Where to store the pop-up?

[edwardr132]

Any ideas of where to put a pop-up after camping season is over?

I have a 2 car garage which we need to use in the winter being in the snow belt.
I also can't park it on my driveway more than 48 hours due to restrictions in my area.  Someone in the neighborhood notifies the city if it stays longer  :mad:

Can the pop-up be left out on someone's land during the winter months?  It has an ABS roof.  I have heard that if it has an ABS roof, not to cover it?  Is that true?

Has anyone tried a garage lift to put the pop-up high near the ceiling?  Are those cost economical?

Where is usually the cheapest place to store a pop-up?  One of those storage rental places or a specially designed RV rental place?  Just curious what everyone is doing?

[PLJ]

We also do quite well for snow here in Minnesota. Popup goes in the 2 car garage along with the wifes car and my van stays in the driveway. It's not been an issue snow blowing around the van and clearing off the van.

I have friends who put their popup in the back yard over winter and just knock the snow off the roof if it starts to accumulate too much. I wouldn't cover the roof.

[tlhdoc]

Has anyone tried a garage lift to put the pop-up high near the ceiling? Are those cost economical?

How much does your camper weigh?  I am guessing close to 2500 pounds.  Can you find a lift that will hold that much?  Will your garage roof hold that much?
 

Any ideas of where to put a pop-up after camping season is over?

Where do you keep the PU during camping season?  Why not leave it there?
 

I have a 2 car garage which we need to use in the winter being in the snow belt.
I also can't park it on my driveway more than 48 hours due to restrictions in my area. Someone in the neighborhood notifies the city if it stays longer :mad:

I also live in the snow belt and we don't have a garage, so both of our cars and the camper live in the drive way all year long.
 

Can the pop-up be left out on someone's land during the winter months? It has an ABS roof. I have heard that if it has an ABS roof, not to cover it? Is that true?

Yes your camper will be fine if left out all winter.

[wynot]

Assuming you are speaking of a traditional car storage lift, where you lift one and park the other underneath, you would certainly have the capacity, that wouldn't be a problem.  The problem is how to you support the tongue end of the camper, since it is in the middle, and not supported on 4 wheels like a vehicle when suspended.

If you have one, I would have somebody weld in a center support for the camper tongue jack.  I guess you could bolt a similar brace across, but I personally would prefer a welded brace.  You're really going to have to make sure the camper doesn't roll at all, or you will have a camper sitting tongue down on your vehicle, that is, the part that isn't stuck against the garage ceiling...
 
Now, if you don't have a car lift system, is it really worth several thousand dollars to store a popup?  Probably not.  Ours is stored outside and does OK.

[wavery]

I park mine in the garage, However, If I couldn't, I would seriously consider building a nice roof for my PU. It could match the roof to the house and be supported by 4x4s on each corner. It could be quite attractive if built properly.

You can also buy portable garages:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=42211
or
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=40544

I don't think that rain & snow are as damaging as the rays from the sun. Putting a (cloth) cover over the PU seems to have drawbacks with condensation.

Good luck storing your PU. It doesn't seem like letting it sit outside is a real problem, short term. However, it will certainly shorten the long term life of the PU.

[tlhdoc]

It doesn't seem like letting it sit outside is a real problem, short term. However, it will certainly shorten the long term life of the PU.

Would you please expain how sitting outside shortens the life of a PU?:confused:
 
I thought that they were built to be outside.

[wavery]

Anything that is exposed to the Sun and weather is subject to faster deterioration than those things that are protected from the Sun and weather. With the exception of certain plants.

The Sun's rays are very damaging (over time) to just about any material that is exposed to it. Items that are exposed to rain and ice will surely suffer from corrosion much more than those items that are stored out of the elements.

Cars are also designed to be out in the elements. However, cars that are stored in garages last much longer than those that are stored outside.

ABS, PVC, Paint, Steel, Aluminum and sealers are all subject to severe deterioration from sun and rain. These are the things that make up the "Protective" surface of all of our campers.

[edwardr132]

Keeping it in the garage won't work in the winter.  Anybody know what is a reasonable monthly winter charge for storing a pop-up?

[OC Campers]

It depends on the area where you live.  Some storage units offer RV storage also.  When we lived in Southern California, land is at a premium so a storage space for an RV could run you upwards of $50-$150 a month.  If you are in an area not so pricey it may only cost you $20-$40.  I would just look in the phone book and see if there are any listings for RV storage.
 
