winter storage dilemma

[Mr Blotto]

Hi All,

Since I bought my bus about 10 years ago, it has always "wintered" in an unheated garage (Chicago). Before hibernation (late October), I always change the oil, then drive it on the highway like I stole it, top off the gas tank, pull it in the garage, shut her off, then remove the negative battery cable. I do not touch her until April. For the first time, I am contemplating storing the bus outside this winter, but want your input. Am I nuts? Does a quality cover help at all, or would it do more harm (trap moisture)? What about throwing a blue tarp over her? Keep in mind - this is no show bus - it has some rusty areas.

Please let me know your thoughts.

Thanks

[Mike Boell]

Hi All,

Since I bought my bus about 10 years ago, it has always "wintered" in an unheated garage (Chicago). Before hibernation (late October), I always change the oil, then drive it on the highway like I stole it, top off the gas tank, pull it in the garage, shut her off, then remove the negative battery cable. I do not touch her until April. For the first time, I am contemplating storing the bus outside this winter, but want your input. Am I nuts? Does a quality cover help at all, or would it do more harm (trap moisture)? What about throwing a blue tarp over her? Keep in mind - this is no show bus - it has some rusty areas.

Please let me know your thoughts.

Thanks

First off I'd ask why are you contemplating moving her outside?
I would not go blue tarp. I believe moisture would get trapped and you'd get crazy stuff growing on and in the bus. If you must store it outside I'd invest in a quality cover and make sure it's tied down good. If its allowed to blow around you will eventually end up with a hole in the fabric. Ideally if it must go outside and room allows, how about a portable garage. That will allow air to move around and still allow you access it if you need in there.
Just my thoughts.
Mike

[Mr Blotto]

Thanks for the tips Mike. I am considering outside storage this year because my dream is to be able to park my daily drive in my garage in the winter (especially when it snows). I only have a 2 car garage, and up till now, my wife's car gets one, and the bus gets another. I have looked at covered storage (off site), but I am way too cheap. I have considered a temporary garage/tent thingy, but the way my garage and driveway are configured, it would be too hard to maneuver around it.

The more I think a out it, the more I don't like the idea. If I drove it everyday during the winter, it would be one thing. But letting it rot under the snow while hibernating is not something i would want to see. Must think of plan B (rent some cheap garage space).

[sped372]

Used to store one of the VWs outside with a car-specific cover on it (no tarp) but yeah, it was easy to tell that it wasn't nearly as good for it as being inside. Having a couple feet of snow on it, even with a cover between, was not ideal. In the spring the freeze/thaw would usually cause the cover to become stuck to the car for a period of time as well. One of the reasons I sold the Beetle, now both VWs can fit in the garage.

I hear you, though, it sure would be nice to park the daily transportation inside!

[yondermtn]

I'm in the same situation. The wife gets one stall in the winter and I get the other. I've always kept my bus on my side, but would love to be able to keep my daily driver in there and also have some extra workspace in there for projects etc. One winter I found a guy renting out spaces in his heated warehouse for $50/mo but I haven't found a deal like that in a place I trusted since. I would be hesitant to let my bus sit outside.

This winter I hope to be parking my bus at my wife's job in an underground heated space that has become available for use and is only 3 blocks from my home.

[Randy in Maine]

Around here the various fairgrounds store all sorts of things in the "show barns" over the winter for cheap money. Mostly it ends up being cars and boats. Once there (around Thanksgiving) it is there until April though, so no coming and going.

[hambone]

I think the Midwest salt is more of a concern than the weather. My semi-rusty '64 bus parked on the street in Chicago didn't really seem to get much worse after a winter. Just make sure the interior stays dry.

[BellePlaine]

Hi All,

Before hibernation (late October), I always change the oil, then drive it on the highway like I stole it, top off the gas tank, pull it in the garage, shut her off, then remove the negative battery cable.
Thanks

Regarding winter storage, I change the oil in the Spring so the oil is the freshest for the new season instead of before hibernation. Just my $0.02, it probably doesn't matter much. I also sprinkle bar soap shavings throughout the cabin and engine compartment to keep away the mice. Not sure if it helps but I haven't seen signs of mice in the Spring and the bus smells good.

[vistacruzer]

Old oil is acidic put new oil in it.

[Randy in Maine]

I also change out the old oil just before I put her to bed for the winter. Then I fill it up with stabilized gas, remove the battery to put on the battery tender and call it good.

[BellePlaine]

Old oil is acidic put new oil in it.

Interesting. Typically, metal likes to be slightly acidic. And it's the caustic (like salt) that is corrosive, but perhaps the Aluminum Magnesium is more stable. You take magnesium for upset stomach, right? Makes sense to change the acidic oil. I'm no metallurgist.

[Mr Blotto]

Just found a nice big garage for a really low price! Gotta love craigslist....

[Amskeptic]

Old oil is asidic put new oil in it.

Interesting. Typically, metal likes to be slightly acidic. And it's the caustic (like salt) that is corrosive, but perhaps the Aluminum Magnesium is more stable. You take magnesium for upset stomach, right? Makes sense to change the acidic oil. I'm no metallurgist.

You definitely want to change the oil (make sure it is hot!) in the final minutes before storage. Not only does used oil have acidic combustion condensate and whatever water has made it down to the bottom of the sump, it has a truckload of carbon and steel and aluminum and brass sediment that will take advantage of the entire winter rest to deposit on every every horizontal surface inside the engine. Run the engine up to operating temperature with the new oil then shut it down. Don't bother to run during the winter, that will just fill the internals of the exhaust system/muffler with condensate, and introduce acid in the oil which will annoy the metallurgy, Chris, as well as affect the oil's lubricating qualities. The BobD's strainer plate, beautifully finished in cad II plating from the factory, had nasty water damage pits inside the engine, sitting under a full sump of oil.
Colin

[sped372]

Do you change oil again in the spring or just run with the new-for-storage oil until the next change?

[TrollFromDownBelow]

See you found storage, so bit of a moot point. However, thought I'd share my experience for others....

I've always stored my bus inside my garage, except for one winter when I swapped engines on my 68 Ford Pickup and had to leave it out in the driveway. I did not drive the bus in the snow/salt, however, the little rust it did have appeared to get 'angrier' after leaving it out in the elements for 4-5 months. Up until this time, the rust had not progressed at all, and I've owned it for 8 years.

Even though I've lived in the Midwest my entire life, I've rarely enjoyed garage space for my DD because of projects... if you've never had it you don't miss it.