I am thinking about storing my truck for the winter. What prep would I need to do?

 

Turn the headlights off and put it in park. No need to do anything if you are just parking a vehicle for 6 months.

 

How long are you storing it? Are you storing it outdoors? If you are storing it indoors is the storage location climate controlled?

Answer the above and you will have a better idea of what (of anything) needs to be done. Outdoor storage or indoor storage in a building that is not rodent proof would be my number one concern. A family of mice can wreak havoc on a truck in a short period of time.

If the storage will be for only a month or two somewhere dry and secure you will probably be fine with just parking it. But if it's longer you should consider the following whether it's indoors or out:

1. Wash the truck to remove anything sitting on the paint.
2. Get a top of the line fuel stabilizer like StarTron and put in the recommended dosage and fill the tank all the way up.
3. Change the oil.
4. Make sure the tires are at the proper pressure.
5. Do NOT set the parking brake.
6. Buy some dessicant packets (boating stores carry them) and put them in the cab and keep the windows rolled up tight.
7. Disconnect the negative battery terminal.
8. If possible, jack up each corner and rotate each tire every other month so the tires do not stay in the same place too long. Especially in cold weather.

Other then a secure building their is nothing you do to stop rodents other than hope for the best. The one thing you cannot avoid with long term storage is seals drying out. Ideally driving the truck (not just starting it) for about 3-5 miles to heat the engine and fluids up and get the seals lubed will help. But it's not always practical.

 

Well that is definitely the other end of the spectrum - wow.

 

It's a matter of how much you care about the condition of the vehicle when you take it back out of storage. NV290's list of steps would help keep it like new and minimize hassles. That's basically how I care for seasonal items like my snowmobile and cycles and other small-engine tools. It's only overkill until the first time you have to deal with a problem that could have been prevented (gummed up fuel system, flat-spotted tires, mice chewing the wiring, battery replacement).

At a minimum, if you're storing it for more than 2 months you really need to put fuel stabilizer in it and run it through the system before you park it. And a battery tender is also a cheap and useful addition.

Rob

 

Well, we store 2 cars for 6 months at a time, 3 sleds, 4 boats and more power equipment than I care to count. The procedure is - drain water out of it if it has water in it and then park it somewhere.

 

If it works for you then great. If you ever have to deal with a problem that could have been prevented you'll perhaps change your mind. Or not. The stuff is easy so I do it.

Rob

 

I have a 1979 Camaro that I stored for the winters.

"Saving it".

My suggestion would be to keep driving your truck if you have any need for it.

It will get older both physically and also in your mind as the time passes so park it if you must but don't bother "saving it" IMO.

 

Thanks for the great tips. I'll probably just keep it on the road and take it to the office once a week to keep the oil circulated and stop the parts from rusting.

 

That's the easiest way to do it. It eliminates all the potential problems associated with long term storage in a less then perfect location.