How do you store your Born Free when not in use?

[stevek]

Just curious....
How do you store your Born Free when not in use?
Like in the summer, under the hot sun?
Garage?
Carport?
Out in the open?
Fabric Cover?
Shade Trees?
You get the idea.
Is it protected from the elements?

How has the weather elements affected the "ware and tear" on your Born Free?
What do you do in the winter?
Thanks

Pics would be nice too. Thanks

[whemme]

I store mine in an unused corner of an aircraft Tee hangar at our airport. I have been doing that for the last 9 years since buying our current Born Free. I have room both for it and also our toad and the cost has been a bargain at only $25/month.

[oliverpsmile]

Indoor - steel building. $50/mo. Use to be in a climate controlled building, but the owner sold the property.

[Steve W]

Inside. Our first Born Free was stored outside in an RV Storage facility here in Chico. Summertime temperatures exceeding 100 degrees are not unusual in Chico but I was under the impression that with a good covering of polish, the gelcoat would not suffer. Oops! After 2 and half years, the luster was gone from the finish. I spent a week with a fiberglass restorer and then polish, finally getting the finish back to normal. It then went inside. Our second Born Free, which we have now had for 7 years has always been stored inside. The finish is great and am still on the original tires, though while I had them inspected carefully at a tire store at the beginning of summer and getting a clean bill of health, I will replace next year. If you can get it inside, I would do so.

[charlesbell]

Steve. Your concern is certainly legitimate, in my opinion. When we invest a small fortune in a new
BF (almost new, in your case) we are rightly concerned about the effect of the elements. I've always
covered or enclosed my motorhomes. I purchased my current primary home specifically for the enclosed RV garage. After purchasing I added a Mitsubishi heat pump as I'm paranoid about the effects of the Florida humidity. So, yes, we spend substantially on the purchase, the use, the maintenance, and the repairs. The life style is costly, but as the saying goes, "You can't take it with you", though my former wife assures me she will bring it

[CuJo's Pride]

Ours is under a Versa Tube car port that will be enclosed on all sides. The tires sit on cement slabs surrounded by pavers. We just had a large garage built last summer and debated about raising it so it could go it but it was to expensive to raise it so we opted the Versa Tube.

[charlesbell]

No, Sam, I'm not in an RV residential community, however, there are two in this Florida county (Brevard). Both are very nice, though different in some respects. The Great Outdoors Resort is BIG and has every type of RV parking/housing arrangements imaginable. It is a self contained, secure community with a bank, post office, non-denominational church, planned activities and an excellent RV repair facility, "Eagle's Pride", (which is open to outsiders, and I recommend). There is also a much smaller, gated community, Willow Lakes. It is perhaps more intimate due to the smaller size. Both The Great Outdoors Resort and Willow Lakes (Google them) are located on the east coast of central Florida, in/near Titusville. The Kennedy Space Center is across the Indian River (and in sight of) Titusville. In my totally prejudiced opinion, Brevard County is an excellent Florida location with undervalued real estate and convenient easy drives to all points in the state. While I have a Northern LESS HUMID summer home, the day will come that I can't travel and need to consolidate my savings. When that time comes I'll be will be full time in Brevard County, Florida.
Also located in Brevard County, Florida, adjoining Port Canaveral (Disney Cruises and others), is Jetty Park. I was camping in Jetty Park in 2006 or 2007 and while on a leisurely bike ride in the City of Cape Canaveral I came upon a cute, modest little 1/2 duplex with an extra adjoining lot, a single car garage AND an RV garage. Architect designed. I've never seen another home quite like it. (I'll try and add a photo in this reply or separately). I thought to myself, "Something like that would be IDEAL"! Long story short, three years later I happened to see the home in a real estate ad in Florida Today newspaper. Located just a few blocks from Port Canaveral, Jetty Park, and the ocean, I went right to work and had the home under contract within 24 hours. It's been "the home of my dreams" ever since and my BF enjoys protected, air conditioned comfort! Good luck on a bicycle ride and cash made it happen.

NOTE: Upside down photo has been correctly posted by website administrator (bradmin-2)

[charlesbell]

A plumber working at my home in Cape Canaveral said in his 16 years of plumbing in Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach he had never fixed a frozen pipe. Nuff said!

[charlesbell]

OOOOPS!!!! The photo I attached is RIGHT SIDE UP on my iPad and UP SIDE DOWN on my I-Mac! Geeez! I have no idea how to correct. Maybe the administrator can do so, or give me 8th grade level instructions. My apologies!!!

[harrisgowing]

Stored our old and new Born Free in a steel pole barn, not climate controlled but this is northern MI so heat isn't a problem. The exterior of our 2004 held up very well. Cost for the 2004 was 50 per month, new one is larger so cost is 75 per month. Climate controlled storage up here for an rv is about 200 per month.

[daryl&mary]

We spend about seven months in AZ (where there is no snow), and the remainder either traveling or in MN (where there are grandkids.) Took a while to arrange our lives that way, but it works for us.

When in AZ, we store under cover in an RV storage place (about $100/mo). Not inside, but in the shade most of the time. When in MN, we store inside a steel building (about $70/month).

After two years of ownership, it looks fine - virtually no "sunburn." But a bigger concern for us is security. Our previous RV (a small travel trailer) was broken into and damaged. Very bad experience with Public Storage after the breakin - had to fly in to secure the trailer as they wouldn't touch it ("insurance concerns.") Happy with our current arrangements, but I'll NEVER use Public Storage for ANYTHING again.

[Nancy]

RV garage attached to the house we built to blend in.

We lived at The Great Outdoors in FL for a little over a year. Mel and Connie owned there too. We have since both sold our places. LOTS of restrictions....and the bank recently left there too. There is another RV community further inland that I can't think of the name right now that was competition to TGO and pointed out they had less restrictions than TGO.