We got lucky when we owned our townhome (in So Cal), the complex had RV spaces available and they were only $25 a month.  This was a huge bargain.
Now we have a larger garage that holds the camper and 1  car.
 
Jacqui

[tlhdoc]

Anything that is exposed to the Sun and weather is subject to faster deterioration than those things that are protected from the Sun and weather. With the exception of certain plants.
 
The Sun's rays are very damaging (over time) to just about any material that is exposed to it. Items that are exposed to rain and ice will surely suffer from corrosion much more than those items that are stored out of the elements.
 
Cars are also designed to be out in the elements. However, cars that are stored in garages last much longer than those that are stored outside.
 
ABS, PVC, Paint, Steel, Aluminum and sealers are all subject to severe deterioration from sun and rain. These are the things that make up the "Protective" surface of all of our campers.

The outside may not look as nice, but some wax, polish, paint,  etc. will keep the outside looking good, but that is all cosmetic.  The PU itself will still be usable.  More important than WHERE the PU is stored is how well it is maintained.  Not lubing the lift system, repacking the wheel bearings, cleaning the tenting and making sure the PU is dry when putting it away are all going to cause the PU to become unusable, but not sitting out in the weather.  I know people that have 30 plus year old PUs, that live outside all year long and they are still in great working condition.  Telling people that allowing a PU to sit outside long term will shorten the life of the PU is not true.

[dthurk]

Some RV dealers offer winter storage.  Also, some campgrounds will have winter storage available.  Check with some nearby campgrounds or dealers.

[edwardr132]

Some RV dealers offer winter storage.  Also, some campgrounds will have winter storage available.  Check with some nearby campgrounds or dealers.

I have seen a few winter offers from some not so near campgrounds.  My main concern then is "critters" such as squirrels and such getting in.  Too much snow on top of it if it snows heavily, etc.

I actually have a friend who owns some land who may let me park it there for "free", but it is about 100 miles away.  I was wondering if I should just do that.  I was thinking then about investing in one of those parking tents to help keep snow off.  I just don't know what to do about critters though.  If it happened, the wife would "kill" me.

[AustinBoston]

I have seen a few winter offers from some not so near campgrounds.  My main concern then is "critters" such as squirrels and such getting in.  Too much snow on top of it if it snows heavily, etc.

I actually have a friend who owns some land who may let me park it there for "free", but it is about 100 miles away.  I was wondering if I should just do that.  I was thinking then about investing in one of those parking tents to help keep snow off.  I just don't know what to do about critters though.  If it happened, the wife would "kill" me.

There is nothing you can do about critters.  The best suggestions are to make sure all openings (even small ones) are plugged (steel wool or brass wool has been suggested for this).  If they get in, they get in, and that's all there is to it.  I don't know how different storage mechanisms would change that (short of a garage that is home to a couple bloodthirsty cats).

Our Bayside has spent four winters in New England (lots of heavy, wet snow) and three in Minnesota (up to 4 feet of snowfall) and I have never brushed the snow off or seen any evidence of harm from the snow.  If we were set up in the winter, I would not let more than a few inches accumulate on the canvas or more than 6" on the roof, but when closed up it's pretty impervious to anything short of a hurricane or tornado.

My main concern with storage (I store on my own lot, so I can see it several times a day) would be theft.  If it's stored far away or in a storage yard, it could be gone for months before anyone even knows it's gone.

Austin

[wynot]

Keeping it in the garage won't work in the winter. Anybody know what is a reasonable monthly winter charge for storing a pop-up?

OK, You can rent a storage place with a garage door from one of the rental places.  I think the one we had was like 10x20', since it was a number of years ago, it is kind of a moot point on price.
 
I know ours wouldn't let propane tanks in the facility, so they expected those removed.  The big problem with trying to use a storage place, is that usually the "desireable" units large enough to access are never available.  At least in our area, they tend to put these storage places on hills, and probably at most with 20' between the buildings.  The ones that are free of other buildings NEVER are vacated.  I guess IF I could find a flat surface and had a simple way of moving the popup by hand UNDER CONTROL, I could hand wrestle one in.  I had to back it in with my tow vehicle through a door with about 3 inches to spare TOTAL and do it on a 90 degree turn.  NEVER AGAIN.

[sacrawf]

I have been able to use a mini-warehouse storage for only the winter for $60 month in a rural area.  My Rockwood 1610 just fits; anything longer would not work.  

A local fairground uses it's livestock barns and exhibit halls to provide RV and Boat storage, but you don't have access to it any time you want, and fairground staff is required to place the unit into and remove it from storage.