Cargo trailer storage

[MegC]

Just wondering if anyone here just parks a trailer out in the open. Unfortunately we don't have a shop/garage and at the rate this economy is 'improving' I think it will be years from now before we have that kind of scratch. Hoping I'm not nuts for thinking we can just leave it out and shovel snow off if it gets too deep... I see a lot of snomo trailers out here that seem to live that way, so....

FYI those tarp covered shelters aren't an option. 55+mph gusts measured at the local airport with 80mph clocked on the ridges around here just the other day, and I'm looking at wind turbines going up on a nearby hill off the front porch.

[GPW]

From what we gather Cargo trailers seem to do well outside .

[pete42]

I would think that most CT's are stored outside Tear-drops I think most would be inside.

[ho-do]

Hello,

Some cargo trailers like mine have several seams with rivets on the roof. When we got ours, the seams were covered with some type of caulk. We currently have it stored under a carport type structure attached to our garage. But I plan to do to it what I did to our old RV.

We used to have a regular all-aluminum RV called an AVION. It, too, had roof seams with rivets. I found that after time (our unit was a 1987), some of these roof seams started letting some rain into the rig.

So I sealed all the seams with a tape called Eternabond. Really worked geat, but expensive at $2 per foot for 6" wide roll. I always recommend Eternabond tape. If your CT does not have a seamed roof, might only be necessary along the perimeter of the roof.

[kstephenson]

Here is where I store mine.... along with my bass boat. Keeps it protected.

[GPW]

Kevin , once again Thanks !!! That Eternabond seems to be the answer to a lot of leak problems .... and not nearly as expensive as having a dealer re-caulk ...

[MegC]

Good to hear. The only trailers I'll be in the market for will have a one piece aluminum roof anyway.

I've seen those little metal roof carports around locally so they can work, but they're usually tucked in away from the prevailing wind. Not sure if we could tie one down sufficiently without pouring a slab since we don't really have an area with enough protection.

[GPW]

Cargo trailers , unlike most other trailers , seem to do very well outside in the weather .... Like Cars, trucks , etc which are actually designed to stay outside ... Odd that most commercial travel trailers/coaches require extensive and expensive maintenance if they live outside ... I've NEVER inspected my cars or pickup truck roofs every couple months to see if they were leaking ... One can only conclude that the commercial RVs/ trailers were either poorly/cheaply designed , or designed that way on purpose to provide a continuing market (income) for factory parts and dealers ..
Cargo trailers were designed as Work trailers , and if they performed as poorly as the Travel units , nobody would ever buy them ... After Katrina, there are thousands of cargo trailers in use here, by builders, contractors , plumbers, electricians , etc. and all of them seem to survive extremely well sitting outside , and loaded with tools and materials All the time ... After talking to every cargo trailer owner I come into contact with ... All seem perfectly happy with their units and report No problems ... When I talk to commercial RV/TT owners all they do is groan and roll their eyes ... about how difficult it is to keep their units from falling apart /leaking, and how ridiculously expensive the continuous repairs are ... especially if stored outside... There's a huge indoor storage facility near me , and its full of RVs and travel trailers .. Not one Cargo trailer in sight .. That sorta tells it all ...
Used cargo trailers are rare as hen's teeth , while RV's and TT's are for sale everywhere... and at much depreciated prices... usually due to repair issues...
From what I've learned , teardrops , which are lovingly constructed works of Art, should be stored under some type of shelter/garage ... for best longevity ... Cargo trailers do fine out in the open .... Commercial travel trailers ... forget that!!! ... just a big waste of money ... Lots of money ...


After trying everything , it's a cargo trailer for me for maximum practicality and minimum maintenance/ expense !!!! ... although I wouldn't mind making another TD , just for the Fun of it ...only after I free up some garage space to store it inside ...