Storage for your Airstream?

[redeagle313]

Does anyone store their AS inside all year, or outside all year, or a combination?

We can store (can't keep at our home due to subdivision rules) at our local dealer (outside for $30 per month) and at our local Fairgrounds we can store it inside for 6 months (Oct to March) for $56 a month. Should we be looking for somewhere indoors for the spring/summer months too?

For the outside all year folks, how does this seem to be affecting your AS?

[Silvertwinkie]

I use to keep it in the drive, but my bro opened a business and had some extra capacity. I currently have it inside year round...and will say that $56 inside is a great price compared to around here.

[stephen.s1]

The fresh air and sunshine seems to keep it happy.

[swebster]

She sits outside at my office year round for now. Once I complete the exterior refurb (someday ) then I plan to purchase one of those RV enclosures. A Cover-It or something like that.

[balrgn]

The inlaws head to Florida for the Winter, so the day they leave I take advantage of a great garage!

[Silvertwinkie]

Originally Posted by Soarhead

The fresh air and sunshine seems to keep it happy.

That's why I take it on vacation about a half dozen time a year....

[Barbara Peerenboom]

Our GT moved in with the Olds the day she came home, with the stipulation that she would move to a space behind the garage where she would only have a roof and no walls when we got done fixing her up. Little did we know that it would take so long.......

Barb

[Silvertwinkie]

Love the car!

[Happycampers]

We store ours inside for the winter at 1.25 per ft. we have a 26ft Argosy so that is 27.50 per month. There is 4 other Airstreams in with it. Marvin

[markjoandall]

We built a timber frame barn with just the thought of purchasing an Airstream. The footprint of the barn is 36 X 34 with three 12 foot bays. The AS is in the middle bay. We have to be VERY careful putting the trailer into the barn because there is only 4 inches on either side. Very difficult with a Hensley. The the toy box stores the Airstream, a 23 ft seasprite sailboat, a 17 ft boston whaler, my cub tractor, and my wood working shop upstairs.

So much stuff and so little time!!!!!

[Silvertwinkie]

Originally Posted by markjoandall

We built a timber frame barn with just the thought of purchasing an Airstream. The footprint of the barn is 36 X 34 with three 12 foot bays. The AS is in the middle bay. We have to be VERY careful putting the trailer into the barn because there is only 4 inches on either side. Very difficult with a Hensley. The the toy box stores the Airstream, a 23 ft seasprite sailboat, a 17 ft boston whaler, my cub tractor, and my wood working shop upstairs.

So much stuff and so little time!!!!!

Nice! You have the setup I've been thinking about once I get more than a sliver of land.

[flyfisher]

We use our Airstream about 4 months a year, otherwise it's in a 40L x 14W x 16H fully enclosed self storage unit, for which we pay one arm and one leg per month rental!

I don't think there's any question that keeping an Airstream under cover (where it's dry and out of the sun) will aid in its longevity, particularly for things like tires, rubber seals around windows, and the like.

However, if you keep your trailer outside, waxed and clean, use a good UV protectant (like 303 Protectant) on the rubber, etc., I don't think there's a compelling reason why you have to be unduly concerned from only a "weathering" standpoint.

However, if you are in an area susceptable to major storms, like tornados, or where there is a risk of theft, then that could be additional justification for keeping a unit inside, or at least in a secure location.

I haven't studied this -- perhaps others have? - but offhand I'd think that the average/normal weathering of outside storage could amount to $50-$100 per month in deterioration/depreciation on a typical Airstream (this amount would vary geographically and by specific model). Therefore, I wouldn't hesitate to pay that amount additional each month for inside storage. (Assuming I had the money and a place where I could store it inside.) Others may have a different opinion?

John

[jcanavera]

When I had my Safari I kept it inside for 5 months of the year (November-March) and outside the other months. Unfortunately since getting the Classic I haven't had the indoor option available (at a reasonable price). I'm hoping to be able to get it inside in the future. There is no doubt that your trailer will suffer less from UV and those nasty weather related issues.

Hail is my biggest worry. Here is a picture of an Airstream hit by a big hail storm in St. Louis in April 2001. (Thankfully my Airstream was still under construction at that time).

St. Louis Hailstorm

Regards,

Jack

[j54mark]

I had to vote "other" because mine is under a shed roof, not really inside and not really outside. I think I have a photo of the building in my photos section.

Mark

[flamingo-kid1]

We have a new storage facility that just opened. They are a quasi junkyard/RV storage/repair shop. Their junked cars don't look too bad... they's all vintage what-nots.

They have our unit stored in a fenced and gated lot, on blacktop, in visual line with their own home. They charge us 35.00 a month, and we're their first customers w/ a trailer.

We check on her every few weeks. All's good.

[stephen.s1]

Hail storm??!!! More like a meteor shower at 120k meters...

Cannon balls perhaps...

Spare me from the midwest hail!

[alvinator]

We keep our Airstream stored inside at a local fairground for $130 for six months, quite a bargain. In April, we bring it out for the trailering season and we keep it on a blacktopped lot at my neighbor's furniture store about 2 miles from our house. We feel that the indoor storage doubles the life of the trailer.

[Pahaska]

It would have been nice had there been a category "under roof" as opposed to "indoors".

I voted indoors even though my trailer is simply stored under roof. However, I am on the north side of the 2-row storage so that no sun ever strikes the trailer and I am parked far enough back in the stall that no rain or hail normally reaches the trailer. The building to the north acts as a windbreak and prevents rain from blowing in except in unusually heavy storms.

I feel that the $90 per month versus $30 per month outside will pay off in longer life for the trailer. It does get dusty (this is Texas), but is well protected from sun damage, which, IMHO, is far more detrimental.

[MarkE]

Someday I hope to have indoor storage for my Airstream but, for now, it resides on a concrete slab beside the garage (behind my house.) I'm sure that indoor storage would protect the thing better from sun/weather damage to the clearcoat and from the dreaded HAIL (mine has aquired a few small hail 'dings' and I hate to check it out after a storm to find more.)
Hey Barbara P.- that Olds looks pretty classy! My grandparents had a '55 Olds 88 2-door hardtop. It was green + white, but I have never seen another with the combination theirs had: the green on the hood/front fenders + white on the deck lid/rear fenders. I have seen the reverse color scheme several times but none like theirs. That was one cool car (with the Rocket V8 it was no 'slug' either.)

[Barbara Peerenboom]

Thanks for the compliments on the Olds. It is a testament to garaging vehicles. Except for a short time in the mid '60, when my husband bought it (his first car), it has always been in a garage.

Barb