Lotus Europa Forums > Garage

Parking permanently in an enclosed trailer

(1/3) > >>

LotusEuropa:
Hi everyone,

I am currently considering selling my small trailer and buying an enclosed trailer instead. It will be used to transport my classic cars and possibly as a "parking spot" for one of them.

The reason for this is that I would like to park my assets (cars and trailer) together and on private property. An additional garage is not available, but a parking space is.

I'm worried that that a change in the weather conditions will create a climate that won't do the car any favour. What is your opinion on this? Can the issue be resolved with countermeasures or should I abandon the idea?

Kind regards.

4129R:
If the car is stored in an enclosed space, I would check it regularly for condensation.

Left outside, Europas seem to leak, some quite badly through the doors, and one I have left for about a year had 5 litres of water in the petrol tanks. Plus on some TCs, water gets into #1&2 spark plug recesses and sits there rusting the spark plugs.

Dry storage is the way to go, but condensation, particularly in sub zero winters, would be my concern.

Disconnect the battery, and when you take it out of storage, drain the petrol to check for any contamination. It is very easy to do with brass drain plugs at the bottom of each tank, a 5/8" ring spanner soon releases them.

LotusEuropa:

--- Quote from: 4129R on Monday,May 06, 2024, 02:59:56 AM ---Dry storage is the way to go, but condensation, particularly in sub zero winters, would be my concern.

--- End quote ---

Thank you for your response. I have the same concern, that's why I am asking here.

"The ideal humidity for rust-free storage of automobiles is between 50 and 55 % RH (relative humidity)"
I'm not sure what the situation in an enclosed trailer is throughout the year.

Kendo:
When I first got my TCS, I didn’t have a garage. I built a PVC geodesic structure around it with a big car cover over it. That only partly. Kept the moisture out. The paint eventually started erupting, with small leopard spots appearing all over it.

That of course let moisture up from the ground. Your trailer would mitigate that. For further protection, I’d suggest a drive-under carport, to keep rain off of the trailer. Also, can you pave the parking spot, to block some ground moisture? Finally, if you can get electricity to the spot, maybe run dehumidifiers during the worst weather?

SwiftDB4:
I stored a car in an enclosed trailer over a winter. Not a good idea as it rusted most metal surfaces. I live in Pacific NW U.S. so very humid.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page