Long Term Car Storage

[Freedom_2018]

We are looking to store our car for a 9 to 12 month period when out of the country. No one we know seems to have any space in their garage since it is filled with their own stuff.

So realistic options so far are looking like:

a) Sell the car - prefer not to do since we will need one when we are back and this one took some time to find and was a good used deal.

b) Commercial storage (indoor or outdoor unit) - Prices vary a lot depending on location. Problem is I have not been able to find a way to do a countrywide search for the best prices. Is there a tool/website that allows such a search? We are flexible with where we store the car so being able to find the most economical location would be the most useful.

[SavingWithBabies]

In this area, the self-storage places offer car-sized lockers. It does seem like the farther you get from major city, the less expensive these places are in general. So maybe look for somewhere within what you consider a reasonable driving distance and check prices on the outskirts.

On a side note, you might already know, but it's a good idea to disconnect the battery to prevent slow drain. Although in the past, sometimes this messes up the radio and it requires a code to reactivate so might want to google/double check on that for your make and model (I don't know if this problem exists anymore).

[Ego]

We are paying for long-term storage right now. We've know the owners of the storage company for years and they were nice enough to give us a good deal. They disconnect the battery and put it on a trickle charger. This is the first year we will need to have the car smog tested and they will take care of that for a modest fee before we arrive. For the duration of the trip we register it 'plan non-op' and drop the insurance.

[Freedom_2018]

but it's a good idea to disconnect the battery to prevent slow drain.

I generally disconnect the negative (ground/body) terminal and that seems to have worked fine for multi month storage. Haven't bothered with trickle charging as no electric outlet was available close by. Probably reduces the battery life some but the car did start with one turn of the key. I think ambient temperature is a bigger determinant of battery life.

Lowest storage cost I have found for a 10'x20' enclosed lockable unit is $65 pm in a small town in New Mexico but unfortunately no current spaces available.

[Freedom_2018]

we will need to have the car smog tested and they will take care of that for a modest fee before we arrive. For the duration of the trip we register it 'plan non-op' and drop the insurance.

That is quite a deal if they will do your smog too since that is quite a hassle for us too every two years and sometimes we are nowhere near California!

If I were to store in a similar fashion, I am wondering how would I handle:

- The storage company driving the car to the Emissions station on public roads with a plan non op registration? Also can an plan non-op car be smogged? Unless perhaps the registration is switched back to regular op before smogging.

- Dropping insurance might have implications on my future auto premiums as there would be a gap in insurance coverage. Wondering if I could instead just drop liability and collision and keep the comprehensive for a nominal fee.

I'm looking forward to the day when we are finally car free and don't have to deal with such annoyances but really hard to get around in the US without a car. Another option is to move domicile to a state that does not require emissions (some of those states also don't have state income tax either). Maybe I have an irrational connection to California.

[Ego]

@Freedom2018, When we were away from California for all those years in our van we simply mailed a "Statement of Fact" along with our registration renewal saying we were out of the State of CA and would have it smogged the moment we returned. DMV renewed our registration and mailed the stickers to our mailbox.

Regarding insurance, we simply explain to AAA that the car has been in storage and we are renewing our policy. The last time they gave us the renewal rate .... but I seem to remember having difficulty one time.

[Sclass]

I have a lot of non op cars. First I do as ego and register them non op. Then for the battery I use a 1x1 foot solar panel to maintain it. The one I use looks like this. It puts out 12v or more and I use a 1n4004 diode in series with it to make sure the battery doesn’t discharge overnight. They’re pretty cheap if you know where to look.



The panel allows me not to require an AC power cord which I’d trip over where I store my vehicles. I have a 2008 Civic that has been like this since 2014. Fires right up on the old gas.

Perhaps your storage unit has room for a small panel?

[George the original one]

Dust cover to reduce cleaning effort when you return (couple of old sheets are good enough) and sealing the engine bay as defense against rodent occupation.

[chenda]

Have you looked on local listings like gumtree to see if anyone is offering their garage or driveway for rent ?

[Sclass]

Dust cover to reduce cleaning effort when you return (couple of old sheets are good enough) and sealing the engine bay as defense against rodent occupation.

How does the sheet keep the rodents out? Rats, mice and squirrels are a big problem with cars. I have had rats die in the heater box on two cars I had parked. I haven’t bothered to dismantle the AC to find the mummified carcass. This is one reason I abandoned these cars.

One car had just enough snack food crumbs in it to attract mice. They can smell a stale Cheeto twenty feet away.

I haven’t found a way to get around this. I don’t want to use moth crystals.

