Storage of Phoenix Cruiser

Someone will have the answer, I am sure!!

Bob got sick down in our Arizona home so we cannot at this time drive our rig north to Washington State for the summer like we usually do.   I think we are stuck in Yuma for the summer.  We have it parked, uncovered, next to the house where the bottom 2/3 gets shade from our house and the house next door.  The weather in Yuma gets between 110 and 118 in the summer.  We are plugged into electric, of course and I can open the vents and run one or up to three overhead vents.

Question:  Are we better off leaving it parked next to the house (we will be here so are not just leaving it here) or would it be better to be in a covered storage unit.  The units are not climate controlled so it would be like being baking in an oven - at least that is what I figure.

Any comments from someone in the hot south? 

That is a great question!!  Just my opinion but i would almost think it would be better to leave outi in the open.  Interested to se ewhat others have to say....best of luck and i hope everyone gets back to good health.

My last two MH's in heat and humid Tulsa, I ran the AC from Apr 1 to Nov 15 set on 85 unless I was working inside the unit.

Much to the chagrin of the bill payer, BUT it helped keep both nice and both sold quickly. I don't regret the expense. 
Qualifier here is that both were stored in a pole barn with sides down to 4' that kept them out of direct sun.

I would never leave a unit out in the sun for that length of time. especially sitting in one spot.and running the AC.  yes, the storage unit will be warm but the out side of the unit will keep direct sun/uv off of the unit.  The ambient air inside of the storage unit be warm but will keep  the outer shell of the Rv at the same temp, while the insulation of the unit will keep the inside of the unit  even a little cooler.  Your baking the RV in direct sunlight.  I pay 85 a month here in Houston... If storage not possible, you can buy a cheap cover for @250.00. 
It should be warm enough where your at, go out put a towel on one spot leave it for an hour and feel the difference.
David Sparks
2008 PC 2350
Houston, Texas     

I checked into storage units and they run about $189  a month.  I have been looking at a Tyvek cover which is light weight and white to reflect the sun.  We had a Sunbrella cover for our boat and it was a bear to try to lug around and cover so at least the Tyvek is lighter weight since I am probably the one who will put on the cover.  We can get one (they are on sale) custom made for $700 to $800 so I think that is probably the way I will go.  Hopefully it won't be TOO hard to install.

189 a month,, wow,,, pretty high,,,, please do not take this wrong,,, I have a adco aquashed fits up to  26ft came with my 2350 trying to sale,,, make you a good deal... if you want more info  let me know I can get the actual stock numbers  so you can see if it fits  write me off line   davidmsparks@gmail.com   by the way will be in mesa area    arouund the 7th of May could deliver... and please do not get the impression I was trying to slant my answer . to try and sale you a cover hehe, that was not my intention...  let me know     

We covered our Road Trek for many months at a time, here in the San Francisco
area.  White synthetic canvas-like stuff.  Don't know how water or vapor tight it was.

I blame that cover for many 2-inch-long tear-drop shaped places where the Trek's
paint came off.   And I blame the fact that it was a pretty tight fit over the unit, so
there was very little air circulation under it.

So I would have a sun cover on a frame, not the unit itself, with room for air to
flow between the two.  Some of our neighbors in the RV storage yard have built
frameworks out of PVC pipe, standing in 5-gal buckets of concrete, then stretched
blue tarps over the frame.  They hold up surprisingly well to the wind - gusting to
40 mph here yesterday!

 

I live in Florida and I must say I never have covered any RV I have owned.. Over the last week I have purposely sought out and looked at all the RV storage yards in my area and have not seen even one RV covered.  I also talked with several RV owners that have lived down here who have said they have never covered their RVs.  Many RVs down here have years on them and look great... just saying.

Couple of points. Todays paints are very good and then are covered with a clear coat, they have a limited life if not takened care of. the worst enemy of course is the sun. Why do you think they sale tire covers.  Now rubber reacts differently to the sun also.  The RV has caulking all over it. It has covers on the top for the ac, fans etc. different types of plastic, again reacts differently to the sun.  All of these components are going to detoriate eventually.  We spent a lot of money for these units. I for one am going to spend a little extra time and cost to protect it.   I live down in Houston,, we have huge RV consignment  company PPL,, I go over there all the time to look around ( they sale parts also)  See lots of different units 4/5 years old still looking good paint wise... it's at this time frame I start seeing a difference. Some units  are really starting to look sad...

Someone mentioned building a cover with tarps,,, great ideal same as a stroage shed, no direct sunlight and the air between the unit and the tarps acts as insulation...  you all have heard how hot the inside of a car gets 140+ degress...

Anywayjust wanted to bring up my opinions.  Like a lot areas of concern I enjoy hearing peoples opinions. I t makes us better and more aware.. now lets talk about rotating tires,, yes / no haha just kidding
David Sparks
2008 PC 2350
Houston, Texas

I agree and support the idea of covering the rig to protect much more than paint.

I understand covers which do not fit properly can do abrasion damage from constant wind bashings.

A good fitting cover made of Tyvek sounds most interesting.  I have worked with Tyvek before.  That material is very impressive for resistance to tearing, it's a good water barrier, and it holds up well over time.  It is extremely light weight making it very easy to man-handle when covering a motor home.  I think the Tyvel covers sold are white, ideal for hot regions.

I would call Kermit and ask if he knows of a local company near him who can make a custom-fit cover for your model PC.  Kermit would much rather talk on the phone then answer emails.

 As far a covering .... we have a nieghbor that is a car dealer and also owned RV's for years.

When we looked at RV's that would not fit in our aircraft hanger (Door height restrictions) and mentioned to him that we thought about buying a cover to keep it outside ... he said ... you do not want to do that  because of heat build up and mold and mildew .. now we are in Florida and have humidity that you can cut with a knife most of the time.

I would think that being in AZ you do not have the humidity but wonder what the heat would do to something covered.

We had a glider that was outside in Florida and it had a tyvek cover over the canopy and we used that material becuase it was a breathable material and also would not harm the window but it only lasted about a year in the sun and heat.

Don't know if this was any help or not, but good luck and hope that your hubby will be well soon.

Carol & Vince Power

ok, my 2 cents worth--and that's about all it's worth!  I've lived in Texas, and the heat AND humidity is bad--more so in Houston.  Living in Arizona the past 10 years just north of Phoenix before going full time, the problems you'll encounter (even in Yuma) aren't the same as in TX and FL.  They store old airplanes in AZ because of the conditions.  The sun is never kind to motorhomes, but if you maintain a good wax job and run the engine occasionally to keep the seals lubricated, you'll be ok.  Covers are good if you can manage getting them on/off.  Consider all your options and personal limitations, but don't be overly concerned and frustrated/stressed.  Your PC will survive...

I try to run the engine every week or so and the generator once a month.  I run the air conditioner at least one a month when I have the genset running.  I have been wondering how I could do all of these things with the rig all buttoned down.  And putting on the cover by myself would be a pain.  If we were rving down here we wouldn't have it covered, so I am really thinking of getting a good wax job.  The heat of the day is at 4 PM and at that time the rig is shaded by the house.  We had 42 mph winds Monday.  I am afraid whatever cover we had would really scratch up the paint.

Thanks for all the information, as usual.  I think if I do have a cover I will just call Kermit and have a custom made Tyvek cover made. But for the time being I am convincing Bob that we don't need one.

Anne and Bob
Yuma, AZ