Storage options for a new airstream?

[g.u.]

We are about to close on a 2016 30’ FC bunky as total newbies to RVing and as such with a lot of questions. High on our list is storage: lack of room and HOA rules prevent us from parking the trailer at home, so we need to find our trailer a home.

We live in the Seattle area (not exactly dry, but relatively mild with occasional sub-freezing streaks). We may end up getting the Airstream in a few weeks, so cold weather is still a possibility.

We have been going back and forth on indoor vs. enclosed vs open, gravel vs. concrete, with/without hookups and all the possible permutations. The dealer suggests going outside, just as all inventory at any dealership. We are a bit nervous about it, so we are mulling over the idea of going indoors for at least the first few months.

The downside is not just cost – we don’t seem to have many indoor options close to where we live, and we don’t particularly like a long commute as we start getting acquainted with our new trailer.

Yet, we need to make a call and we are may be running out of time soon. Would love to hear from others what their experience has been – even more so if they happen to be from similar areas. Thanks much in advance!

[Fly at Night]

From the outskirts of Vancouver - just as rainy as Seattle.

I would leave the trailer outside as much as possible, especially when it's under warranty. Why? So you can keep track of any leaks.

I purchased my AS right out of the showroom and brought it home. (Do not have any shelter for it). Discovered a leak I had not noticed while it was in the showroom (of course!) The dealer found and repaired the leak source. Another leak popped up a few months later. Same thing - dealer found/repaired the source.

Am happy to report that was the end of the leaks, and the trailer is still outside year round.
However, I do Walbernize regularly and have the seals checked 1x/year. The outside skin is in a remarkably good condition. I have a theory about that; a wet climate washes away the airborne contaminants that cause filiform corrosion. So, do not be afraid of outside storage.

[KJRitchie]

I live in part of the country where it can hail so I opted for open covered storage. I'm glad I did because I have a leak in the rear window that after several attempts to seal I haven't been successful so I'm glad its under cover while I wait for warmer weather to attempt another fix.

It also gets hot here in the summer so I'm glad the direct sun is baking on it all day long.

Kelvin

[ROBERT CROSS]

Have you contacted any Private Airports in your area?

Bob

[g.u.]

Originally Posted by Fly at Night

From the outskirts of Vancouver - just as rainy as Seattle.

I would leave the trailer outside as much as possible, especially when it's under warranty. Why? So you can keep track of any leaks.

I purchased my AS right out of the showroom and brought it home. (Do not have any shelter for it). Discovered a leak I had not noticed while it was in the showroom (of course!) The dealer found and repaired the leak source. Another leak popped up a few months later. Same thing - dealer found/repaired the source.

Good point indeed, thanks! Although it comes with an additional worry on my side as I wouldn't be able to check on the AS every day. So, note to self: don't leave the AS unchecked for long periods of time if parked outside.

[g.u.]

Originally Posted by KJRitchie

I live in part of the country where it can hail so I opted for open covered storage. I'm glad I did because I have a leak in the rear window that after several attempts to seal I haven't been successful so I'm glad its under cover while I wait for warmer weather to attempt another fix.

It also gets hot here in the summer so I'm glad the direct sun is baking on it all day long.

Kelvin

Ouch, hail - add that to the list of stuff I haven't been thinking of: it's not that frequent where we live, but it does happen from time to time. I'm guessing hail damage would not be covered by any warranty?

[KJRitchie]

That would be an insurance claim. Then, more than likely than not a panel replacement is required. Most dealers would only attach new panels and rivet from the outside due to the complexity of removing furniture and the inside walls to buck rivet.

When I chose my covered site it was a spot facing away from the southwest. Behind me to the southwest are a couple of 5th wheels to shield my Airstream in case the hail comes in more sideways.

Kelvin

[bshoun]

hey g.u. and congratulations! we are newbies, too, having bought our baby in december. one thing we have learned is that storage close to home (for us that's about 4 miles) is a HUGE plus for us. we rent in a very secure facility, outdoors (but that's no issue since we're in sunny southern california). we take the owner's manual and some other guides over just about every other day to learn more about the unit -- and there is a lot to learn, and then a lot more. plus it's just fun to go over and add touches and just enjoy her even if it's on a storage lot. helps build our confidence for longer and longer trips, too. enjoy!

[Tan Son Nhut]

We purchased a 25' 2014 FC in Sep 2014 and stored it in a storage facility outside. Forgot to mention this was on Cape Cod in Brewster, Mass. We measured our snow last year by the YARD!
Made sure we prepped it for the winter. Made sure that batteries were topped off with distilled water. Solar panels kept the batteries charged.
In the spring, our Airstream was fine!
Good Luck and welcome to the forum.
Bob Beggan

[Piggy Bank]

As far as storage location. We ended up at a location about 25 minutes from our home, but on the edge of the metro. We initially thought we might try to change to a location closer to our home. After a couple of trips we realize that the location of our storage place lets us get on the road without having to pull the AS through metro commuter traffic. So actually now prefer the location to anything that would be closer to home. A storage location closer to home would then mean we would be towing on local commuter highways during Friday night rush hour before clearing the metro area to get on the open road.

