Thread: Winter Storage - Snow areas

Tweet

VERY amateur question here so please feel free to slap me

Anybody just covering their cars and letting them sit in the snow outside?

What kind of fun is a New England winter going to create with well covered car/truck which won't reveal itself until the spring?

Anybody renting garage space for the winter?

Much appreciated, I've done some thread searching but not much info came to light.

Covering a car can often do more damage then just leaving it outside bare in your nice damp area of the NE - especially if the wrong cover is used. Dampness seeping out of the ground - causes condensation then rust. If a cover can't breathe well, and regardless of any advertising hype they don't, then almost any day that it warms up, condensation will form - then rust on steel and corrosion on aluminum parts. Of course there is the ozone effect on tires, wiring and vinyl interiors.

Brake systems will absorb ambient water

To do a test to satisfy yourself, put an 8' x 10' piece of 4 mil plastic on the ground, on your driveway or often even in a garage. Make sure that it is held down. Wait until the sun hits it the next morning - water(condensation).

Yes, people do store cars outside - and covered. I wont

With a bit of advance searching to find a good deal, indoor winter storage is well advised!!! Usually around here, the nice stuff stays inside and the daily driver sits in the driveway.....!!!!

Originally Posted by Gretsch

What kind of fun is a New England winter going to create with well covered car/truck which won't reveal itself until the spring?

Anybody renting garage space for the winter?

Much appreciated, I've done some thread searching but not much info came to light.

I'm not that far from you and agree with the others, don't toss anything on it and if you can't rent space then check out those "portable" buildings. A couple guys near me use them with good results. They are just a simple pipe or conduit frame with a cloth type or tarp covering. I've seen them for 4 or 5 hundred for a decent size. Let us know what you decide, just curious!

Be very careful of the temporary buildings. You have to keep heavy snow loads off the roof or they will collapse. Don't ask me how I know!

I'm with Dave-the dailey driver stays out in the elements-baby--gets a heated garage

Originally Posted by bigdude

I'm with Dave-the dailey driver stays out in the elements-baby--gets a heated garage

Now there's a man with his priorities well adjusted!!!!!! Just like me!!!!!

Gentlemen, thank you for the kind responses. I'm just testing the waters. Not purchasing until next spring but I'm the type who looks into EVERYTHING with so big a purchase. We've never owned a third car before and our home only has a one car garage! Admittedly I haven't looked too terribly hard for garage space being I don't have the pickup yet but I'll poke around the area here.

You may be able to find a nice portable shelther for less on sale at northern tools or harbor freight. How much snow do you get during the winter? If not too much, you could easily knock it off the shelter to avoid problems stated above. If you get 10 inches of snow in one day, maybe one of those aluminum or other metal roofed car ports would be better. Letting a project sit out in the elements will create more work for you than you want. Just look at all those nice rust free old cars from the dessert, vs. the cancer ridden carcasses of 6 yr old cars living outside in New York. Weather and salt are hard on steel.
It's a tough one for sure. I remember while living in Wyoming, during the winter, that my room mate and I would get up around the same time and try to start our cars. When it was really cold, we jump one off the other. Then I'd plow a path out to the main road in my old landcruiser. Snow was so high one day I heard a bamm! Got out and found somebody had left their car in the middle of the road, under 3 ft of snow. Didn't phase the landcruiser, car was gone when I got home that night, think the snow plows might of hit it too!

Originally Posted by Gretsch

Gentlemen, thank you for the kind responses. Admittedly I haven't looked too terribly hard for garage space being I don't have the pickup yet but I'll poke around the area here.

It's really hit or miss around here with snowfall totals. Mostly due to the ocean. We start off warmer but, once the ocean temps fall then we stay colder longer. I think it was back in the winter of 99/2000 that we broke the hundred inch mark. Last year was a b..ch also. I lost my 3 foot chain link fence in one of last years storms but that is a rarity!

My neighbor has a temp building made of 1.250" pipe or tube with a canvas covering and it does really well. The cover snaps into place and the sides can zip open /closed / off and the ends can have a square opening like a garage door size. All in all I was impressed with it.

Also the "self storage" places down here are now catering to the car storage and RV storage needs. You can't work on them there but it beats leaving it outside!

When I lived in Omaha my buddy and I went together and rented a 2 car garage. Actually it was closer to 2.5 car. It had electricity and we were even able to work on them in there. Cost was not too bad and split two ways we had a good value.

Originally Posted by 34_40

My neighbor has a temp building made of 1.250" pipe or tube with a canvas covering and it does really well. The cover snaps into place and the sides can zip open /closed / off and the ends can have a square opening like a garage door size. All in all I was impressed with it.

Mine had heavy pipes that were 2" covered with a heavy canvas, but all it took was a couple of days of wet snow while we were away. Bent the pipes into a V. (right into the hood of my car.)

Originally Posted by RestoRod

Mine had heavy pipes that were 2" covered with a heavy canvas, but all it took was a couple of days of wet snow while we were away. Bent the pipes into a V. (right into the hood of my car.)

Sorry to hear that! Like I said earlier, we had some 15 inches come down last year and with the drifting I couldn't find my 3 foot fence! All the flat surfaces had 12 to 20 inches on'em. I wonder if the different manufacturers give some type of load rating? It's a good point to be aware of in any event.

Well, it was a lesson learned.

This would be my main fear - the structure failing/deteriorating. Honestly I don't think my wife would dig the look either. However this was the basis of my original question. For the price of some of these tube and canvas units I think I would just choose to pay $50 a month for dry storage.

Just need the truck! Haha. Browsing Ebay and Hotrodhotline is killing me. So many beauties...