25 Essential Tips to Store an RV in Hot Weather

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Updated March 30, 2024

Over the past five years, we have been asked every summer how to store an RV in hot weather.

If you are like me, you are wondering why anyone would want to store their RV in the summer months. The answer is snowbirds.

Snowbirds are people who live in the colder northern areas of the US or Canada. Each winter, they descend upon warmer states like Florida, Texas, and Arizona to avoid the cold winters.

Some of these snowbirds choose to leave their RV in these warmer states so they don’t have to transport it twice a year for hundreds of miles.

Susan and I have plenty of experience storing our rig in hot weather. We aren’t snowbirds, but we do fly home to see our family every few months, and we leave our rig wherever we are. Sometimes, we are in warm weather areas, and we have to store our rig in hot weather.

So, we created this article to share our experience and share some great tips about how to store your RV in hot weather.

These steps, laid out below in this article, will help ensure that you store the RV properly so you can avoid the wasted time and expense that come with the problems of improper storage.

We broke down our tips for storing your RV in hot weather into 4 main categories:

1. Sun Protection
2. Moisture and Humidity Protection
3. Insect and Rodent Prevention
4. Mechanical Considerations

I. Sun Protection

Exterior Sun Protection

Your RV’s exterior is at risk from continual exposure to sunlight. Fading paint, drying rubber, and cracked vinyl decals all result from the sun causing UV damage, which is one of the biggest reasons an RV loses value.

Over time, the exterior paint becomes compromised, exposing the plastic and metal beneath to the sun and deteriorating. To protect your RV, you need to protect it from the sun. Below are some great tips to prevent sun damage to your RV.

We have an entire article devoted to properly cleaning the exterior of your RV so you will know which products work best on all the different parts of your RV. 

1. Clean and Wax the Exterior

Before storing your RV, you should thoroughly wash and wax the exterior. Cleaning the RV will prevent abrasive dirt or sand from eroding the surface, and waxing will seal the surface.

Plastic parts on your RV’s exterior are equally vulnerable when it comes to sunlight. Parts like bumpers, fenders, mirror covers, roof ladders, and roof racks are often overlooked when it comes to protecting an RV, but will also fade over time.

We clean and wax the exterior of our RVs ourselves but there are plenty of RV detailing services you can hire. Just check with your campground office and they can tell you where to find these services.

2. Use an RV Cover

One of the best ways to protect against sun damage is to cover the RV with a waterproof, breathable anti-UV cover while it is stored. Just as clothing ensures you don’t get sunburned, a cover will keep UV rays away from your RV. And because sun damage can occur at any time, you may want to consider an RV roof cover, which will protect the motorhome or trailer while you’re parked on site.

3. Find Covered Storage

In our opinion this is one of the most important tips we offer. We always try to find covered storage when we store our RV in hot weather for a number of reasons.

Covered storage is the best solution because it reduces the amount of UV rays that deteriorate your roof over time. UV rays also cause the caulk on your roof to deteriorate, too!

We can also open our roof vents under covered storage, which allows for proper ventilation without worrying about water getting in through the roof vents.

We have also found that many covered storage units offer electricity. This allows us to keep a fan grinning inside our RV to keep the air moving.

4. Use an Indoor Storage Facility

The very best and most expensive option for protection against the elements is to store the RV in an indoor storage facility. Not only will your RV be protected from sunlight but also from the negative effects of heat buildup.

We looked into indoor storage, and the cost was around $500 a month. For some folks, this is totally worth it to keep their RV in an air-conditioned environment.

5. Driveway Storage

Some folks are lucky enough to be able to store their RV right in their driveway. It is definitely the most economical storage option. We store our Class C RV in our driveway. It’s great because we can keep an eye on things.

But there are many questions that need to be addressed before you decide to store there. Check out our article Can I Park an RV in My Driveway for more info on the subject.

Interior Sun Protection

In addition to the sun causing damage to the exterior of the RV, it can also be very damaging to the interior of the RV. Although you may not get direct sunlight inside the RV, it will be exposed to extreme temperatures. So take the following precautions.

6. Cover All Windows

Your RV’s dashboard is exposed to considerable heat and sunlight that is intensified by the windshield. The dash can become faded and/or crack under continuous exposure to heat and sun. It is best to use a windshield cover in addition to covering the entire RV.

