I asked this question on another forum and the most helpful response i got was from Bill H. (thanks Bill.)
We would like to winter in the Quartzsite/Brenda Arizona area and leave the RV and some other toys there during the summer months. My worry is what will the summer heat do to things left in that HOT climate.
Our things would be fairly safe as they would be in a park and i'm sure someone might look in on things from time to time for us. the toys would be in a storage shed on the lot and the Barth and jeep exposed to the elements.
I didn't realize so many of you are from or in the arizona area till Dave posted the picture of his beautiful dog?
Thanks,
Mike

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mike foster
83-35' regency 8.2 detroit towing 98 cherokee classic 4x4

Mike i will check with the lady we are renting our lot from....she should know what is best. Maybe a couple of milk jugs of water left inside with the caps off, keeps the wood from drying out too much and cracking. Also windshield screens to help cut down the heat buildup...in fact cover all the windows if possible or use a car/rv cover and leave the vents on your dash open in both rigs so if you do have a lot of heat buildup you won't have a window blow out. Also cover all tires to protect from uv rays and although probably not needed here you might want to put a few fabric softner sheets in the engine,storage and passenger compartments so that you won't come back and find any rodents have taken up residence and done damage. Also make sure all of your water lines are empty and dry! Last year we thought we had a leak in our tank so we did not use it for four months till we got to a place where we could take everything out to fix it, (found out it was ok after all but that is another story) but did find out that the water that had been sitting in the lines turned very nasty....came out black and stunk, had to clorinate very heavily several times and flush ....and flush...and flush. Took a long time to get it not to taste or smell. Also i would try to make sure your propane tanks are off and as empty as possible. Leave baking soda in the fridge and freezer for oders. And you might want to take the batteries out....no corrosion or chance of a short happening ,(see part about rodents) and starting a fire , and unless they are new the heat will take their toll on them anyway. Thats all i can think of right off the top of my head...Bill H had a unit near Blyth for years so i am sure he can tell you first hand what to do.

Oops, see you already talked to Bill.

We had a park model trailer anchored in Indio, CA from 1980 to 1996, a place as hot as Quartzsite, or hotter. We left a car there for several years too.

Candles will melt, your undies and anything else with elastic will die in a year. Anything rubber deteriorates faster than it does in a colder climate. Tires should definitely be insulated from concrete, have the load removed, and be covered. There are two schools of thought on whether to partially deflate them, as well.

You're probably safe for a season or two with normal storage procedures, but longer than that, you need special care for the tires particularly.

It helps to provide some air circulation through the rig as well, but there's disagreement on that subject too. Some say that air circulation just makes it harder to clean when you return in the Fall.

My intuition says the structure soaks up more radiant heat than the air contains, that cooler is better than hotter, and some circulation will keep it cooler.

Bottom line - hot climates are hard on vehicles and people, and both do better when properly protected. Lots of people leave their rigs there over the winter.

BTW - Brenda is one of our favorite places, especially the Black Rock Cafe.

P.S. Shadow got in while I was typing this. His advice is all good, too. Don't know why I didnt mention it myself, except I was down there so long I guess I thought everybody knew.

There's 2 schools of thought on the water jug advice, too, Some say it doesn't make any difference. On balance, overkill is probably better, but don't sent your water containers on carpet - they'll leave a permanent impression - or anything that will stain.

By all means, blow out your water lines, and disconnect the water supply, Been there, done that on the bad taste problem.



[This message has been edited by olroy (edited March 13, 2005).]

I'm thinking of some more things now ...............A small solar panel will keep your battery up. Or remove it and take it with you and keep it on a trickle charger or maintainer.

Spices will go flat, so take them with you.

Jack the axles to relieve the tires, and drop the pressure to half.

Bubble foil is the best window covering. A piece cut just right will be a press fit. It is also really good on cold nights.

After a mouse occupation, I started leaving blue mouse bars out. The poison makes them want water, and go somewhere to drink before they die. If you do leave water out, be sure it is in mouse-proof vessels. If you leave blankets, store them in overhead bins. We had a really nice blanket ruined by mice stealing nest material.

I never put out water, and noticed no deterioration of the already crappy Fleetwood cabinets.

Put black tape over key slots to keep wind driven dust out.

The sun will deteriorate the part of your awning next to the coach, so paint it with white roof paint. I like Liquid Rubber or Liquid Roof.

Speaking of roof paint, a good coat can really make a difference in heat absorbtion. My wife was inside while I was on the roof painting. As I was nearly done, she stuck her head outside and was surprised to see the sun shining. The fresh roof paint had actually cooled the coach off enough that she thought the sun had clouded over.

Set off a bug bomb when you leave. Set one off shortly after you arrive.

You might want to put a fuel stabalizer in your fuel tanks and run the engines for a while so when you come back you don't find jelly in your lines.(don't forget about your generator). Once we hit Texas on the way back here i spent most of the time trying to remember if i had done that to the car and truck i have in storeage....and didn't know for sure until i got back to them, (i did). Also if you are worried about the engine cylinder walls rusting from sitting you can put a little straight 10 wt motor oil down the carb while it is running and shut it down when it starts smoking....guy on one of the bus boards claims it will protect for up to 2 years of sitting. Be advised that if you leave windows or roof vents cracked open you may have problems with dust or rain....Az does get monsoons in the summer....don't know how much rain or how often here in Yuma but up in Strawberry it was part of every day for a month or two.