Storage Guidance | Secure Your Vehicle Today

Cold storage, not climate control

What a cold brick building does

Knowing how the building behaves is most of what determines how you should prep. It isn't heated, and that's a feature — but only if you plan for it.

Cold and stable

Unheated masonry holds temperature well — no big daily swings through the middle of the building.
Expect some freeze–thaw near the doors on sunny days. Vehicles parked deeper in the building see less of it.
Consistent and dry beats warm. Cycling between warm and cold is what drives condensation.

Moisture and salt

Brick both absorbs and releases moisture. Use a breathable cover, never a plastic tarp.
Desiccant inside the cabin is cheap and works.
No road salt exposure indoors — but arrive clean and dry. Salt left on an undercarriage in October is still eating metal in April.

Access during the season

The property is gated with keyed entry and a biometric padlock, snow removal is included, and there's no public access during the storage term. A camera system is being installed this fall — it is not live yet, and we won't claim it until it is.

Indoor vehicles are parked in rows, so retrieval during the season is by appointment with a few days' notice. If you expect to want it more often than that, add Active Access ($15/month) for an aisle-adjacent space.

Three to seven days before drop-off

Pre-storage preparation

Give yourself a few days. Several of these want the vehicle driven afterward, and none of them work well rushed in the driveway the morning of.

01

Wash, dry, protect

Wash thoroughly including the undercarriage — get salt and mud off.
Dry completely. A short drive helps evaporate trapped water in seams and brakes.
Wax or seal the paint; treat rubber weatherstrips with silicone so they don't stick or crack.

02

Fluids & fuel

Change the oil if it's anywhere near due. Used oil is acidic and you don't want it sitting on bearings for six months.
Fill the tank to about 95% and add stabilizer, then run it ten minutes so it circulates. A full tank leaves less room for condensation.
Check that the coolant mix is rated for sub-zero.

03

Battery

Top up the charge, clean the terminals, apply dielectric grease.
Best option: a smart maintainer. We'll hook yours up and keep an eye on it for $12/month.
Otherwise disconnect the negative terminal, or pull the battery and store it somewhere above freezing.

04

Tires & suspension

Inflate to the high side of spec, typically 3–5 PSI above normal, to resist flat-spotting.
Park on tire pads or cardboard rather than bare concrete.
Skip jack stands for a months-long sit on a modern vehicle — it does more harm than the flat spots would.

05

Interior & moisture

Vacuum, clean the glass, and remove every bit of food — wrappers and crumbs included.
Place desiccant canisters in the cabin.
Windows fully up. A breathable cover on top. No plastic tarps — they trap moisture right against the paint.

06

Rodents

Skip mothballs. Peppermint pouches or dryer sheets are the usual deterrents.
Seal the cabin air intake if your manufacturer allows it.
Traps go on the floor near the vehicle, not inside it. Tell us if you'd like some set by your space.

About rodents, honestly

No storage facility in northern New Hampshire can promise you a rodent-free winter, and you should be skeptical of any that does. We keep the buildings clean and monitored. What actually moves the needle is removing anything edible or nestable before the vehicle comes in.

Boats, campers & RVs

Water is the whole problem

Everything above still applies, plus one thing that matters more than all of it: any water left in a system will freeze, and freezing water splits things that are expensive to replace.

Boats

Have the engine winterized by someone who does it for a living unless you genuinely know the procedure for your drive. This is the one job not to improvise.
Drain the block, manifolds, livewells, washdown and freshwater systems. Run antifreeze through anything that holds water.
Pull the drain plug and leave the bow slightly high so meltwater runs out rather than pooling in the bilge.
Battery out and stored above freezing. Fuel tank near full with stabilizer.
Cover it properly, or have it shrink wrapped during the October service window.

Campers & RVs

Winterize the water system — drain the fresh, grey and black tanks, bypass the water heater, and run RV antifreeze through every line until it runs pink at each fixture.
Empty and flush the holding tanks. Leave the valves closed.
Close the propane valves. If the tanks come off easily, take them home — they can't stay with the unit.
Batteries out or on a maintainer. Tires up to sidewall pressure.
Prop the fridge and cabinet doors open, and leave a couple of desiccant tubs inside.

