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Best and worst places to store your Airstream

Airstreams don’t like being lonely. They’re gregarious and fun-loving.

That’s why you need to store them in the right place between trips. Left alone, all kinds of bad things can happen. A small leak from rain or melting snow can seep in and do a lot of damage. Squirrels and mice can find their way in, and wreak havoc on the insulation (and anything else chewable by rodent teeth). Spiders can clog up the water heater burner. Thieves and vandals can break in.

So what’s the best choice for storing your Airstream?

#1: At home, in a carport or pole barn

No question, the best place to have your Airstream is where you can keep an eye on it and use it between trips. It’s not just a recreational vehicle, it’s potentially:

  • a guest apartment
  • a quarantine facility
  • a place to refrigerate your Thanksgiving leftovers
  • an office or creative space
  • an awesome place for a nap (or a little canoodling)
  • a bug-out vehicle in the event of a natural disaster

With the Airstream at home, you can keep it charged and ready for the next adventure at all times. You don’t even have to turn off the refrigerator if you have solar panels (or a plug) and propane in the tanks. And it’s a lot less likely to suffer damage when you keep using it between trips, compared to being out of sight and neglected at a storage facility.

If you store the Airstream inside a closed barn with a gravel floor, be sure that the floor has a vapor barrier (plastic sheeting under the gravel). Otherwise a lot of moisture from the ground will accumulate over the winter and rapidly accelerate corrosion. Any indoor environment needs to be dry and/or have great ventilation.

#2: At home, in the driveway

This is also a great choice, with only the disadvantage being that the Airstream is exposed to the elements. It’s a huge benefit to have a roof over the Airstream. That extends the life of your Airstream significantly—by keeping rain, snow, and UV light from the sun from gradually breaking down the sealants and plastics on the roof and appliances, and keeping the interior cooler in summer.

Driveway storage is great but eventually it would be best to put up some sort of shade structure or shed roof to keep the worst of the weather off the Airstream.

#3: At home, out in the field somewhere

I’m not a fan of keeping an Airstream in a grassy field, but if that’s what it takes to keep it close, it’s still better than a remote storage lot. The problem with storing the Airstream on grass is that it’s easy to let the weeds grow up, and that encourages critters, spiders, and snakes to check it out.

The belly pan on an Airstream is not fully sealed. It’s “mostly sealed” to protect the underbody and insulation from damage, but there are gaps big enough for a mouse to get in. Mice can get in the most incredibly tight spots, and the solution is not to seal up the belly pan so tight that you could camp on the Pacific Ocean—it needs to “breathe” so that moisture can get out.

A better preventative measure is to mow down those weeds, or better yet, put in a gravel pad. Maintain a “sterile” area around the Airstream for at least a couple of feet. There’s always going to be a risk of an unwanted visitor, but at least you won’t be rolling out a red carpet for all of Mother Earth’s creatures.

In any case, be sure to secure your Airstream trailer with a good coupler lock. It’s amazing how quickly thieves can remove cheap coupler locks and zip off with your Airstream.

#4: In a secure, covered, storage facility

Off-site storage is a reality for most of us. It’s rarely truly “secure” and often inconvenient, but I’d personally look for indications of good security anyway. I like storage lots with high walls so that the RVs aren’t on tempting display, video cameras that actually work, and a decent neighborhood around them.

I’d choose a more expensive storage lot in a good area far away, over a cheaper/scarier one that’s close to my house. I like my Airstream too much. But to each their own.

If you’re paying for a storage lot, strongly consider upgrading to covered storage. Like I said before, putting a roof over your Airstream pays off in the long run. A tiny drip from slow-melting snow can turn into a major, major repair of floor rot in a single winter.

#5: In an open lot, away from home

Now we’re getting down to the least palatable choices. Storing in an open lot away from your home is approaching an act of desperation. Maybe you have no other place to keep your Airstream, but without at least a good fence and some active security (night watch) you’re really rolling the dice.