Close all of the blinds and curtains in your RV to prevent any sunlight from entering the RV, which will help keep the RV’s temperature down. Covering all of the windows with room darkening shades or curtains will prevent any wood or plastic finishes from fading and cracking. It will also reduce fading of the upholstery, couches, beds, carpet, and flooring materials.

7. Clean and Condition

In addition to covering all of the windows, you should clean and condition all of the materials that are susceptible to drying, fading and cracking. This includes the dashboard, leather seats, upholstery, flooring, and wood or plastics. Conditioning all of these items will prevent them from sun and heat damage.

II. Moisture and Humidity Protection

Moisture can work for you or against you when storing your RV. For example, if you store your RV in a humid environment like Florida, you will need to decrease the humidity inside the RV as much as possible.

This will help to prevent mold and mildew from growing inside your RV. However, if you store your RV in a dry heat environment like Arizona, you may need to increase the humidity inside the RV to keep wood and other finishes from drying out and cracking.

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8. Increase The Humidity

If you store the RV in a very dry climate, place a 5-gallon bucket of water in the center of the RV. This will put enough moisture in the air to prevent the wood from drying and cracking. Be sure to open all cabinet and closet doors so the humidity is even throughout the entire RV.

9. Decrease The Humidity

If you live in a moist, warm climate, use DampRid or place a bucket or two of charcoal or silica gel packets throughout the RV to absorb the moisture from the air. This will help to prevent mold and mildew growth inside the RV. Be sure to open all cabinet and closet doors to prevent humidity from being trapped in those areas.

10. Ventilation

It is important to allow for adequate airflow throughout the RV. This is accomplished by opening the air vents slightly. You want them to be open enough for air to circulate but not so much that rain leaks into the RV. This is why we recommend covered storage, as we discussed above.

11. Drain All of the Holding Tanks

We used to recommend draining your black grey and fresh water tanks when you store and RV in hot weather. But we learned that this was incorrect.

Now we recommend that you empty your black and grey tanks before storing your RV. But you need to add about 5 gallons of clean water into the tanks before you store it so you don’t dry our all the rubber seals in the plumbing system.

To keep the water in the tanks from growing mold or being used as a water source for insects, we learned to add Pine-Sol into the tanks. Pine-Sol creates a toxic environment that deters mold and insects.

We do empty our fresh water tank completely when we store our RV in hot weather.

PRO TIP: Be sure to properly flush your black and grey tanks prior to storage to avoid a build up of sludge. You can check out our article called RV Black Water Tank and Sensor Cleaning Tips and also watch our video below to learn the perfect method to clean your black and gray water tanks and their sensors.

III. Insect and Rodent Prevention

It is important to prevent insects and rodents from entering the RV while it is stored. Once a few are inside, they breed rapidly, and you could come back to an infestation the following season. Infestations typically require a pest control professional’s help and that can be expensive. A few simple steps prior to storage can prevent this costly problem.

12. Clean The RV

Thoroughly clean the RV and remove all food and water sources prior to storage. Even the smallest crumbs can attract insects and rodents like mice. Take the time to clean everything so you don’t attract any unwanted guests.

13. Eliminate Standing Water

Completely defrost your fridge and empty your ice maker and any water in the refrigerator. Check for any other areas where water has collected. Insects need water to survive so be sure to eliminate any water inside the RV.

Here’s a tip you won’t hear about very often: We discovered that our fridge has a drip tray to catch condensation. We ensured that we dried the drip tray to eliminate that water source.

14. Plug Sink Drains and Cover Shower Drains

Plumbing is a source of standing water in an RV because there is water in the sink and shower traps. Place plugs in the sinks and covers over all shower drains and close the toilet seats.

15. Place Screens on Exterior Vents

RV roof and exterior vents are typically covered with screens. But the screens used in these vents will not keep out smaller varieties of insects. Charcoal Fiberglass Small Insect Screen is a finer mesh that protects against no-see-ums, gnats, sand flies and other tiny insects common in low, marshy and coastal areas. Installing this type of screen will prevent insects of all types and sizes from entering your RV.

16. Inspect Underneath the RV

Inspect the underside of the RV and look for any areas that could allow insects to enter. Seal any cracks or open areas with foam sealant. Also, inspect door frames, window frames, and slide seals and replace any that are deteriorating. Also, try to avoid parking your RV over an area that will hold water.