Bring proof of insurance

Coverage is required for all boats, RVs and campers regardless of size. A photo of the declarations page texted over is fine. We'll also ask for the expiration date — the winter season runs six and a half months and plenty of marine and seasonal policies are written for six.

Drop-off day

What to bring with you

Required

Proof of insurance — required for boats, RVs and campers; for everything else, your carrier and policy details or a written acknowledgment that you're carrying none.
Registration, active or non-op as your insurer allows.
One labeled key set that stays with us. Never lock a fob inside the vehicle.

The drop-off checklist

We'll walk this with you. Drop-offs are scheduled rather than first-come, so nobody's waiting in line on the first cold Saturday.

Confirm paperwork and contact details, and photograph the odometer and all four sides of the vehicle. This protects both of us.
Confirm fuel stabilizer is in, coolant is rated, and note the oil change date.
Parking brake off — use chocks instead. Pads and shoes can bond to rotors and drums over a long sit. Automatic in Park, manual in first gear.
Windows fully up, sunroof closed, vents set to recirculate.
Battery disconnected, removed, or maintainer connected — your call, noted on the agreement.
Cover on, desiccant placed, and all personal items out of the vehicle.
Hand over the labeled key set and confirm any add-ons — battery tender, Active Access, or a detail booked for the service window.

December through March

Leave it alone

Don't ask anyone to start it monthly

This is the most common piece of bad storage advice there is. A short cold idle never gets the engine hot enough to burn off what it creates — you end up with condensation in the oil and exhaust and raw fuel washing the cylinder walls. You're better off having done nothing.

A vehicle prepped properly in the fall does not need anything done to it in February. We don't start stored vehicles, and we'd tell you the same thing if you stored it in your own garage.

If you need it during the season

Call and schedule. Indoor vehicles are parked in rows, so pulling one means moving others — a few days' notice makes it easy.
Active Access ($15/month, indoor) puts you aisle-adjacent with unlimited in-and-out during posted hours.
Trailhead spots are self-serve on a gate code — come and go, no appointment.

What we're doing

Plowing and keeping lanes open through the season.
Monitoring building access and general conditions.
Watching any battery maintainers we've connected.
Calling you if we see something that needs your attention.

Pickup window · May 1–15

Bringing it back to life

Pickup is scheduled the same way drop-off is. Give yourself a day or two of prep before the first real drive.

One to three days before

Reinstall or charge the battery.
Set tire pressures back to door-jamb spec.
Look for rodent evidence — wiring, air box, under the seats — before you start it.
Remove the desiccant and take the cover off carefully.

The first drive

Start it and let it reach stable idle and oil pressure. Don't sit and idle it for twenty minutes.
Easy on the throttle and brakes for the first 10–15 minutes — surface rust on rotors needs to wear off.
Flat spots, if any, usually warm out inside of fifteen minutes of driving.
Plan a wash. Book a spring detail during the pickup window and it comes out ready for the road.

Prohibited items & safety

No fuel containers, propane cylinders or hazardous chemicals stored in or with the vehicle. Fuel in the vehicle's own tank is fine and preferred.
Smart maintainers only, and only with intact cords. Nothing with damaged insulation gets plugged in.
Vehicles must be free of active leaks. We'll ask for a drip tray if anything is weeping.
Disable aftermarket alarms — cold temperatures set them off and nobody enjoys that at 2am.
No personal belongings stored inside vehicles.

Where responsibility sits

We take reasonable care of the facility — gated access, snow removal, and no public access during the storage term. We do not insure stored property, and no storage facility does. Your vehicle is stored at your own risk, and its insurance and mechanical condition remain yours.

That's not us dodging anything. It's how the industry works, and we'd rather you hear it from us in October than from an adjuster in March.

Service window opens October 1

Prepped and ready?

Tell us what you're storing and you'll have your agreement and exact price back the same day. Detailing and shrink wrap are booked during the October window, before vehicles get packed in.

Reserve your space

How to put a vehicle away for a North Country winter