If you’re planning on storing your van safely and securely, we have plenty of space to house your cherished caravan or motor home.  Our storage facility provides a cost-effective option, with long term sites available for hire too.

If you’re planning on storing your van outdoors, we recommend the use of a cover to minimize UV damage caused by the sun.  While vans are designed to be used in the sunlight, fittings are easily damaged by long term daily sun exposure.

Our drive-up, caravan storage area comes with a flat, gravel floor.  Although level, you may wish to use wood blocks or Camec, tyre savers under the wheels, to minimise tyre damage from prolonged sitting.

With your van in storage, it is a good time to arrange preventative maintenance tasks such as servicing, a gas check and brake adjustments.

At Midway, we will take the time to thoroughly check your van for signs of damage.  This includes the springs, electric brake wiring, all water and gas hoses for leaks or stone damage, uneven tyre wear and tread wear.

Our service department is one of the great benefits of our facility which is more than just a storage yard.  The convenience of servicing and maintenance alongside our storage facility makes for hassle-free holidays, by having your vehicles and equipment ready when you are.

Before checking your van in for long term storage, there are a few tasks we would recommend, to preserve the integrity of the van.

Caravan Storage Checklist

1. Sort out unnecessary items and clean your van
   It’s often good to remove items that cause clutter or may give nasty surprises later.  All clothes and food should go to minimise the risk of an ant invasion or other pests.  For cleaning, you can use a car ‘wash and wax’ cleaner on the outside with car polish as well as spray-on products such as Armour Oil on vinyl. A silicone spray to rubber window surrounds will stop them from sticking together next season. Also, it’s important to empty lockers and check for water leaks.  Put silicone spray on the gas struts and cupboard doors for ease of use later on.
2. Be mindful of heat damage
   Items such as glue, markers, highlighter pens etc tend to dry up after being exposed in temperatures over 25ºC, and products such as sunscreen and insect repellent may deteriorate before their use-by-date in hot weather.  It’s probably best to unpack them from your van and use them elsewhere.
3. Prevent mildew
   Vans that are stored outside are often prone to mildew in wet weather.  A product containing hygroscopic crystals, such as Damp Rid can be used in the van to absorb moisture and you can even put it in the fridge with the door left slightly ajar.  This will help the interior to remain fresh and dry.
4. Cover external pipes
   You may wish to block external pipes with plugs or rubber cups to prevent wasps from building their nests inside.  Although this is unlikely, it does provide extra protection.  You can use flyscreen material secured with wire to allow aeration of the sullage outlet.
5. Empty water tanks
   It’s best to either empty the water tanks completely or fill them to the top to prevent the growth of algae.
6. Paint plastic fittings
   If your van will be exposed to the sun in storage, you may want to paint the plastic fittings with a good quality primer and white exterior paint to prevent cracking and UV damage.
7. Service the jockey wheel annually
   Servicing the jockey wheel and cleaning and re-greasing the ball race, will make a difference to the ease of use and it’s unlikely to fail in an awkward moment.  Our maintenance team can assist with this on your behalf.
8. Battery
   It is always a good idea to keep the battery fully charged either by trickle charging or with a 240V smart charger.

We know that you have worked hard for your possessions and the safety, protection and health of your vehicles are important to us.  Midway will endeavour to ensure your vans kept outside are in the best shape possible before you head out on your next road trip.  Contact us today to discuss maintenance and servicing arrangements.

For more information please call Rob & Suzanne at Midway Trailers :-