Can we store our van for a year?

November 8, 2009 10:40 PM

We want to store our van for a year in California while we go back to Australia. Can this be done? Specifics inside.

My man and I bought a camper van in America, which we have lived in and traveled in for many months. We are going back to Australia (where we are from) in December, to live, but we want to come back in a year or so's time and do some more traveling for some more months.

We have been thinking of storing our van in a storage facility somewhere in southern California - because we fly out of L.A.

We've been told there are various problems with this plan - tyres going flat, wheels getting ruined, battery going flat, etc.

-Are there storage facilities for housing vans where they will take care of these things?
-Do you know of any in southern California?
-Any idea of how much money we are looking at paying?
-We don't really mind if it's outdoors, unless it's a security issue.

The van is the size of a small (class b) motorhome. its between 7-8 feet high, and maybe 20 feet long.

Don't know if it's a crazy idea - it seems more simple just to sell it, but we are rather attached to it...

Any advice appreciated.

posted by saturn~jupiter to travel & transportation (10 comments total)

Are there storage facilities for housing vans where they will take care of these things?

Not that I've ever heard of.

Your best bet is probably to find a friend who'll look after it for you.
posted by Netzapper at 10:49 PM on November 8

You can just re-inflate the tires and recharge the battery when you get back.
posted by delmoi at 10:58 PM on November 8

You would have to trust the person, but you could just "lend" it to someone- let them use it in exchange for keeping it safe and in decent shape.
posted by drjimmy11 at 10:58 PM on November 8

A lot of mini-storage facilities rent out space for vehicles. I doubt you'd find anyone who'd be willing to do maintenance on it, though.

From what I remember from when my parents ran one of those places, you're probably looking at $60-$100 per month. Although those are Arizona prices; southern CA may be higher.
posted by Target Practice at 11:09 PM on November 8

if you're going to let the vehicle sit, I would suggest that you jack it up off the ground for starters. You'll get flatspots on your tires that you'll be hard pressed to get rid of on your return. Pull your battery and either put it on a maintenance charger or sell it and get a new one when you get back. Draining the fuel tank is a pain, so fill the tank (reduces rust build up) and add a fuel stabilizer. Not doing this could leave you with fuel system problems. Change your engine and trans oil (preferably to a good synthetic, Amsoil comes to mind or mobil 1) before you go, and then immediately upon returning. The only thing worse than driving a car is letting it sit, especially with old fluids in it. I'm not certain about services that would do that, but if you have a reliable mechanic with a nice sized lot that could work. Better still a friend with a large garage. if you don't mind the expense you could rent a parking space or a garage and store it there. Just make sure the owner will be cool with a van on jackstands. I did that off and on for years in Philadelphia with great success while living in New Zealand. It can bum you out a bit to have a couple hundred bucks a month going to storage, but people do it for basement/attic overflow all of the time; At least your van is and will remain useful. Good luck!
posted by chosemerveilleux at 11:24 PM on November 8 [1 favorite]

RV Storage is pretty common, though not so much in urban cores, as they take up a lot of real estate. Google turns up dozens in the greater LA area. Here's one in Chino. There are many, many more.
posted by dersins at 11:26 PM on November 8

If you're parking the van outdoors, or at least near a window, you can put a solar charger on the dash and plug it into the 12V power port (cigarette lighter) and it will keep your battery topped off.

Or, just get a new battery when you return.
posted by zippy at 1:41 AM on November 9

You might want to find out what people in the military or in diplomatic circles do as they are probably faced with a similar task. I seem to recall from Car Talk that there do exist storage facilities that will do this. My hazy memory is telling me that they drain the tank and disconnect the battery at a minimum.
posted by plinth at 3:33 AM on November 9

Thanks a lot everyone.

Yes our concern with the tyres deflating is that they would get ruined, and we have recently put new tyres on the vehicle which cost no small amount - so we don't want to lose them.

Anyway good suggestions here folks. thanks for the comprehensive advice, chosemerveilleux, very helpful, you obviously know a lot about this.
posted by saturn~jupiter at 6:15 AM on November 9

As an alternative to the jack stands, you can air up the tires to high pressure. I did this with my cars for a year and it worked fine, no flat spots. One other thing I did was get fogging oil and spray the intake while running. It can help prevent internal rust. Also, mothballs inside to discourage bugs.
posted by cosmac at 6:27 AM on November 9