It’s not uncommon for a collector of vehicles, especially larger vehicles to either get over-encumbered or for time to be a bit of a problem. When you have no time to drive some of your collectables around, what do you do? Do you have a garage where you can fit a large transporter van? Do you want to rent some expensive storage space? Or how about using your back garden to store something?
It can be an ugly eyesore having a van stuffed into your back garden but when you are taking good care of it there are certain steps you might want to take. One of these is putting some paving down over any grassy areas that might get damaged when parking the vehicle. You could also put some garden planters down and make it look nice if you like. This can be done with large patio slabs or even red brick if you feel like it. This will protect your garden from any damage, especially your lawn, you don’t want to create a nasty muddy patch on the grass which will be difficult to remove. The shade from the van can cause grass to die or stop growing, you don’t want to have to get somebody out to do your lawn care!
Before you store your van, make sure you give it one hell of a good clean. It’s so important that there isn’t anything left to fester such as mould or mildew, or you will end up with a bit of a large surprise when you finally get back to it. Use mould removers and other strong chemicals to give that van the deep clean it deserves.
One major downside to storing your van outside is the fact that deterioration is guaranteed. When exposed to the elements the breaking down of rubber components is just inevitable, even the tires! When seals break down you could be looking at leaks that cause further damage to the exterior and interior. Quite a lot of deterioration is caused by the sun, so you will want to try and store your van out of direct sunlight if possible. Some vouch for a carport to stop any of that pesky bird muck getting on the van and for extra protection, a van cover should do the job. One thing that must be done is to make sure that the cover doesn’t come loose and to check on it often. A loose cover flapping in the wind can cause all kinds of scratches and damage.
Also before you do put your van into storage, make sure that you empty the fridge inside the van. (if you have one). The amount of times I have taken the van out of storage to find a horrible mess or nasty mouldy food inside of the fridge is almost into double digits, never forget to empty it!!!
You will also want to look at insurance for your van for when it is being stored at your home or away. You don’t want to have to pay extra for damages that you didn’t cause and it is always good to protect your investment!