Even RV dealerships sometimes have thieves come through at night. They like to break in quickly, steal the TV and other electronics, and flee. Sure, you’ll still have an Airstream in the end, but there’s going to be hassle involved in filing the insurance claim and getting the repairs done, and possibly some personal trauma and permanent scars to the Airstream.

#6: Near a body of salt water, or on damp ground

If you live near the ocean or perhaps Great Salt Lake, make sure your Airstream is stored far away. The “salt breeze” is seriously detrimental to your Airstream. It will cause fast-moving filiform corrosion (those white “spider webs” that afflict the edges of the aluminum skin, taillights, wheels, and other coated aluminum parts), and nothing will stop it except getting away from the salt and humidity.

Damp ground can be almost as bad. Florida is famous for this. I’ve seen lots of Florida trailers with completely rusted out frames underneath, just from a few years of sitting on neatly mown grass. There’s a lot of moisture rising from the soil all the time, even if you can’t feel it or see it.

#7: Under a tarp

Well, don’t do that. The only Airstream I’d cover with a tarp is a project trailer that has open holes in the roof—and not for long.

The problems with tarps are multiple:

  • they trap moisture
  • they flap in the breeze and create rub marks
  • they leak

They’re kind of the worst of all worlds, trapping moisture beneath while allowing leaks, and damaging the Airstream at the same time. Plus they’re ugly. Tarps are for temporary fixes and emergencies, but they’re not for long-term storage.

If you’ve got a tip regarding storage, share with us using the Comments box below.

Battery Storage

Reader Jim L. wants to know:

“How is it best to handle batteries on the winter? Do I take them out? Store in my cold garage? Do I put a charge on them all winter to keep from freezing? Do I add water in the winter when they are not used? Do I store them on wood rather than concrete? HELP!! Before cold winter comes to Tennessee.”

Thanks for asking, Jim. It’s that time of year for many Airstreamers to think about winter storage. From your question, we’ll assume you don’t have an electrical outlet near where you keep your Airstream during the cold months.

In this case the best approach is to remove the batteries from the trailer and store them somewhere that you can keep them plugged into a device designed specifically to maintain batteries. We’re not talking about a typical battery charger here, but a dedicated battery maintainer. You can keep the batteries hooked up to a charge maintainer all winter without fear of overcharging. They are easily found in auto parts stores or online.

battery

You should add distilled water to the batteries anytime they need it (after first disconnecting the charge maintainer). The water will mix with the electrolyte in the batteries and won’t freeze as long as the battery is kept charged.

The stories you may have heard about storing batteries on wood instead of concrete are old myths based on batteries made in the olden days. You can read much more about winterization, batteries, and proper maintenance procedures in The (Nearly) Complete Guide To Airstream Maintenance.

battery-cover

 

Options for preserving your Airstream batteries during storage

Ed B. from Washington posed a question that might be on your mind, too—

“I’m wondering about replacing the factory converter/charger unit with a ‘smart charger’. Battery management seems to be my problem just now. When in storage, the batteries go down to zip or overcharge, both of which are hard on the batteries. We have no problems while underway.

I tried putting a small charger unit on the batteries while in storage, but the small constant draw seems to fool the charger in to delivering full charge all the time without activating a trickle delivery as it is designed to do. Is this why Airstream has not put ‘smart charging’ units in at the factory?”

The converter/charger that Airstream installs works very well for the vast majority of cases. It is perfectly adequate unless you (a) want integrated inverter capability; (b) switch to AGM or other type of batteries; (c) want a faster charge rate, or some bells & whistles; (d) add a lot more battery capacity.

Before you spend money on an upgrade, try a few other basic steps:

Battery disconnect1. During short term storage, use the “Battery Disconnect” switch to cut off demands on the battery (except the propane leak detector).

2. During long term storage, disconnect the battery cables and put the trickle charger on. Make sure what you have is really a smart trickle charger designed specifically for storage of batteries and not simply a battery charger with a “float mode”. If the latter, then all you’ve done is replace your Airstream’s charger with another one that is doing exactly the same thing.

