“See the moonlight sparkle on the snow, The fireplace in afterglow, It’s winter, another winter” ~Holiday Harmony
The holidays are in full swing and fall has given way to winter as hinted by the lyrics above. If you haven’t already done so, it’s time to prep your boat and RV for storage this holiday season. Below is a list of four tips to help you on your way.
- Leave Doors Open: For both boats and RVs, it’s wise to leave the doors open on refrigerators, certain appliances and cabinets along with leaving any drawers open. Remove all food, cloth and electronics. Be sure to clean and wipe out all surfaces of the fridges, cabinets and drawers. This is to prevent the growth of mold and keep odors to a minimum.
- Boat Drive Belts, RV Wheels: For boats, you will want to loosen your drive belts or completely remove them depending on how long you intend to store your boat. Removing or loosening the belt will prevent cracks from ruining the belt. For RVs you will want to chock the wheels to prevent unauthorized movement of your vehicle which can lead to horrible damages. Using store-bought chocks or simply two sturdy pieces of wood on either side of each wheel will keep your RV immobile.
- Plug RV Pipes, Wipe Down Boats Surfaces: For RVs you will want to go through your vehicle and plug every pipe entrance and exit with either a cap or something that will be immovable and inedible to rodents. Doing this will prevent any surprise infestations. For boats, you will want to be very thorough in wiping down all of the surfaces of your boat so as to get rid of any salt water. Salt water is very corrosive and can cause damage quickly if not removed properly.
- Prevent Freezing: This is highly important in both boats and RVs. For RVs you will need to empty all of your water tanks and use Anti-Freeze just as you would in your car or truck. This will prevent freezing which can lead to cracking and splintering. For Boats, you will want leave all of the drains open to allow all excess water to leave so as to prevent freezing.
The above tips will help you keep your boat and RV adequately protected during a stint in storage this holiday season. Now you can sit back, relax and stay warm with a cup of hot chocolate or egg nog. If you have any questions or would like more information on please contact us.