17. Cover Fridge, Furnace and Water Heater Vents

Insects are attracted to the odorant that is added to propane or LP gas. To prevent mud daubers and wasps from building nests in and around your gas appliances, first, turn off the propane and then cover the refrigerator vent, the furnace vent, and the water heater vent.

18. Use Insect and Rodent Prevention Methods

The best option to kill any insects that do enter your RV is to spread Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth inside the RV in areas where insects congregate such as entry doors, under cabinets and inside any crevices. Food Grade DE kills insects at their source and is non-toxic to humans, which is why I recommend it over Borax powder, which is toxic to humans.

RELATED READING: Check out our article called  7 Incredibly Effective Home Remedies Ridding Your RV of Ants for more info.

Other preventative measures to keep insects and rodents out are to spread mothballs, pieces of Irish Spring Soap, dryer sheets, or cotton balls with Lavender or Tea Tree Oil around the RV.

I also recommend placing some mothballs under the hood in the engine compartment to keep rodents from nesting there. If you have electricity in the RV while it is being stored, you can install ultrasonic devices that ward off insects and rodents. I have personally used all of these methods with success.

IV. Mechanical Considerations

19. Take Care of the Tires

Any time an RV sits idle, the tires can develop flat spots. The longer it sits and the hotter it is, the worse it gets. The vast majority of tires on RVs are steel-belted radials, and although steel belts offer a high degree of strength, they cause tires to flatten out over time.

The best solution for this is to have someone move your RV from time to time. Otherwise, place pieces of plywood under the tires. Make sure the wood is wider than the tire and that no part of the tire hangs over the edge of the plywood.

Use tire covers to prevent the tires from becoming dry-rotted from sun exposure. If you don’t have tire covers for your RV, you can wrap a tarp around the tires and use a bungee cord to hold the tarps in place, but tire covers are the best bet.

20. Batteries

In order to keep the batteries from completely draining be sure to turn off or disconnect every electrical element in the RV. If you have electricity available during storage, you could use a battery tender to keep the batteries charged. If you have someone close by who can keep an eye on your RV have them start your RV up a few times each month and allow it to run for several minutes to recharge the batteries.

21. Ensure Leveling Jacks Are Down

If your RV has leveling jacks, be sure to put them down. If you’re storing your motorhome or trailer on grass or a dirt surface, you’ll also want to use pads under the jacks to prevent them from sinking into the ground.

22. Fill the Fuel Tank and Add Stabilizer

If you store your RV for more than a month in hot weather, you’ll need to fill the fuel tank and add a fuel stabilizer. The fuel stabilizer will prevent the fuel from deteriorating and causing problems for your engine. After adding the stabilizer, run both the engine and the generator to make sure the stabilizer spreads through the entire fuel system.

23. Turn Off the Propane System

To prevent insects, as discussed above, and for safety reasons, you must shut off your propane tank.

24. Anti-Theft Protection

Install good locks to prevent theft. Everyone knows that the storage compartment key for any RV will unlock the storage compartment in every other RV. So, my storage compartment key can most likely open your storage compartment. Replace the storage compartment locks or remove all of your valuable items from the storage compartments prior to storing the RV. You may want to consider chaining the wheels as well if you are storing a travel trailer.

25. Miscellaneous Mechanical Items While in Storage

Clean the air conditioner filters and cover the air conditioner.
Turn off the main breaker and unplug all appliances.
Remove the batteries in clocks, flashlights, and other items so they don’t corrode.

What To Do When You Get Ready To Get Back On The Road

As a general rule, check three things: the battery, anything rubber (serpentine belt, tires), and the fluids (oils, coolant). Various belts and wires can get corroded if not used over a long period. Bring jumper cables and a couple of quarts of motor oil in case the battery has died or you had an oil leak. Test the brakes before you get going, as they can lock up over time.

RELATED READING: It’s also imperative that you sanitize your freshwater tank after storing your RV. To learn if sanitizing your fresh water tank with Vinegar really works check out our article Is It Safe To Sanitize Your RV Water Tank With Vinegar? I guarantee you will learn something new.

Final Thoughts about How to Store Your RV in Hot Weather

I hope you found this article helpful to protect your RV while storing it in a very hot climate. Hopefully, you won’t need to spend much time preparing it for summer storage but if you do you will be as prepared as possible.

Thanks for reading this article! Do you have any advice about storing an RV in hot weather you would like to share? Please share your comments below!

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