Korean Job Discussion Forums

[jennad]

Does anyone have any tips/suggestions on storing your car while going overseas for a year? I don't have anyone I can leave my car with and was thinking of storing it in either San Diego (where I currently am) or Northern Arizona (where my family lives).

Is it expensive? A quick google search gave me monthly rates between $60-150.....

Apologies if this is a repeat question, but I couldn't find anything recently on the subject. Every time I try to search for topics on here the site wigs out.....don't know what's up with that.

[ebrann]

I'm paying $37 a month for an uncovered space at a reputable national storage chain in Portland OR. I could have had a covered space for $45 so the estimates you got seem high even for SoCal.

The mechanic I go to advised me to put the car up on jacks so the tires wouldn't go flat, disconnect the battery, and add a stabilizer to the gas tank. I got a protective covering for it at Wal-Mart for about $40.

The problem is I came on a one-year contract, but I'm extending another year or more so I regret not selling the car before I left.

[Patrick Bateman]

I don't know much about paying to store a car, but I've stored enough cars to give some general advice:

1. Thoroughly wash and wax the car prior to storage.
2. Covers should be avoided if you can, but if you must store it outside, a cover is better than nothing.
3. Parking brake off and car in neutral.
4. Crack the windows a bit to provide air circulation inside.
5. Fill tank and stabilize fuel.
6. Make sure your oil is stable enough for storage. A lot of people recommend switching to synthetic for storage if you don't already use it, but just make sure that it's appropriate for your specific car.
7. Putting it on jacks is great if you can, but not 100% necessary if your wheels don't have white-walls. If you cannot put on jacks over-inflate the tires a bit and brick off the wheels.
8. I always keep some kind of insurance on my car. My company at least offers dirt cheap insurance for cars in storage, and I think it's worth the extra money.
9. Disconnect the battery terminals.
10. I'll try to think of more.

[Canonite]

Phone RV/boat places and see what they suggest...a lot of people store their campers and boats in the winter, so they'll likely be able to help you.

Please don't crack the window when storing...whoever owned my car before me did that and a year later it STILL steams up like crazy on the inside on a humid day...(and it was all fog all the time inside for the first month or so). It's also an excellent way to get mold started in your vehicle.

What you should do instead is go to an RV place and ask for their moisture-absorbing thingamajig. It can be a powder or a sponge of sorts...leave it in the middle of the back seat (in a dish or container of some sort) and you should be good.

Also, don't leave it in neutral...ebrake off + neutral = invitation to steal/accidentally roll away. Leaving the ebrake off is a good idea, but what gear you leave it in won't matter. Leave it in gear for safety/security reasons.

The rest of the advice is good (by the way, I've owned 15+ cars, including a lowrider truck I only drove in the summer and sometimes didn't drive for a few years at a time...)

[thegreg52]

I'd leave it with your family in Arizona and ask them to take it out every so often. I left my car with my parents in Florida where it's in a garage and my father takes it out at least once a week.

[Patrick Bateman]

[Canonite]

[Patrick Bateman]

[Canonite]

[jennad]

[Canonite]

[jennad]

[davai!]

I'm based out of L.A. and have done this many times. There are a few spots in Marina del Rey where there are no parking restrictions. I've parked there for up to 8 mos. at a time.

After I park, I cover my stuff in the back seat with a black sheet to blend in with the seats. Then, I lock it up and take the bus to LAX for less than $2.

I usually return to a dead battery, so get a solar charger or leave jumper cables in the car.

Also, because LA has nasty air, you should keep a jug of window cleaner and a squeegee in the car, or plan on going straight to the car wash when you get back.

Ideally you should have someone in LA move it once a month and wash the windshield so it looks freshly driven. The reg. must be kept current. Also, your car should be normal-looking (i.e. no hippy vans or VW Things) -that is likely to make the authorities think you've abandoned it.

PM me and I'll give you the exact address.

[Canonite]

I know this is a little off-topic, but it doesn't seem like any of the options have worked out for you so far (ditching it somewhere on the side of the road as davai! suggests, I think, could be problematic). Even if there are no posted parking restrictions, there may be a local bylaw making it illegal, not to mention thieves can be pretty smart. If they see your car not moving for 50 days, they may move it themselves on the 51st. Heck, I had a friend of mine who worked in a sketchy area of town and hookers would break into his car and use it as a...er..."love shack" while he was working....it was pretty nasty haha...

Why not just sell it? Whether you keep insurance on it or park it at a facility (in which case I'd still recommend/you may be required to keep storage insurance on it), it'll cost you a few hundred bucks at least for the year.

Or just lend it to a friend you trust

[jennad]