Storing in winter in yard

[lrahe1]

We are very new to the camping world. We are storing our RV next to our garage in the grass. We know that we will need concrete pavers as well as rubber on top of them to store our camper tires on. We are also going to get a cover for our 2017 forest River wildcat as well. We are trying to plan ahead. We will pay to get it winterized at the end of this season. Is there anything else we will need to do as we’re storing it outside in our yard for when winter comes?

[Retired JSO]

If you are concerned about tires on grass or concrete, just back it up on a few 8” or 10” boards. I’ve stored all my campers for the last 20 years on a concrete pad. Never a problem so I’m going to say that is an ole tail. Think that tail has a lot to do with ST trailer tires from China. Now if you stay parked, you might want to invest in a few sunny side covers for your tires to protect from uv.

[lrahe1]

Originally Posted by Retired JSO

If you are concerned about tires on grass or concrete, just back it up on a few 8” or 10” boards. I’ve stored all my campers for the last 20 years on a concrete pad. Never a problem so I’m going to say that is an ole tail. Think that tail has a lot to do with ST trailer tires from China. Now if you stay parked, you might want to invest in a few sunny side covers for your tires to protect from uv.

So are far as storing it in the grass, we will only need 8” or 10” boards to park it on a cover for the whole trailer and possibly wheel covers and that’s all? For storing in the grass in the winter in Nebraska? Unfortunately we don’t have a concrete pad to park on.

[boondocking]

I park mine on wooden 2x10's, with no rubber on top.
As far as the batteries - Fully charge the batterie(s) then disconnect the positive or negative battery cable. They will lose only <10% of their charge over the winter.

[Reverse_snowbird]

Originally Posted by lrahe1

So are far as storing it in the grass, we will only need 8” or 10” boards to park it on a cover for the whole trailer and possibly wheel covers and that’s all? For storing in tht pad to park on.

Nebraska might be a bit different from Florida. Tires aren't subject to the freezing weather that you get in your area. If you can't store it inside, here are some suggestions.
https://www.neighbor.com/storage-blo...inter-storage/
Also, you don't want a lot of snow on the roof.

[Virginian]

I park mine in the back yard, sitting on 2x10s also. Tire covers and a full trailer cover. I also disconnect the negative battery cable and leave it on the trailer. After I’ve winterized with antifreeze, and drained the water heater and fresh water tank. Has worked fine for me.

[PenJoe]

It seems that parking on grass attracts rodents. So, anytime we park a vehicle or camper on grass or hard surface, we spread a liberal amount of moth balls under, and surrounding what we are storing. We also use them inside. Yes, they leave an odor and you can smell it when opening up, but that's the point. Rodents don't like it either. Most of chemical dissipates and we clean the residue out, then air it out.

A camper cover can come with mixed results for two reasons. First, they don't hold up well if exposed to high winds. Two, they act as a super highway for rodents to get onto the roof. Once on the roof, they can take refuge in the AC and possibly in the duct work. They like electrical wire insulation, because it is plant based. They also leave very unpleasant odors.

Campers are pretty much weather proof, but they are not rodent proof. A mouse can squeeze through a half inch wire mesh. To venture a guess, there are probably openings for wiring and plumbing under the camper that are an invitation to rodents. There are spray foams to seal these openings that repel rodents.

To make the point, we had an old Mercury Cougar that I bought for an engine/trans swap into a Ford Ranger. Rodents were not a concern, so it was just store in the barn. My plans changed and we decided to sell the car. A woman came to look at it. It ran good, cosmetics-not so much. She wanted to test drive it. She had it started and was about to put it in gear when a mouse made its debut running across the dashboard. Low and behold, she did us two favors. She bought the car and took the mice with her. Go figure.

[juice5]

Originally Posted by lrahe1

We are very new to the camping world. We are storing our RV next to our garage in the grass. We know that we will need concrete pavers as well as rubber on top of them to store our camper tires on. We are also going to get a cover for our 2017 forest River wildcat as well. We are trying to plan ahead. We will pay to get it winterized at the end of this season. Is there anything else we will need to do as we’re storing it outside in our yard for when winter comes?

Im in Minnesota below zero area and after I winterize I put the axels up on blocks to get the Goodyears off the ground off the ground....7 months on the tires cant be 0ood ! juice

[jimmoore13]

I parked for years on an asphalt driveway. I currently park on very well drained "road base" gravel. In both cases, the tires are not in "muck." They sit on what becomes a dry, well-drained surface...when it's not raining. The tires don't, in any way, "sink in."

If you are parking on grass, the question is, what is the soil? Grass will grow in "road base" or a similar surface. OTOH, grass will grow in a "lawn"...an organic soil that is not intended to be a "road." When dry, organic soils may be firm, but when they get wet, they get soft and soggy, and your RV tires may sink into the surface.

If your tires sink in, using planks or other materials to prevent that is important. If you are on a solid surface, CUT THE GRASS very short where you park so you don't have weeds and grass growing up around the tires and under the rig. Your "last mowing of the season" can be extra short to account for grass growth in late fall and early spring.

DEFINITELY get tire covers to prevent UV damage.

[Nomore9-5]

Originally Posted by lrahe1

We are very new to the camping world. We are storing our RV next to our garage in the grass. We know that we will need concrete pavers as well as rubber on top of them to store our camper tires on. We are also going to get a cover for our 2017 forest River wildcat as well. We are trying to plan ahead. We will pay to get it winterized at the end of this season. Is there anything else we will need to do as we’re storing it outside in our yard for when winter comes?