We just take an extra 20-30 minutes before breaking camp to really pack up and clean the AS before hitching up to go home. Then we drop off the AS at the storage place and drive home. Since we only use about once a month, we always put it away clean and dry (no water in tanks, and all gray and black dumped.)

Sometimes we meet at the storage place after work, and leave one car there to save time too.

[kleimanr]

My 2006 30ft has been outside in central California (hot summers) since new. I put 2by12 used lumber down for the wheels which keeps them above the water when it rains. Cover tires. Put silver bubble stuff between windows and the screens and skylights. Have no problems at all. The plus is I can stop by and put things in or out without having to call and have them bring the trailer out.

I use Derrel's Mini Storage. Gate locks at 6pm, on site security 24-7, super fence and electronic intrusion alarm, video and so on. No security issues to date.

My good friend uses inside storage. He has no access to his trailer. They have to pull it out when he wants to use it. They damaged a rear corner while parking it. Sure they paid to get it fixed, but still it got damaged.

Only disadvantage to leaving it outside is it needs to be washed off more often.

[WestieHouse]

We live in Redmond WA and have stored our 2015 AS outdoors in Redmond and nearby for one year when not on the road. Also limited by space and HOA rules. We recently moved from a very close location (2mi) w/o electric to slightly further location (8 mi) to get electricity during the winter. This allows me to keep batteries charged without removal (there's a lot more to this in other threads) and I can watch for leaks as well as tinker with interior and be comfy with heat, lights, music, etc.). I did winterize this year for peace of mind, but did not winterize from original delivery on 1/29/15 because we took shake-down trips to Sequim in February to prep for April departure to Newfoundland. I had to keep the inside warm on a few noghts and closely watch temperatures until mid-March.
Like others reported, I had a leak that was repaired under warranty and can monitor better with outside exposure to elements. I do use two large H2Out canisters to reduce internal moisture and recharge these every 3-4 weeks. Read rodent prevention threads her for good tips about this potential problem. The boat stored next my AS suffered major electrical and upholstery damage from rodents immediately before arriving at the storage area where I am located. Concrete is best for minimizing the problem. Storage site should have rodent control procedures in place, but learn precautions you can take to protect your AS.

[Len n Jeanne]

We don't have space to store our AS at home, either. Our major concern would be security. We rented space in a gated and locked storage area at our local RV center for several years, but will be moving it to a friend's rural property this spring. We would always keep a lock on the hitch. Some people would go further and use tire locks.

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by g.u.

Ouch, hail - add that to the list of stuff I haven't been thinking of: it's not that frequent where we live, but it does happen from time to time. I'm guessing hail damage would not be covered by any warranty?

Most damage from hail, is settled as a "loss of value", except for small things that can easily be replaced.

Why ??

Most hail dents in the basic shell (between the first and last main bow), in time, will disappear. Some hail dents in the front and rear shell may disappear, but since they are made with softer metal, they have far less reaction to the heat from the sun.

I personally settled more than 1,000 hail loss claims through out the US, when I was with the old insurance division of Airstream, that was called Caravanner Insurance Company.

Warranty programs never cover "acts of God".

That's what insurance is for.

Estimate the degree of damage to each panel, which then dictates the dollar loss per panel. In doing so, should you have a collision claim for one of those same panels, down the road, then the amount that was previously provided, is subtracted from the new loss.

In that way, the insured is being equally fair with the insurance company.

Andy

[EarlM]

I keep my 30 class is inside my Morton building when not camping.....secure....dry...no sun fading...no hail or snow damage....we as most of USA have acid rain we just had 32 inches of snow so I vote inside storage


Enjoy your new trailer and have safe travels
Earl

[paiceman]

We have kept our Airstreams outside, three of them over the years and our 2015 is as well. All at a gated storage facility about 2 miles from our home. So far no issues, however, I do wax it twice each year right after a good wash and dry.

Enjoy

Bud

[biyak269]

We keep ours in a nearby boat storage barn all winter. It's clean in spring and there's all season to check for leaks.

[Anders79]

Live in Snoqualmie, just up the hill from you. This is our 2nd winter. We keep it parked outside uncovered (in front of the house). Don't winterize - Heat with a little space heater and kick furnace in if getting a freezing snap. No problems. Like to be able to go at a whim's notice. going to go to Oregon coast next weekend. Also, follow Paiceman's 2X / year wax.

[X Navy Nurse]

My husband and I just in November purchased our third AS. We went from 19ft to 25 ft to now the 30 ft. You were wise to start with 30. We have been privileged to store ours at a secure military RV storage site for a reasonable price since 2007. It is about 20 minutes away. We keep a number of Damp Rid containers inside as well as doors and drawers partially open per manual recommendation. We check on things every couple weeks. We have tire covers and bring pilferage batteries home and attach to a trickle charge. Before our first use and after dewinterization, we plan to stay near dealership in a RV park in order to check all things electric and gas etc. just in case there is a problem and need to return to the dealer. Can hardly wait!

[switz]

Due to HOA rules, We store in a commercial RV storage facility about 9.6 miles from home. We are in a covered, security gate, lots of cameras and fenced area. We have power in the trailer all the time plus two wash bays using RO water which can be used to fill fresh water tank, and a dumping station.

We have two trailers there and it is a significant expense. However no thefts or vandalism is worth the cost.

We are in the Phoenix metro area and shelter from the summer sun is important.