Oliver storage

[John and Debbie]

Hi all,  I looked for this topic,  but didn't see it.   If I can find it under another thread let me know.   Obviously the best way to store your trailer is in a climate controlled garage,  but if that is not available how do you store yours?   There are storage facilities that have covered areas with roof only.   Is that adequate?   Those same facilities have open storage,  but would it be wise to put an RV cover over your trailer in those places or would it generate too much heat and damage the finish,  etc?   Thanks for any suggestions or input. 

[John E Davies]

There are countless Web articles on “RV winter storage”, Google that term, watch some videos. Bottom line is, how much time (and money) are you willing to dedicate to keeping track of your Ollie? An uncovered commercial parking spot will require frequent visits to clear off snow, ice, or leaf accumulation and make sure everything is OK. An open but covered one with power is lots better, a fully enclosed one is WAY  better (and the risk of collision damage or theft drops to near zero). A fabric cover offers protection but has its own risks and major hassles, such as making sure it and the hull are clean before use. You have to balance convenience, cost, location, drive time and security against your own preferences and worries. We had an owner here who had to drive six hours round trip to visit his trailer! It can be a tough and potentially very expensive conundrum, depending on your climate and home location. I feel sorry for owners who cannot store their Ollie at home, things are a lot tougher when it is far away... 

I live in a private development; of the thirty houses here, about 12 have attached, fully enclosed RV bays. Which is the main reason we picked this spot….. being able to use your Ollie as an emergency shelter during a power outage, or as a guest bedroom, or even walk naked out to your Ollie in a blizzard - if you wanted to 😳- is priceless. I don’t even bother to winterize, the temp there has never dropped below 38 degrees. Plus it saves many thousands of $ in storage and travel costs.

Where are you located? It helps us to give better recommendations if you will add that info, and your tow vehicle, to a signature. 

John Davies

Spokane WA

[Frank C]

We store ours at our house when not in use using the Calmark cover.  Our local borough zoning laws allow a trailer or boat up to 25’ to be kept on the property.  Having it right at the house is great. Very convenient so I can check on it anytime I want, or work on it.  And can plug it in to keep the batteries charged.  

[Mike and Carol]

Yes, the best storage is an indoor, climate controlled garage or bay.  We don’t have that so I store mine at an RV and boat storage facility nearby.  I have a covered, open slot with a 110V plug.  It keeps my trailer out of the intense south Texas sun but doesn’t keep it clean.  Since I replaced my AGMs with lithiums I don’t use the power anymore, I just turn the batteries off.  I am able to keep my trailer in the driveway for 3-5 days when leaving or coming home from a trip, or to work on it.  Mike

[MobileJoy]

We are renting a completely enclosed bay without climate control. Three sides abut other bays, and only the front with garage door is exposed. When we were evaluating, it was 90 degrees and about 1PM when we walked inside and didn't feel any temperature difference from the outside, making me wonder if the roof is insulated. It has 15a electrical access, but it is a 4-gang outlet just outside the bay, so it can be shared with up to 4 bays, meaning it's probably unreliable (time will tell; they said it's only there for charging batteries). Haven't actually stored the Ollie there yet. Will be soon, and will be checking at least weekly at first. We've had it at home for the last week (against covenants) so I can work through the tickets I have open without having to travel the 20 miles too often. We'd love to hear opinions on this solution if others have this experience. It's "by the month" so we can change our minds at any time.

[John E Davies]

Some storage facilities prohibit working on your trailer, you have to haul it away to do any maintenance or cleaning. It would be smart to study the contract. And decent inside lighting would be a big plus. One of the Ollies we looked at before buying was located inside a large UNLIT warehouse,  We had to use flashlights to study the outside features, I can’t imagine doing anything constructive in those conditions…. My RV bay has bright white sheet-rocked walls and ceiling (they reflect the ambient light) , three decent sized windows facing south , and excellent LED daylight spectrum lighting. Even with the big entry door closed, it is EVENLY illuminated. My aging eyes appreciate the lack of shadows.

I had a Sea Ray 250 Sundancer years ago, I stored it under an exposed but roofed RV unit with 15 amp power. That worked OK but the driveway was gravel, so it was always filthy, and I worried about collisions….. It looked great parked in front of my house but I could not store it there.