3. As an option, if your Airstream is stored outside, consider a solar panel and solar charge controller. A 100 watt panel would be plenty to keep your battery happy under average conditions.

4. Make sure you are maintaining the water level in the batteries during storage. Consider switching to AGM batteries. These will not “boil off” (lose water) during charging cycles so you don’t have to check the water level during storage, and they last longer.

5. If you have the ability to measure current draw on the battery while the trailer is stored and the Battery Disconnect is switch to “STORE”, do so. Parasitic draw may account for up to half an amp, but if it’s higher than that you have a voltage leak or device that isn’t working properly, and that will kill the battery pretty quickly.

Use It or Lose It

If you live in the north, it’s a sad day when you’ve got to put your Airstream to bed for the winter season. When campgrounds in your area start to close, or you see frost in the morning, or the forecast starts to dip close to freezing, it’s time to get the Airstream ready for colder temperatures and a period of non-use.

A good winterizing procedure will protect your Airstream against damage from freezing, but there are no absolute guarantees that everything will be perfect in the spring. Stuff happens when you aren’t looking, so I always recommend that people take a few minutes to inspect their Airstream during any long period of storage.

Snow Airstream

What can happen during storage? A slowly-melting blanket of snow atop the roof will severely challenge the waterproofness of everything on the roof, even spots that didn’t leak in the last gentle rain. Rodents can move in, and cause extensive damage by chewing wires, tunneling through the insulation, making nests, and leaving smelly urine stains. Batteries that aren’t maintained with a full charge can lose a lot of their useful lifespan. Smoke detector batteries can go flat and you won’t hear the audible “chirp” warning.

Fortunately, all of these problems are easily avoided with just a quick check during the storage season—and it doesn’t have to be a tedious chore. Your Airstream makes a great getaway even when it’s not going anywhere beyond your driveway or storage lot.

Think about it: your Airstream is a great home away from home, but it’s also a great clubhouse, den, man cave, study, music room, or escape from the in-laws. All you need is some power (either an extension cord, solar panels, or a generator) and propane, and you’ve got the perfect place for a little “staycation.”

An Airstream in winter storage is a dark, cold, and uninviting place, but in just a few minutes you can transform it to a welcoming vacation “cabin”. Turn on the heat and lights, set out some cozy blankets, pop on some slippers and make the place come alive while you relish the peace and quiet (or enjoy the company of a friend). Bring a book or a DVD, or something easy to cook on the stove, and something to drink.

Yes, if the Airstream is winterized you can’t use the plumbing, but you’ve still got lights, heat, TV to watch the football game or a movie, stereo to listen to music, microwave (if plugged into 30-amp power) to re-heat the pizza or nachos, refrigerator for cold drinks, freezer for ice cream—and best of all, blessed privacy. It’s the ideal place for a break, to find some quiet for reading, take a nap, or just to clear your head after a long week.

Game in Airstream
Play a board game in the Airstream in winter

One of my favorite things to do in the Airstream is put on a favorite old movie and then browse maps and guidebooks looking for new ideas for the next trip. There’s no more inspirational place to plan new adventures than in the comfort of your Airstream.

With nowhere to go, you’ll have time to think about what you’d like to do next and what you can do to improve the Airstream. You can bring a pad of paper and make notes on items you want to pack for the next trip, and things to bring for your next little getaway during the storage season.

This is also the best and easiest way to maintain your Airstream. Airstreams are happiest when they are being used. You’ll easily spot little things that need attention before they become bigger and more expensive problems. Spending a little time with your Airstream will make you feel better, like a mini-vacation, and may well extend its life too. It’s good for the Airstream and it’s good for you.

– by Rich Luhr

For more tips on easy maintenance you can do yourself, check out Airstream Life’s (Nearly) Complete Guide to Airstream Maintenance, available at Amazon.com and the Airstream Life Store. With over 200 pages of tips and techniques, it’s an indispensable guide for every Airstreamer.