CarNucopia Posted October 31, 2019 Share Posted October 31, 2019 I bought an ATC enclosed trailer a few months ago and will be storing it outdoors in the winter wonderland of Wisconsin. Is there any advice you can give me on things I should do to better protect it from the elements? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edinmass Posted October 31, 2019 Share Posted October 31, 2019 Drive it up on some 2x12’s to get the tires off the ground. Jack the front end up as high as possible to help the roof drain as well as possible. Some people put a tight fitting tarp over the top............not sure how effective it is......all roofs are a pain in the axx and leak after a few years, you have to stay on top of them. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trimacar Posted November 1, 2019 Share Posted November 1, 2019 Interesting, just had a trailer tire conversation with a friend today. My opinion is that I'd rather the tires be on soft earth, the ground will conform somewhat to tire shape. With tire on a hard surface, a flat spot could develop. Jacking the front up or down for drainage is a good point..... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
39BuickEight Posted November 1, 2019 Share Posted November 1, 2019 I’ve always heard to get tires off the ground and that 2x lumber was perfect for that. Wood is a great insulator between the ground and rubber. Just something I’ve always heard and done. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edinmass Posted November 1, 2019 Share Posted November 1, 2019 Leaving a trailer on the dirt for the winter they will often sink in quite a bit. They can be hard to pull out even empty. That’s from experience and needing four wheel drive to pull them out on a flat yard. Also keeps the tires from rotting as fast. Radial tires won’t get flat spots. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlier Posted November 1, 2019 Share Posted November 1, 2019 (edited) I have a stone area on the side of my house where I park my trailer. I park the trailer tires on 2x12s year round on top of the stone and have done so for 12+ years. No flat spots on the tires in all that time. My trailer's roof is rounded. Just a couple of years after I bought my trailer I applied white Elastomeric Paint on the roof which reflects the sunlight and decreased the temperature inside by 30-40 degrees. The other great thing about this paint is that it seals the roof and it flexes as the roof flexes. 14+ years and no roof leaks. I also use 6"x6" pressure treated lumber stacked 3 high (4-5 feet long) under the tongue area year round. This takes the load off of the tongue jack and pitches the trailer towards the rear to aid the drainage of the roof. I also make sure to remove all the leaves under and around the trailer before the snow comes. A 2-3' tall pile of wet leaves under/around the trailer all winter long is a huge NO-NO for a host of reasons. Most likely you already have tire covers. If not, get yourself a set and use them year round. Before winter I check the pressure in all the tires and make sure they are inflated properly. I installed an electric tongue jack this past spring. Since I did that, I put a 5 gallon bucket over top of the tongue jack and secure it with a bungee cord. Every fall I remove the deep cycle marine battery I use in my trailer for the winch, lights etc, bring it in the house and put it on a Battery Tender. Edited November 1, 2019 by charlier (see edit history) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trulyvintage Posted November 1, 2019 Share Posted November 1, 2019 Pull the tires & put them somewhere else. Theft deterrent. As long as you are not storing a vehicle or something else in the trailer that could be affected by temperature and humidity - you should be ok. In areas that get snow - if you are having a trailer built - get the roof framed on 12” centers for snow load - also get .40 aluminum skin. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarNucopia Posted November 1, 2019 Author Share Posted November 1, 2019 Great advice. Thanks everyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 20, 2020 Share Posted February 20, 2020 (edited) For security, park it up against a tree or other immovable object. Use a tongue lock. Park something in front of it. Remove one tire. Chain it to something. Pray that someone doesn't want to go through all that trouble to steal it. Edited February 20, 2020 by Roger Walling (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArticiferTom Posted February 20, 2020 Share Posted February 20, 2020 I away pick up a thrown recaps along highway . And park on those strips . Does all good things listed above . Also but a covered roof vent and a floor vent in . This improves ventilation to stop painted wood carriages we store in from molding , rusting and shrinking in hot sun . 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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