Ask Dave: I have several questions about storing my motorhome in Florida

Dear Dave, 
We are relatively new to RVing and motorhomes. We live in the Vero Beach area (South Florida) and leave our coach outside during the winter and whenever we aren’t traveling. There is no need to “winterize” it. We have a gravel/shell pad to park it on near our house and typically leave it hooked up to a 30-amp plug we had installed that passes through to our house fuse box.

We leave the A/C on most of the time, set to about 85-90 degrees F, to help control the Florida humidity, along with using DampRid buckets. The question is, are we degrading the A/C by running it like this?

Also, we park it with the leveling jacks down and the slideroom out most of the time when in “storage.” Is it OK to leave the jacks down and the slideroom out? I’m also concerned about the vinyl slide topper’s exposure to the sun. I do work on the coach off/on between trips for general maintenance, as well.

Thanks in advance for your advice. I absolutely love your column. —Bill, 2019 Winnebago Sunstar 29VE

Dear Bill,
When storing your motorhome in Florida, I would not run the roof air conditioners just to draw out humidity as that would mean the compressor and fan motor cycling. That will cause undue wear on them.

Instead, I would suggest getting a dehumidifier and running the drain hose into the shower and leaving the gray water tank valve open and drain to the outside. Also, instead of using DampRid, I would suggest an H₂Out canister that can be recharged. You can find them here.

Leveling jacks

The leveling jacks should be fine extended. That would help level the coach, since it looks as though the pad may have some high and low spots. This would secure the rig in a level position so there was no twisting or resistance on the frame, outriggers, and sidewalls.

I would retract the slide room(s) to protect the seals and awning fabric. With the room extended, the bulb seal around the perimeter of the room is exposed to the elements and can get dried out and crack. The same occurs with the awning that comes out and covers the room. Exposure to the sun will dry it out, and rain combined with dust can create mold and mildew.

Cover tires and treat exterior plastic

I would also recommend covering the tires. Also, since you are in Southern Florida, where it probably gets a lot of hot sun exposure, either treat the exterior plastic such as the mirrors with 303 Protectant or cover them as well as the wipers, and use a sunscreen on the windshield.

 You might also enjoy this from Dave 

Should I run the RV roof air conditioners when I am not using the RV?

Dear Dave,
We are seasonal in Hudson, Florida, November to May, but we use the RV January to May. Is it best to leave the air conditioners on when we are gone? Is it best to pull down the blackout shades or the light filtering ones? You have probably answered these before. I try to read RV Travel every day but might miss a day once in a while. Thank you. —Jim, 2016 Cedar Creek Cottage 40CCK Hathaway Edition

Read Dave’s answer.

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Dave Solberg is a leading expert in the RV industry and the author of the “RV Handbook.”

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