Preparing your RV for long-term storage

Summer is an excellent season to travel and make the most of your RV. Most of the year, it's acceptable to take your RV on the road throughout the Southwest, but there may be occasions when you'll need to park it for an extended length of time.

Time you're out enjoying the great outdoors, it's never too early to start thinking about your checklist of things to do when you're ready to hang up your keys for a while. Here are 11 tasks you should do to prepare your RV for long-term storage:

1. Extensive exterior cleaning

To remove caked up dirt and debris from your road excursions, give your RV a thorough wash and wax. It's wonderful to return to a clean and sparkly RV when you're ready to utilize it again. A thorough cleaning keeps rust, mold, and mildew from wreaking havoc on the outside. A good wax will retain the surface's integrity and prevent degradation from damaging UV rays, which is essential if you live in a hot climate.

2. Examine the Tires

Don't forget to clean your tires and apply a good sealant. You should also pump the tires to the manufacturer's suggested pressure and inspect the tread to see whether it's time to replace them with new wheels. Tires may bulge and expand as a result of the heat. The last thing you want to happen when you're ready to utilize your camper again is for a tire to blow.

3. Examine the Seals

When cleaning the outside, search for any gaps or cracks in the seals of the roof, windows, and doors. The dry, piercing Arizona heat can dry up and break your seals over time, so apply a silicone or foam sealant to maintain them healthy and undamaged. This will also discourage creatures from slithering in and making your RV their home.

4. Interior Cleaning

Begin at the top and work your way down, carefully cleaning the ceiling, walls, upholstery, surface surfaces, and floor. It's critical to run your vacuum through the RV to pick up all of the food crumbs, since rats can smell them from a mile away.

Because the sun may bleach the fabric on your sofa, draw the blinds or shades down but don't completely shut them. We suggest utilizing transparent blinds to let light into the RV and prevent mold and mildew from forming. Moisture may accumulate in your RV due to water leaking through cracks, so thoroughly check the structure for any indications of water damage and make any required repairs.

5. Organize the Kitchen

Clean all of your equipment thoroughly, and empty the fridge and freezer. For a fresh fragrance, leave your fridge and freezer doors open with a box of baking soda inside. Clean and empty the refrigerator and cabinets. You don't want to leave any food or crumbs for hungry rats to munch on. To keep pests out, wrap the stove burners with plastic wrap. Close any appliance openings that may let pests inside, such as gas lines and furnace exhaust.

6. Allow the Vents to Open

The temperature inside your RV might reach triple digits. Open the external air vents to allow air to circulate inside the RV, preventing moisture and mold growth. However, utilize vent covers to keep out any rain or moisture, or you may end up with mold concerns.

7. Drain the Tanks

Empty the waste tanks of the RV at a dump site. Toilet waste may dry up and harden in the black water holding tank, making removal difficult, therefore flush and empty the tank before storage.
The grey tank collects waste water from your RV's various lines, notably the kitchen and bathroom sinks. It will accumulate everything from food deposits to toothpaste.

Also, empty and cleanse your freshwater tank. Allowing some water to remain in the tank is OK for short-term storage but not for long-term storage since high temperatures may allow bacteria to develop in warm water. Remember to fill the freshwater tank with water before your first journey after storing your vehicle.

8. Take out the Batteries

Remove and charge your RV's batteries to prevent them from dying while in storage. Place the batteries on a charger in a temperature-controlled area of your house, such as your garage. Check the batteries on a regular basis to ensure they are fully charged and ready to go when you are ready to take the RV out again.

9. Insert the Slides

Keep your slide outs shut. This will help to balance your RV and reduce pressure on the slide joints. This will also prevent any rainfall, dust, or debris from settling on the top of the slides and adding to the additional weight. Since previously said, inspect the seals surrounding the slide outs as this might let water and damp into your RV. Keeping the slides pushed in also keeps critters out via the seals and joints.

10. Purchase an RV Cover

Whether you park in an open or closed area, a proper RV cover will protect your recreational vehicle in the long run and should fit snugly around the outside. We suggest using a permeable cover to let air to flow and keep mold and mildew at bay.

11. Locate a Storage Facility

Not everyone has a driveway or a neighboring street large enough to park a large RV. You should also be wary about breaking HOA laws depending on where you reside. Find a suitable storage facility that will offer you piece of mind that your RV is safe and well-cared for, check rv storage in mohave county.