By Gail Marsh
Soon we may need to choose a new place to store our RV. The company that currently provides space for our rig has just announced that it’s raising monthly fees. I suppose it’s because demand is up. Way up! We should have seen this coming. With more and more RVs purchased in recent years, more and more folks need a place to keep their rig when they’re not traveling. It’s the “supply and demand principle” in action. We have one month before our current lease expires. So, we have 30 days to choose an RV storage facility.
Subdivision restrictions
Our small subdivision’s HOA does not allow homeowners to store boats, trailers, or RVs on our property. Our lot size wouldn’t accommodate the RV anyway. I wish things were different. I really wish our RV could be parked in our driveway or backyard. It would make things so much easier: packing, unpacking, maintenance chores, you name it. For all of you who are blessed to have your RV parked on your property, I envy you!
RV storage facility considerations
When searching for an RV storage space, there are several important things to consider. Here are the top considerations for us as we search.
Close to home
• If we can’t store the RV on our property, at least we want it to be stored close by. It’s simply more convenient for us in the event we need to access our rig.
• Close to home also means less fuel expense when we need to access our RV. Packing work camping tools, along with clothing, shoes, food, and supplies can mean several trips from home to the RV storage place and back.
Security
• Obviously, you’ll want to avoid RV storage facilities that are located in high-crime areas. If you’re not sure about the area, ask the storage facility, local authorities, or go online to find out about crime or theft frequency.
• At the very least, our preferred storage place would be completely surrounded by secure fencing. Gate access via personal code is also a plus. Our current facility’s gate “code box” records the name of every renter who enters. Even if someone “borrows” a renter’s entry code, the renter’s name is still recorded. That renter will then be contacted in the event of a theft.
• Recording security cameras also add a layer of protection, especially if the company keeps the recordings for a period of time. In order for recording cameras to be useful, the entire storage lot must also be well-lit.
• On-site personnel is a perk, as well. Our current storage business has a person onsite most mornings during the week.
Access
• Another feature we search for when choosing an RV storage place is access. Is the storage business located off a narrow, hilly, and deeply-rutted road? Will we be forced to drive through low-hanging tree branches in order to access the facility? If so, we’ll keep on looking. You might be surprised at some of the places we’ve seen. Getting there and back would require nerves of steel! No thank you.
• Access to the RV storage facility is one thing. Accessing the assigned storage spot can be quite another. Because of the high demand, some RV storage companies offer very narrow sites. If another unit is too close to our own, extending slides (even partially) is not an option. In fact, putting down our solid steps takes up a good amount of space, as well! Finessing our rig into a narrow site is a challenge we’d just as soon avoid.
• Another access consideration is the storage business hours. Some storage places have 24-hour access. We currently have access to our RV between the hours of 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., and that works fine for us.
Level
It’s important to us that our storage assigned site is fairly level. We like to keep our jacks positioned as low as possible when the RV is in storage.
Price
• Many factors determine what you’ll pay for storing your RV. Location, rental site size, and storage type will all impact your costs. Generally, a storage facility located away from the city will be less expensive than one closer.
• The size of your rental space will also factor into what you can expect to pay. Usually, the larger the rig, the more you’ll pay. In our current storage facility, two small truck campers share a space that is the exact size that one big motorhome rents nearby.
• Finally, the type of rental space varies in price. A covered parking site will typically cost more than an uncovered one. Before deciding, check out the site you’re considering at different times of the day. In our current storage facility, the roof protects the rigs stored at the end of each row for only a portion of the day. If money is not an issue, you might consider a climate-controlled storage space for your RV. Be aware. This option may be quite costly.
What are some other factors you consider when choosing an RV storage facility? Tell us in the comments below.
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I store my camper in a lot that has big rig trucks in it. It’s behind a locked gate. There are about 4 campers, and all the rest are tractor trailer trucks. Haven’t had a problem with any break-ins like I had in the previous lot that I had it in.
I currently pay $239 a month for a 25’ covered storage space in a very secure storage facility. Next month it goes up to $269 a month. I blame owner greed, not supply and demand for the increase. This location is in a small town outside of the Portland, Oregon Metro area.
We found a great place close to home. At the last minute my husband decided to change to a better site. The site is one of twelve, on concrete, with electric, under roof and enclosed on three sides, and surrounded by a high security fence. We can fully extend all four RV slides. Monthly cost was a factor but safety and weather counted more! Our RV stays clean and we’ve had two hail storms since we parked it. We will gladly pay through the winter, even though the RV won’t be there, just to keep this spot.
These are all good common sense thoughts. The “level” one puzzles me! I like level too, but what do you do, lower leveling jacks while stored?? I typically don’t……
One of the considerations for us when looking for a new storage facility was ground surface. The facility we left was basically dirt with most of it covered with grass and weeds. We were fortunate that we never had an infestation of mice! Our new facility has gravel and the weeds that do grow are removed within a week or so. Also the entire facility is surrounded by rodent traps. We are very pleased!
Thank you, Gail! 🙂 We live in the country on a small former farm on which Daddy ran cattle. We had a former hay barn converted into an RV barn. Although we have all utilities (septic rather than sewer) there and “only” pay for power and water used, we have spent many dollars and much time trying to mouse-proof the barn and discourage other critters’ untoward behavior toward our RV. Some days paying a storage facility seems the cheaper course. Instead, we maintain our arguably quixotic fight against nature’s minions. 🤔😯 Thanks again, have a great day, safe travels, and safe stays! 🙂
Good article. We have used a great storage facility for the past four years. They have both indoor and outdoor spaces. We have one of the outdoor spaces. I’d love to get into one of the indoor ones but it’s out of my price range.
It’s got a security gate and lots of cameras. It’s paved. We pay yearly and have not had a single rent increase.
I ran into the owner the last time I was out at the site and made a point to thank him for not raising our rent. He said that his plan was not to raise rent for those of us current but said that new customers would pay higher rent. He said he hoped that it won’t be necessary to raise our rent.
We ran into this same storage problem when the local rat finks whined enough that management chased people’s RV’s and boats out of the subdivision. But we lucked out and found a good storage yard close by with lots of security for $50 a month. Watch out for those “rat finks”.
We found a fully enclosed climate controlled with electric for 150.00 a month Call Delta RV and Boat Storage Delta CO
Our storage place is near where we always camp. That saves us wear and tear on the rv as well as bridge tolls which are high now.- Also saves on fuel for the rig. Remember that a covered spot will save you money on maint!
Storage that offers WiFi is another plus. A motion activated Ring camera recording what happens when you’re not around offers an additional layer of peace of mind.
We pay $200 a month to CubeSmart for an enclosed and locked bay that has 20 amp power outlets. The entry is gated and key coded, the doors to the barn keyed for the 8 occupants and the site has CCTV. Another plus is there’s two sewer dumps and access to potable water. I’m allowed to pressure wash my rig, service the tanks and do preventative maintenance. It’s not as close to my house as desired but I have less worries of it being jacked with than if it were sitting in a gravel storage lot.
We had ours in a privately owned storage facility two miles from our house. It was gravel parking and wide spaces. Within a year the owners sold out to Guardian Storage. We had 30 days to vacate. Guardian was going to build more storage buildings.
Of the two others near us, one was just a fenced in lot with a gate, but only one code for everyone to use. The other looked more like a junkyard. Trailers, rv’s and cars and trucks parked wherever the wanted and packed in like sardines.
We now have one about 10 miles away. Gated, monitored, paved and lined. All sites are angled for easy in and out. We are paying $25 more.