There's a few sites on the internet that go into detail on winter storage and I see you've had some suggestions already. My 2 cents are
- inflate tires to max according to mfr guide
- park unit on an incline to allow water to drain off - ice is roof killer
- as someone suggested rodents can be an issue so get rid any food and give the unit a deep cleaning including frig and cupboards
- speaking of frig keep doors slightly ajar to allow air circulation
- install mice bait , traps etc we also covered our fridge access with tin foil as well as stuffing any conceivable opening we thought they could get in( eg slides)
- someone suggested charging your batteries and disconnecting - if you've got a garage with power you might consider storing them there on a battery maintainer
- if you're investing in a cover you might want one that allows access so you can periodically check on things.

I had one other thought before I ended this . Since there are mixed opinions about covers , have you thought about maybe putting up a shelter? . There's a lot of DIY as well as manufactured ones on pintrest etc . and you've got a few months before the white stuff returns

[boondocking]

My trailer has sat out in the snow and cold for 12 winters, not jacked up, not covered and with the batteries not removed.

The 5 year old tires are still round and in good shape. The 10 year old batteries are still up to par. The roof has not caved in from the snow and it is no worse for wear being uncovered.

[cbvp]

Parking rv's on grass is not recommended.
The moisture from the grass causes accelerated rusting of the undercarriage.



C.B.

[5picker]

Boy... there sure are some opinions in this thread!

Parking on a grass surface is fine as long as you are not parking in a swampy area or where water collects. There are hundreds of thousands of R/V parked on grass sites for months in campgrounds and various other places and the bottoms haven't fallen out of any I've seen.

Yes, use paver blocks or wood planks to park the tires on as you will notice some settling unless you have chosen a very firm spot.

Do not park in an area that you cannot access when damp/wet. You never know when you might need to move your R/V and parking it somewhere when firm and dry in the fall can lead to mud and ruts in the spring unless you plan accordingly.

The tires do not need to be off the ground, just not submerged in mud/water.

Covers are another topic of opinion and some like them for protection, others hate them for rubbing the paint off the sides/corners and housing rodents. YES, squirrels and mice CAN build nests under them! How many units get covered at the dealers during winter months? None... yet people flock to buy them in the spring and think nothing of it.

The battery (ies) should be TOTALLY charged and TOTALLY disconnected before winter storage. No need to bring them inside and tuck them into bed every night. A totally charged battery will only lose about 3% of its charge per month over winter in colder climates. Leave them right where they are and they will be fine. Anything else is just an old wives tale.

Make sure you winterize the plumbing/pump/water heater too if it gets below freezing.

[Oaklevel]

Originally Posted by 5picker

Boy... there sure are some opinions in this thread!

Parking on a grass surface is fine as long as you are not parking in a swampy area or where water collects. There are hundreds of thousands of R/V parked on grass sites for months in campgrounds and various other places and the bottoms haven't fallen out of any I've seen.

Yes, use paver blocks or wood planks to park the tires on as you will notice some settling unless you have chosen a very firm spot.

Do not park in an area that you cannot access when damp/wet. You never know when you might need to move your R/V and parking it somewhere when firm and dry in the fall can lead to mud and ruts in the spring unless you plan accordingly.

The tires do not need to be off the ground, just not submerged in mud/water.

Covers are another topic of opinion and some like them for protection, others hate them for rubbing the paint off the sides/corners and housing rodents. YES, squirrels and mice CAN build nests under them! How many units get covered at the dealers during winter months? None... yet people flock to buy them in the spring and think nothing of it.

The battery (ies) should be TOTALLY charged and TOTALLY disconnected before winter storage. No need to bring them inside and tuck them into bed every night. A totally charged battery will only lose about 3% of its charge per month over winter in colder climates. Leave them right where they are and they will be fine. Anything else is just an old wives tale.

Make sure you winterize the plumbing/pump/water heater too if it gets below freezing.

X 2

I own six trailers they all sit on grass uncovered........ Yes I keep the batteries charged and disconnected in the winter.

Moth Balls are to ward off moths, but snakes and rodents do not pay any attention to them.

[RedRoverComeOver]

Folklore and old wives' tales are strong in the community.


If it makes you feel better, blow the money.

[DaveBuckner]

If you live where there is snow and ice, make sure ice doesn't come off the roof of the house and damage trailer.

[Boomerweps]

Concrete paving blocks cover a larger area than a 2x8 or 10 plank for parking on and not sinking in soil.
PLUS, pavers can be easier to find when reparking the RV in the same storage spot during camping season.

[Thearcher01]

I put my trailer on blocks for thr winter and store the tires in the basement. I cover them with garbage bags. I also take the battery out and store it in the basement, hooked up to a battery minder.

[cbty]

I just spend the $600 and store our TT in an indoor storage facility. Living in northern Michigan, I don't need to worry about all the snow and ice.

[Bob K4TAX]

We keep our 253XL Wildwood in our yard. I do park it on 2x10 boards under the wheels and make sure it is level. I got some 2 x 10s 8 ft long and cut them as needed. I have one on one side and two on the other side. I keep it connected to a 120VAC dedicated 30A outlet for the TT.

Taking advice from others, I DO NOT cover the trailer and have been advised against it. The general comments are that moisture collects and the cover may chaff the surface.

I wish I had a permanent trailer carport. Maybe next year a few $$$ will appear and I can have one built. In the meantime, it sits outside.