John Davies

Spokane WA

[rideandfly]

We store Ollie in an airplane hangar. This hangar has an open front:

[TexasGuy]

So I can’t store at home as there just isn’t space and not allowed by HOA .  I live in DFW area. I have a spot that is covered with open front.   Space is 50 feet long so the Oliver tucks back nicely and well protected from weather even in front.  I am able to trickle charge battery and storage place has a dump station and will fill propane tanks which is nice.   I could pay less for uncovered but then I’d need a cover and we get some wicked spring storms here so covered is a big plus.  
 

Eventually I’d a place where I can have enclosed garage that can be climate controlled but need to figure out first where I want to be long term.  

[routlaw]

Up until this past month I have stored our Ollie in an open bay but covered shelter which did have plenty of room, but no power. The new owners of this faculty raised rents twice within a year for a total of 60% increase. I told them to take a hike and moved out. We live in Montana and during winter months turn off all switches to power including the solar panels eliminating any phantom power draws. Our 4 lead acid batteries maintain their full charge during the approximate 5 months ± of storage and will normally be 12.84 volts ± a fraction when I pick up. 

In the meantime we are keeping ours in the driveway at home which is not ideal due to small lots, small driveways in the downtown historical area of our town. I truly envy John Davies setup. There are no HOA codes in the area we live, at least for now, regardless its sort of a PITA to keep even a small RV like the Ollie parked here all summer. Looking at other completely enclosed storage facilities now will raise the price of admission another $15 or $20 per month with no power or temp control. My CAB (cheap a** ba*t*rd) factor starts to kick in. I have also flirted with the idea of hauling ours to the SW for the winter months for storage which would make it much easier to get away on an adventure down there, then bringing back to Montana for the summer to enjoy camping in smoked filled skies. 🥵

[John and Debbie]

On 8/4/2021 at 4:17 AM, John E Davies said:

There are countless Web articles on “RV winter storage”, Google that term, watch some videos. Bottom line is, how much time (and money) are you willing to dedicate to keeping track of your Ollie? An uncovered commercial parking spot will require frequent visits to clear off snow, ice, or leaf accumulation and make sure everything is OK. An open but covered one with power is lots better, a fully enclosed one is WAY  better (and the risk of collision damage or theft drops to near zero). A fabric cover offers protection but has its own risks and major hassles, such as making sure it and the hull are clean before use. You have to balance convenience, cost, location, drive time and security against your own preferences and worries. We had an owner here who had to drive six hours round trip to visit his trailer! It can be a tough and potentially very expensive conundrum, depending on your climate and home location. I feel sorry for owners who cannot store their Ollie at home, things are a lot tougher when it is far away... 

I live in a private development; of the thirty houses here, about 12 have attached, fully enclosed RV bays. Which is the main reason we picked this spot….. being able to use your Ollie as an emergency shelter during a power outage, or as a guest bedroom, or even walk naked out to your Ollie in a blizzard - if you wanted to 😳- is priceless. I don’t even bother to winterize, the temp there has never dropped below 38 degrees. Plus it saves many thousands of $ in storage and travel costs.

Where are you located? It helps us to give better recommendations if you will add that info, and your tow vehicle, to a signature. 

John Davies

Spokane WA

I live in Beaverton,  Oregon.   Tow vehicle will be 2017 Ford Expedition with heavy duty tow package.   I tried to find how to add that to my signature.   I am not too tech savvy however. 

[John E Davies]

36 minutes ago, John Welte said:

I live in Beaverton,  Oregon.   Tow vehicle will be 2017 Ford Expedition with heavy duty tow package.   I tried to find how to add that to my signature.   I am not too tech savvy however. 

It is indeed a little hidden, don’’t feel bad about that, you should explore your forum personal settings. Click your user name, top right….. then Account Settings

 

Then Signature, add whatever info you like, even a URL to a personal site. All this stuff appears after every post you make here.

 

In other tabs you can add or change your avitar (little picture that is beside your user name) or the pic at the top of your personal page. Most casual posters don’t bother to alter any of this.

John Davies

Spokane WA

[IL_Travelers]

It has been almost impossible to find good indoor storage for our Ollie near where we live.  A few weeks ago we inquired about availability at a storage facility in an adjacent village only 6 miles from our home but were told it was completely full.   We did get on their waiting list in case something opened up.  At that time I told them we would be willing to pay a year in advance.  

