Long Term (<4 Years) Storage

[EzSkAnKeN]

Heading overseas for 4 years. What is the recommended way to store a vehicle like ours for that long?

Thank you.

 

[calif phil]

Fill the tank with non ethanol premium fuel, add two bottles of Startron fuel stabilizer drive for 20 min to circulate. The rest depends on storage conditions, Will it be in a climate controlled garage?

 

[EzSkAnKeN]

Fill the tank with non ethanol premium fuel, add two bottles of Startron fuel stabilizer drive for 20 min to circulate. The rest depends on storage conditions, Will it be in a climate controlled garage?

Thank you for the reply. Where we plan on storing it I highly doubt they have climate controlled units.

 

[gat0r]

maybe look at one of those storage bubbles
to keep critters & dust & such out

 

[iamdub]

For that long, I'd pay someone that has the place to keep it hang onto it and drive it around every week or two. Would be cheaper than repairing what all very well could go wrong if it sat. Old fuel can do costly damage. Temperature changes will make condensation build up in the engine and trans which can make the oils acidic and corrosive. The coolant might be the least of your worries, but still prone to degradation. All seals (A/C O-rings, power steering, axle, pinion, etc.) can dry out if left to sit for that long. Brake rotor and pad surfaces will rust. Then there's the squirrels and/or mice that will chew wiring and make nests. Spiders and other bugs...

All considered, you might be better off selling it, unless you're particularly attached to it. It's value in four years plus the cost of storing and/or maintaining it and then reconditioning it afterwards seems like it'd be a huge loss.

 

[OR VietVet]

I live at and manage a self storage facility. We have some very nice vehicles stored here. I always tell them that they should come in at least 2 times a month and drive them and add fuel preservative at least. Some people do not listen though. They wish they had when they attempt to restart after 6 months to a year.

 

[Doubeleive]

if you really want to keep it and have no option other than long term storage I would do like Kaus said then be sure it has a full tank a new battery and make sure the onstar/wifi is paid up then make it a habit to autostart it (via the app) every 3 weeks for the 10 minute timer. After 4 years that would work out to 12 hours of run time probably almost exactly what you would get if you just idled a tank of fuel out. just a thought if it were me and had no other option.

 

[MVR 155]

I agree with iamdub....... Probably best to just sell it. The amount of depreciation coupled with storage fees/issues isn't even close to financially feasible. Over the course of 4 years even stabilized fuel will go bad, tires will flat spot to the point of needing replacement and you have a number of other risks such as rodents and simple oxidation of things. You will likely need to service the brakes due to corrosion, flush all fluids. Your battery if left on a tender may still be good? If you do decide to keep it, leaving it with someone who can drive it every few months (or even a couple times per year) would be best. Simply starting it with the app and letting it idle for 10 minutes monthly is definitely not a good idea. That is not enough time to burn off condensation in the exhaust, it's also not a great idea on a DI engine. It would likely do more harm than good. If it was some kind of rare exotic, this would be an entirely different discussion........ Selling it is by far and wide the best decision you can make in this situation.

 

[BG1988]

Heading overseas for 4 years. What is the recommended way to store a vehicle like ours for that long?

Thank you.

i
lll give you 5k for it right now and your problem is solved...

 

[SnowDrifter]

Rather than fuss with fuel stabilizer, I'd honestly just drain the fuel outright.

Toss a bunch of desiccants in the car

Hook up battery to a maintainer. Should work when you get back but it might be weak. Plan on replacing it soon after. Not sure I'd want it unhooked without power for 4 years. That's just asking for a bit flip somewhere.

Put rig up on jack stands else your tires will get flat spots. Or honestly, I'd just toss the cheapest used tires you can find on there for parking purposes and swap out when you come back. 4 year old tires even if new wouldn't be great by the time you come back anyway. Rubber hardens

Disconnect spark, fuel, fog the cylinders

Fresh change of oil before you go out. Honestly it should be fine without an oil change when you get back provided it's not sitting somewhere humid. Just put the rig into flood clear mode and crank it for 15-20 seconds to prime everything again.

I'd look into some sort of car cover if it's indoors. Outdoors, go without. It'd be more apt to provide a home for moisture and critters.

Some sort of critter repellent around the car like moth balls or peppermint oil. Someone will need to replenish those as needed. Don't use killer else you're apt to have a mouse crawl in your airbox and die.

Barring a car cover, you might look into those bubble things with some desiccant thrown in.


Make sure you haven't used the a/c recently - no moisture in the air box

Remove paper filters - cabin, engine. Because critter food.


That's about all that pops into mind. Bear in mind that soft parts will will dry out over time anyway. Tires / wipers. Battery would be 50/50 too

 

[swathdiver]

Heading overseas for 4 years. What is the recommended way to store a vehicle like ours for that long?

