Covered vs. enclosed RV storage: which does your rig need?

If your RV gets used most weekends, a covered space is usually enough. The roof takes the direct sun, the hail and most of the rain, which is where the expensive damage starts. If it’s going to sit for a season or longer, or it has an interior and a finish you’d hate to redo, an enclosed space earns its keep. Open parking is the value option for trailers, work trucks and boats that come and go all the time.

That’s the short version. Here’s what’s behind it.

What a Texas summer does to a parked rig

A parked RV doesn’t wear out the way a driven one does. It bakes. Sun and heat go to work on the same few places every time:

• The roof. Roof membranes chalk and thin under constant sun, and the sealant around vents, skylights and seams dries out and cracks. That’s how water gets in, and water is what turns a cosmetic problem into a structural one.
• Tires. Sidewalls crack from the sun long before the tread wears down, especially on a rig that sits.
• Gelcoat, decals and paint. Fiberglass oxidizes into a dull, chalky finish, and graphics fade and peel.
• Awnings and seals. Awning fabric fades and weakens, and the rubber seals around slide-outs and doors go stiff.
• The inside. Dashboards, upholstery and window shades fade through the windshield, and a closed-up coach gets far hotter inside than the air around it.

Add spring storms and the odd hailstorm, and a rig parked in the open for months takes a beating it never would on the road.

Open, covered and enclosed: the honest version

Open spaces are marked spaces inside the gate. They’re the value option, and plenty for anything that moves often: a utility trailer, a work truck, a boat you launch most weekends. The trade-off is that whatever’s parked there takes the weather head-on.

Covered spaces put a roof over the rig: a steel canopy, open on the sides. That roof handles the overhead sun, the hail and most of the rain, which protects the roof, the awning and the top of the coach — the parts that cost the most to fix. The sides are open, so low afternoon sun and wind-driven rain still reach the walls and tires. Covered spaces come in the 40-foot length.

Enclosed spaces are fully enclosed drive-up units with their own door. The rig is out of the weather and out of sight, which is as close to a garage as most people can get. Enclosed spaces come in 30, 35 and 40-foot lengths.

When covered is enough

Covered storage makes the most sense when:

• You use the RV often, so it never sits long enough for slow damage to add up.
• The roof and seals are in good shape and you keep up with them.
• Your rig fits a 40-foot space.
• You want a roof overhead and don’t mind open sides.

Tire covers are worth it under a canopy, since tires are where low sun still reaches.

When enclosed is worth it

Pay for walls and a door when:

• The rig will sit for a season or more. Slow damage adds up when nobody’s looking.
• It has an interior or finish you care about: newer upholstery, wood cabinetry, a paint job that cost real money.
• It’s a boat with electronics, upholstery and canvas that the sun goes after.
• You’d rather it be out of sight. A closed door keeps curious eyes off the gear inside.
• It’s shorter than 40 feet and you want a space sized closer to it.

Measure before you choose

Measure bumper to bumper, then add a couple of feet. Hitches, ladders, swing-away carriers and A-frames all count, and they’re what people forget. As a rough guide:

• Up to 30 feet: bass and bay boats on trailers, pop-ups, teardrops and utility trailers.
• Up to 35 feet: most bunkhouse travel trailers, car haulers and enclosed cargo trailers.
• Up to 40 feet: full-size fifth wheels, Class A motorhomes and big offshore boats on tandem trailers.

If you’re between lengths, go up. Backing a fifth wheel into a space that’s exactly its length, at dusk, is nobody’s idea of fun.

Before you park it for the season

Whichever kind of space you choose, a little prep goes a long way:

1. Empty the tanks. Tenants have a dump station on site, so you can do it on the way in.
2. Clear out all food and prop the fridge door open so it doesn’t sour.
3. Check the roof and seals, and fix small cracks before they let water in.
4. Look after the battery so it isn’t dead when you come back for it.
5. Cover the tires if they’ll see any sun.
6. Ask the office about fuel and propane rules for stored vehicles.

The rig also needs to be registered, insured and operable. Your gate code works around the clock, so an early start on the first morning of a trip is never a problem.

The short answer

Covered protects the parts that cost the most to fix, and it’s enough for a rig you use often. Enclosed is for long stays, nice interiors and anything you’d rather keep out of sight. You can compare all three, with every space size, on our RV and boat storage page. And if part of the job is household gear rather than the rig, the storage unit sizes are laid out the same way.