Couple of questions about using car storage

[sato]

I want another car, but have run out of parking.
Car storage is the obvious answer, but I'm not really sure how they work. I know it will vary a bit depending on company but what is the norm?


How does access work - can you only get to your car during working hours?
If you knew you wished to pick it up out of normal hours, would they park it outside or something?

What do you do about the battery? Do most people use a trickle charger, or a booster pack?

Is there anything else I need to consider?

[Captain Muppet]

I stored one of my cars in a barn. I left the battery disconnected, and had a key so I could collect it any time, although collecting it late at night usually lead to a conversation with a man with a big dog who was there to make sure I wasn't taking the wrong thing.

[ADJimbo]

I run a car storage facility for Funeral Hearses and Limousines.

My advice would be to talk to the vendor about what you specifically want, and how you want it to work for you. Your options will depend very much on how long you want to store the vehicle for, and how often you want access to it.

Generally most of the bigger storage companies will work on office hours, or outside of these by appointment.

In terms of battery - we collect and deliver into storage so drain is never an issue for us. We do carry booster packs on site just in case.

[sato]

Yup, will speak to a couple of places and see what they say.

Had n't thought of just disconnecting the battery.

[eltax91]

sato said:

Yup, will speak to a couple of places and see what they say.

Had n't thought of just disconnecting the battery.

Are you going to be regularly requiring access, or is the car being stored to be "layed up". If the former, fit a battery isolator in-line, saves the pain of disconnecting the battery every time you want to use it. Something like this would do, more aesthetically pleasing one's available im sure.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BATTERY-ISOLATOR-CUT-OFF...

[eltax91]

eltax91 said:

sato said:

Yup, will speak to a couple of places and see what they say.

Had n't thought of just disconnecting the battery.

Are you going to be regularly requiring access, or is the car being stored to be "layed up". If the former, fit a battery isolator in-line, saves the pain of disconnecting the battery every time you want to use it. Something like this would do, more aesthetically pleasing one's available im sure.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BATTERY-ISOLATOR-CUT-OFF...

Aha. An even nicer one for under the bonnet.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Battery-Disconnect-Switc...

[sato]

eltax91 said:

Aha. An even nicer one for under the bonnet.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Battery-Disconnect-Switc...

Thanks - not even sure what car I'm getting yet, but will bear these in mind.

[chrisw75]

I've got two of my cars in storage - E-type and a 64 Rover 2000. As they're old cars, the batteries are just disconnected. I know that most of their cars are modern, and they have trickle chargers, depending on the support package you purchase from them.

As it's a secure facility, you can only take the car out with prior arrangement.

[JonnyFive]

PHer just starting up his own business..

http://garaged.com/

[falkster]

Some storage places have strict rules and although you are paying for a service don't expect to be treated like a customer.
I looked into several places a couple of years ago and was surprised by the cost/rules attached to car storage - granted these rules don't apply to all. You have to give 48 hours notice to collect your car - so if the weather is good today you can't take your car for a drive.
You must collect within office hours - but that's when I'm working.
You can't collect/drop off on a weekend.

All for, between, £25 and £40 a week.

[andy-xr]

I had a council garage for a while. Great on price, rubbish on getting power to it. I looked in to yard storage, was about £15/week for open air or £45/week for a container. Again, no guarantee of power and it wasnt really a place to work on cars, just an area to park. I wanted somewhere between the two

[V8RX7]

falkster said:

Some storage places have strict rules and although you are paying for a service don't expect to be treated like a customer.
I looked into several places a couple of years ago and was surprised by the cost/rules attached to car storage - granted these rules don't apply to all. You have to give 48 hours notice to collect your car - so if the weather is good today you can't take your car for a drive.
You must collect within office hours - but that's when I'm working.
You can't collect/drop off on a weekend.

All for, between, £25 and £40 a week.

Obviously it depends where you live but it might be worth approaching farmers.

My Dad had a farm and was regularly approached and we had quite a few stored either outside on the yard or in buildings - no rules on collection etc

[falkster]

V8RX7 said:

Obviously it depends where you live but it might be worth approaching farmers.

My Dad had a farm and was regularly approached and we had quite a few stored either outside on the yard or in buildings - no rules on collection etc

I'm fully sorted now, I have a friend that has sites on industrial estates and he has a semi vacant 40,000 sq ft unit.
He's more of a petrol head then me and he's such a nice guy we store our cars there for nothing, my mate works on the guys cars when he needs and he has had two ramps fitted, 2 post and 4 post!!
It's like Xmas everyday!!

Edited by falkster on Saturday 5th January 10:56