Pit up on blocks, empty the tank, pickle the engine, pull the battery out, cover it or place it under cover, use dessicants or a dehumidifier if electric nearby, don't forget to power the bilge pumps...

 

[Cantrepeat]

if you really want to keep it and have no option other than long term storage I would do like Kaus said then be sure it has a full tank a new battery and make sure the onstar/wifi is paid up then make it a habit to autostart it (via the app) every 3 weeks for the 10 minute timer. After 4 years that would work out to 12 hours of run time probably almost exactly what you would get if you just idled a tank of fuel out. just a thought if it were me and had no other option.

I'm not sure on other vehicles, but on our 2019 Tahoe, you can only remote start it twice and then you have to start it in the vehicle.


Clean the vehicle inside and out to include the under carriage.

Put a good coat of wax on the vehicle.

Buy the best car cover you can afford.

Fill the gas tank completely full and add stabilizer. An empty or low gas tank will lead to internal rust as condensation and moisture builds within the tank. Also add fuel stabilizer or corrosion inhibitors and then drive the car around a bit in order to distribute the additive to engine parts.

Change the oil and filter. Old contaminated oil will cause pitting on bearings.

Flush and fill the radiator.

Check tire inflation.

Disconnect the battery - you're probably going to need to buy a new one regardless when you get back. If you storage lot has electrical hook ups and the battery you have is sealed then a high quality battery maintainer would be nice.

You can pull the spark plugs and spray in some fogging oil.

 

[calif phil]

Stuff some steel wool into the exhaust to keep critters from making a nest in there. I would add some kind of mice repellent around the exterior and maybe under the hood. They say dryer sheets work on the inside to keep mice out but I am not sure if that works. I also think, the sell it idea is good. Sell it, stick the cash in the mutual fund and buy a newer model when you return.

 

[wjburken]

Long term storage/preservation can be tough to do properly. I had to deal with this at a previous job where we sold things to the military. Unless there is a strong emotional attachment, I agree with those that recommend selling it and putting the money into an investment tool and get something when you return.

For fun, here is the government guideline for storage and preservation. Method 50 had me putting whole machines in a waterproof/vapor proof bag with a specified amount of desiccant so it could basically survive being dropped into the ocean.

https://www.dla.mil/portals/104/doc.../vs/packaging/lm_HandoutFY2014rev6_151007.pdf

 

[GTNator]

Heading overseas for 4 years. What is the recommended way to store a vehicle like ours for that long?

Thank you.

Why don’t you sell it and buy one back in 4 years?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Doubeleive]

I'm not sure on other vehicles, but on our 2019 Tahoe, you can only remote start it twice and then you have to start it in the vehicle.


Clean the vehicle inside and out to include the under carriage.

Put a good coat of wax on the vehicle.

Buy the best car cover you can afford.

Fill the gas tank completely full and add stabilizer. An empty or low gas tank will lead to internal rust as condensation and moisture builds within the tank. Also add fuel stabilizer or corrosion inhibitors and then drive the car around a bit in order to distribute the additive to engine parts.

Change the oil and filter. Old contaminated oil will cause pitting on bearings.

Flush and fill the radiator.

Check tire inflation.

Disconnect the battery - you're probably going to need to buy a new one regardless when you get back. If you storage lot has electrical hook ups and the battery you have is sealed then a high quality battery maintainer would be nice.

You can pull the spark plugs and spray in some fogging oil.

forgot about that, I have a aftermarket alarm with autostart I think it will run it more than twice haven't tried though

 

[magua]

Oil Change - mandatory

 

[tengelman]

Where do you go over seas?
Ever thought about taking your car with you?
And maybe sell it overseas?

I am german and it was hard to find my 2011 Yukon her in germany.
And the prices are much higher than in the US....

 

[Mr Sophistication]

Interesting. I just created this account and this was going to be my first question.

I'm only going away for three months though. I'm probably going to leave it outside.... Will look into climate controlled units but I'm not sure it's worth it for only three months.

Look forward to reading through all the comments.

 

[OR VietVet]

Interesting. I just created this account and this was going to be my first question.

I'm only going away for three months though. I'm probably going to leave it outside.... Will look into climate controlled units but I'm not sure it's worth it for only three months.

Look forward to reading through all the comments.

Like I said before. 3 months in a self storage unit will be ok as long as you unhook the battery at the negative side. You may still have to jump start when come back and depending on the battery age, it may need to be replaced. I would put some fuel stabilizer in the tank but the rest should be ok. If you leave it outside, that is a whole other story. You are going to have critters in there somewhere. Either way, I would put a desiccant kit in the cab. Dri-Z-Air is best, IMO. If you do put in a storage unit, back it in so have easy access to battery when come back. Plus, either way, set it on jack stands if can. Flat spots on tires suck the big one.