one by one
- Remove all batteries from remote controls, if batteries leak ruins them
Buy Hippo moisture absorbers in bulk & save - Take sheets off bed and flip mattresses
- Place moisture absorbers in van, middle and each end – we have used Hippo moisture absorbers with great success
- Clean fridge and defrost freezer. Put tea towel over door or pull shelf out to prevent door closing. Put a roll of paper towel in fridge to absorb moisture.
- Ensure hatches and windows are closed
- Clean your awning and ensure dry before putting it back in
- CLEAN THE BBQ!! You will thank me for this one!
- Cover your exit pipes with flywire or similar with ziptie or elastic band if short term storage (but sun will deteriorate them)
- You can choose to empty your water tanks, sometimes we do, sometimes we didn’t never had a problem
- EMPTY your grey water – you will never have smelled anything so bad in all your life
- You could use a caravan cover or motorhome cover, we have found they don’t last. But, if you are only storing it for a matter of months this could be a good way of protecting you rig against the harsh sun.
I hope you have found this list helpful!
Other things that you may need to consider:
If you need to ensure the security of your rig while it is stored check out our security tips for protecting your rig post.
Most important don’t tell anyone where you stored it, especially if you are a blogger. There is sharing and then there is being sensible.
You can read more tips and tricks in our Life on the road series
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