Owning a vehicle in different states can be beneficial if you’re the type of person who likes to drive their own vehicle each time they pay a visit to the respective city. Obviously, this will require you to securely store your vehicle in a warehouse storage option and you shall also require the services of a reliable vehicle transport company.
While you can choose between the two types of car transport options to relocate your vehicle, you should also consider the following tips to store your vehicle for longer periods of time. Even if you are someone who only owns one vehicle or a couple of them at max, properly storing your vehicle will ensure that you don’t need to send it for major repairs each time you again access them on your trips.
Useful Car Storage Tips After Using Vehicle Transport Provider Services
Either when you depend on a vehicle transport company to store your vehicle or when you manually have arranged for storing your vehicle in a proper location, follow these tips to make sure your car doesn’t lose its aesthetic and operational value over time:
Wash The Vehicle
It will be ideal to get your car washed and pristine before you park it in the storage. Elements such as baked up dirt, bird poop, water stains could damage the paint and other parts of your vehicle when they have settled on the respective surfaces for too long.
The same is also true for your car’s interior. Do clean the interiors well enough to prevent any odious smells and stains from damaging the innards of your vehicle before you park into storage.
Keep it Covered
Either get a weatherproof car cover or one that isn’t tarp or plastic to cover your vehicle. While this isn’t advised when you’re relocating your vehicle using the services of a vehicle transport company, storing your car in a stationary state is a different matter.
A covered vehicle will not be prone to dirt that can stick on the various surfaces of your vehicles even if you put it in an enclosed car storage unit. Change of temperatures within the storage can also affect the paint of your car which can be stabilised with the help of simply keeping your vehicle covered.
Oil Change
It is really important that you get your car oil changed when you’re certain you won’t be driving it for a longer period of time. Used engine oil can carry contaminants that can damage your car to the point where you may need to get an engine replacement. Prevent it all by also having spare car oil stocked in your storage unit if possible.
Fueled Up
Though during a vehicle transport it is required that you do not have your tank full, but during the time when you store your vehicle for longer than a couple of weeks, you should ideally keep the gas tank full. By doing so, you can prevent the buildup of moisture in the tank as well as when you add fuel stabilisers in proper proportions, you can save ethanol buildup which can also affect the car’s engine.
Maintain Operational Ability
Make a habit to drive your car for at least twenty minutes or so every two weeks to prevent the battery and electricals from drying or corroding. This practice will also keep your vehicle’s engine healthy as well as keep the other parts lubricated.
When you cannot arrange to have this possible, simply remove the cables of your battery which would require you to reset your vehicle but it will prevent needing a new battery later on.
No Brakes
Never ever engage parking brakes when you’re keeping your vehicle in storage because their contact with the rotors over a long time could make them fused together or jammed. This can be costly to repair later on. To then save your car from moving, purchase and apply tire stoppers.
Get Insured
Using a vehicle transport service will keep your car insured for the duration of its relocation but afterwards, it can be really useful to own car insurance for your car(s). This way you can worry less about them getting damaged or stolen in the storage units because you’ll have a coverage claim for any required repairs.
Final Words
While these tips differ from what is advised during the time you use a vehicle transport service, following them afterwards will save you from bearing serious costs. Therefore ensure that you at least do the things mentioned above to store your vehicle safely.
