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Michelle and I are weekend campers which means our travel trailer sits in storage about 4 months during winter. The first year we just parked it and walked away. Bad idea. Spring revealed mouse damage, flat-spotted tires, and a musty smell that took weeks to air out.

Now we have a system. Heres the checklist we follow every November.

Clean it. Top to bottom. Wipe down every surface, vacuum the floors, clean the fridge and leave it propped open. Mice are attracted to crumbs and forgotten food. Remove ALL food. Even canned goods — freeze/thaw cycles can burst cans.

Winterize the plumbing. Drain everything and pump RV antifreeze through the system. Even if you store it in a heated building, temperatures can drop unexpectedly. Better safe than frozen pipes.

Disconnect the battery. Either remove it completely and store it inside (ideal) or at minimum disconnect the negative terminal and put it on a trickle charger. A dead battery in spring is annoying and potentially expensive.

Tire care. Inflate to max PSI listed on the sidewall. If possible, put tire covers on to block UV. Some people put plywood under the tires to prevent flat spots — we do this and I think it helps.

Cover or seal openings. Mice can squeeze through a hole the size of a dime. Check every exterior gap, pipe opening, and vent. We stuff steel wool in gaps and put mesh covers on vent pipes. Also put out a few mouse deterrent pouches inside.

Propane. Turn off tanks. Some people disconnect them entirely. We just make sure the valves are fully closed.

Cover the rig. If its stored outside, a good RV cover protects against UV, rain, and tree debris. Not cheap but cheaper than repainting faded sidewalls.

Takes us about half a day to prep for storage. Spring uncover takes about an hour. Worth every minute to avoid those first-year surprises.