Howdy, and welcome to Texas. With tons of campgrounds, it’s an RV lover’s dream. And nothing’s more Lone Star State than San Antonio. If you ascribe to the belief that everything’s bigger in Texas, then chances are your RV or boat is going to follow suit. While RVs and boats are a great way to experience the state’s mountains and coastline, they can end up causing some problems once vacation is over and it’s time to head back to the city. Whether you can’t park it in front of where you live or you just don’t want to, we’ve got you covered on what you need to know about RV and boat storage in San Antonio.
It’s Tough to Find
We’re not telling you it’s impossible to store your RV, boat or car in San Antonio. There are
more than 200 storage facilities in town, so there have got to be a few solid places to store that extra vehicle, right? Less than a quarter of those facilities
offer this type of storage. While you can certainly count on paying for a long term parking spot in the city, this is less than ideal as it's the most expensive option. If you tend to use your RV or boat seasonally (as in traveling all summer in your RV and returning to San Antonio in the winter), you’re probably thinking of only paying for a storage space during the time in which it’ll actually be occupied. This totally makes sense, but it’s actually not the best course of action in San Antonio. We chatted with several facilities and they all agreed that it’s actually not a bad idea to rent an RV or boat storage space year round even if you’re only using it half the time. Because of the sparse availability of this type of storage and the Texas-sized popularity of RVing and boating, if you can grab a storage spot at a great rate, you’ll most likely end up saving money as a result because you’ll never be forced to pay for expensive parking. Not to mention, you’ll have the peace of mind that comes from knowing that you’ve got a place to park your RV or boat. We think that’s something that makes every vacation even more relaxing.
San Antonio Weather and Storage
Living in San Antonio, you know that all of those Californians who complain about the heat where they live are just plain wrong. There’s nothing quite like that Texas humidity. You already know that finding an RV or boat storage space is a challenge. Finding one that’s covered? Even harder (and even more expensive). This means that if you’re keeping your vehicle in storage, it’s most likely not going to be the type that offers a lot of protection from the elements. Don’t think that you can’t store your RV or boat as a result of this. Just plan on giving it a little extra love. If you’ve ever
winterized your RV or
boat, you’re going to apply a lot of the same basic ideas when it comes to preparing for the humidity, heat and rain (San Antonio gets 31 inches a year). Make sure your RV or boat is clean both inside and out and remove anything that’s temperature sensitive. Don’t forget to look in your RV’s fridge! The biggest threat to your RV or boat is going to be the humidity, as moisture is a destructive force that can cause mold, rotting and, for lack of a better term, ickiness. Keep things sealed to prevent wet air from getting in and place baking soda around the inside of your vehicle to absorb any moisture. If you can remove cushions and store them at your home or inside a
climate controlled storage unit, this will help too.
Security and RV and Boat Storage
Because most storage units in San Antonio for RVs, boats and cars are more like parking spaces than enclosed garages, you’ll want to pay extra special attention to the type of security that your facility of choice offers. Facilities like
Alamo Mini Storage utilize cameras 24 hours a day. This is a great thing to look for, so in addition to asking your facility manager about features like this, pay attention when you walk around the property yourself. Do you actually see cameras and if so, is there one pointing at your storage spot? Is the property well lit? What about fences? A storage facility’s fences shouldn’t be easy to get around, and neither should the gate that’s used to access the property. Look for facilities that offer key coded access. Some even offer individual codes rather than one general code that’s used by everyone and can hypothetically be used by former tenants if it hasn’t been changed. Other features to look for include
good locks, a staff that walks the property often and security alarms. Bottom line? When it comes to keeping your RV or boat safe in storage, there’s no such thing as being overly cautious.