Two days later, I received a phone call stating that someone had "backed out" of one of the three units that had just been constructed.  We were subsequently offered that  brand-new 18' x 40' unit, electricity included.  Did our paying in advance move us up on the list?   I wonder.

Today we were at the storage unit prepping for our upcoming trip to Door County, WI.  The owner of the facility was there working and asked if I might be interested in an even longer lease period for a more favorable rate.  He also agreed to split the cost of a powered garage door opener with the longer lease.  

It appears we are going to be there awhile!  We don't mind the drive, R-Villa is out of the weather, and she might have some company; I have some other toys!

[John E Davies]

11 hours ago, IL_Travelers said:

We were subsequently offered that  brand-new 18' x 40' unit, electricity included.  Did our paying in advance move us up on the list?   I wonder.

That is a great spot, woohoo! Congrats! Do you mind sharing what your long term rate is, and also what would be a typical amount? Is there any clause allowing you to break or transfer the lease and get most of your money back in case of emergency ? That is even wider than a standard RV garage, my attached one is 16x42 feet, that is measured by the OUTSIDE of the wall framing, so it is a little deceiving and I did not discover that until after moving in 😤. I would love a little extra width, but you should have plenty of room to get some other stuff in there and still have walking room to reach both sides of your Ollie and to maybe add some big industrial shelving. I am guessing that those ceiling lights are LED, but are they soft white (yellow)? If so, will they let you pay for and have them install a set of 4000k LEDs? That will add a whole lot more whiter illumination, and make doing stuff in the winter, with the door down, a lot more pleasant.

John Davies

Spokane WA

[Flyfisher]

I do not own an Ollie (yet) but I have stored my RVs, ATVs, boats, trucks, etc. in fully enclosed rented facilities in SW Montana for nearly 20 years.

I’ve had electric, but have not had climate controlled facilities.  I winterize the RVs, remove the batteries and keep them on trickle chargers during the winter, and have never had a problem with anything come spring.

One word of caution:  If you’re going to be storing your Ollie in an enclosed facility, pay close attention to its fire prevention/detection.  I won’t go into further details here as it can be a whole separate subject, but John Davies comment about working inside with the door down, makes me shudder!  (The electric goes off… the lights and power go off… you’re in the dark… there is no easy way out…a fire starts…)

[rideandfly]

9 hours ago, IL_Travelers said:

It appears we are going to be there awhile!  We don't mind the drive, R-Villa is out of the weather, and she might have some company; I have some other toys!

Congratulations!  Being fortunate enough to find indoor storage to keep Ollie and other stuff out of the weather is so nice!!!

[LongStride]

I wouldn't be afraid to work inside with the door down provided that I could lift the door to get out.  I would check the manual release mechanism on the door operator first to ensure it functions properly.  Pretty sure I could find the door in the dark.

I'm with you about fire though.  You just can't be too cautious.

[IL_Travelers]

 

 

John E. Davies et al, 

Thank you for your uplifting remarks.  The normal rate for this space was $275/month.  My agreed upon rate, paid in advance for a year, is $250/month or $3,000.  Actually, that is a fair rate for our area.  For us, the convenience and protection makes it worth the cost.  As I mentioned, we will be renegotiating for a longer period.  There will be a clause which will allow early release of the contract.

So far as working with a closed overhead door, this facility also provides a side door with a combination lock!  I have a Surefire Stiletto flashlight in my EDC gear, so if the lights fail, I can easily find the door.  The interior measures a full 18' x 40'.

I am a huge fan of LED headlamps, which I use extensively in my side business.  If they are not adequate, I will go to Plan B.

Edited August 8, 2021 by IL_Travelers
Forgot one sentence

[John E Davies]

A side "man door" is excellent, and it is a cost saver for the owners, long term. Completely opening and closing an RV door electrically creates a whole lot of cycles, leading to spring failure, which is fairly costly to repair. I open mine by hand about seven feet when I just need to walk through, it is very easy to do, and I very rarely open the door up to its full 14 foot height. There is an electrically operated deadbolt you have to retract manually, then pull the Big Red Handle to disengage the drivetrain at the top. Both are at eye height on the wall, and very easy to find and operate. 

John Davies

Spokane WA

[LongStride]

Good that it has a side door.  Looks like you have found a nice home for the "Villa".

$3,000 a year is about the going rate for indoor storage in our area, but it would be more with the square footage that you have.  That is a pretty big space.

Nice.