Edit, on my Honda Civic I’ve added a heavy wire screen (rabbit hutch material) on the upstream side of the cabin air filter. I found a 2” hole chewed through mine but it was too late. I bet the animal is curled up somewhere between the blower and evaporator. Yuck.

[George the original one]

How does the sheet keep the rodents out?

Sorry, that's confusing. The sheet is just a dust cover. Sealing the engine bay will require something else and I leave it as an exercise for the reader!

[arcyallen]

If you love the car do what you gotta do, but it seems like it's possibly a fairly large expense (insurance, storage, depreciation, etc). I assume you have no interest in selling the car and buying another in a year? If you saved $1k in expenses by selling and rebuying a $5k car, it might be worth it. If it's your prized Lamborghini, I guess proportionately it might make sense. And Lambos are clearly the ERE choice.

Either way, I don't know of any good way to search for storage places other than Craigslist. This is the first year I didn't pay to store my Miata and instead parked it in my driveway with a good quality cover. The snow hasn't been too bad (even here in VT) but I haven't uncovered it and done a rodent check.

[Chris]

I wonder if there's a business idea here. Kinda like a long-term Turo, for car owners who have an unused vehicle for 1-12 months who don't want the hassle of selling and don't want the cost of storage.

[Gilberto de Piento]

Another business idea might be a large rodent proof bag you drive the car into and then seal. You might need to provide desiccants to dry the air in the bag if it doesn't breathe. You wouldn't want to put the car in the bag on a humid day and have a lot of condensation or something.

Once a car smells like dead mice it is very hard to get rid of the smell without replacing things like carpet and headliner.

[George the original one]

Another business idea might be a large rodent proof bag you drive the car into and then seal. You might need to provide desiccants to dry the air in the bag if it doesn't breathe.

I know they were available in England circa 1990. Used to see ads for them in Sportscar & Classic.

[Sclass]

I am liking the idea of selling off the car and just buying another when you need it again. Like shoes. There are many nice used cars in Craigslist for low prices.

I own way too many cars now. They sit around with solar chargers or battery tenders. PNO registration. Or worse, insured and registered. And they’re all cheap cars (< $10k).

Of course I’m not perfectly rational when it comes to my cars.

I heard tires that aren’t driven get sidewall cracking faster than cars that are rolled around. Somehow the static stress state is really hard on rubber like keeping a rubber band stretched around a roll of papers kills it faster than leaving in a box relaxed. Anyhow I fear the CV boots, oil seals, ac o-rings, belts and hoses are all degrading in my sitting cars. Today I just bought tires for a pickup I drive less than 500 miles a year. Good tread with cracked sidewalls. That hurt.

I would be better off if I just stuck with renting a truck when I really needed one.

[Freedom_2018]

@Freedom2018, When we were away from California for all those years in our van

Regarding insurance...

Thanks. I still have your book about the van journey and quite enjoyed reading it...the part I think that cracked me up the most was when you were pissed trying to find some tool in your can and couldn't ...can very much relate to that.

Anyways, the sister of partner's ex-husband has offered her driveway to park our car at no cost. Plus she is at home all the time and parks her car on the driveway too, so hopefully will be safe with a good quality cover that can be secured.

Will put car on comprehensive insurance and at appropriate time apply for temporary smog exemption till we get back in April next year.

Regarding critters, since it is on a concrete driveway, hoping it won't be a problem but will probably put some disincentives for rodents etc in and around the wheels and access points.

[Ego]

Hah. A few days ago I dumped out my entire backpack looking for my Leathermans tool. When I finally found the thing it took me several moments to remember why I was looking for it. Some things never change.

You might consider having a backup plan in case the parking situation fails in the middle of your trip.

[luxagraf]

I heard tires that aren’t driven get sidewall cracking faster than cars that are rolled around. Somehow the static stress state is really hard on rubber like keeping a rubber band stretched around a roll of papers kills it faster than leaving in a box relaxed.

Our RV has been in storage for 8 months now and the tires are the main thing I worry about. My understanding of this is that concrete leaches moisture and that putting it up on wood or plastic will greatly improve the lifespan of the rubber.

[George the original one]

My understanding of this is that concrete leaches moisture and that putting it up on wood or plastic will greatly improve the lifespan of the rubber.

Sunshine and ozone are the biggest destroyers of rubber. Indoor storage is best, provided it's not in a room with lots of electrical equipment. If outdoor storage is all that's available, then get some tire covers.

You ought to be able to perceive the fallacy about storing on concrete as most garage floors are concrete, right?