Winter Storage in a non heated garage attached to the house

[C4UC101969]

I am planning on storing my truck through out the winter months in a garage that is attached to my house so it is fairly warm in it in the winter maybe gets down to 30F to 20F at its lowest points, but I do plan on taking it out once in awhile if weather permitting as they are promising snowy and really cold winter this year for us. Is there anything in particular that I should do to it so that there are no problems with it through these cold winter months......I wish I lived down south but unfortunately we here in the north have to deal with white and cold mother nature for next 6 to 7 months at least, unfortunate fact of mother nature. My truck is a stock 69 307 with 4 barrel carb, any suggestions for inside storage and occasional use.

[ho70]

Being in winterpeg....make sure your coolant is good for the cold, put some stabilizer in your full gas tank (for condensation) and unhook your battery.

[clear-lake-gmc]

Originally Posted by ho70

Being in winterpeg....make sure your coolant is good for the cold, put some stabilizer in your full gas tank (for condensation) and unhook your battery.

thats all the points right there maybe rodent proof stuff tin can over exhaust pipe,clog the intake with a rag, bounce sheets in the vehicle seems to deter stuff around here

[Already Gone]

Originally Posted by ho70

Being in winterpeg....make sure your coolant is good for the cold, put some stabilizer in your full gas tank (for condensation) and unhook your battery.

I'm in Saskatoon which gets as cold as Winnipeg. Got my first truck in 2001 and sold it in 2014 and now have another. I've always parked my trucks in a garage for the Winter and the only thing I've ever done different is hook my batery to a " Battey Tender" for the Winter. Just being inside out of the elements is a huge factor in keeping your truck nice. If you do take it out during the Winter make sure you get the engine up to operating temperature for a while before shutting it down again. By the way,

[B. W.]

Add fuel stabilizer to the tank & run it long enough to get through the carb.
you may also want to remove the battery or put a "battery tender" type small charger on it that will keep the battery charged.

With that said, my '79 stays outside with no cover all winter. I don't do anything to it, it always cranks even after sitting for months, even in sub 0° temps. The hardest part is getting all of the snow off so I can drive it.

What ho70 said: check your coolant strength too.

[zosoppp]

Rinse the chassis after driving on previously salted winter roads.

[Coley]

Some good advice here....

When I lived in (Toronto) Ontario I parked/stored my truck in early November in a large, dry (unheated) barn in the Ottawa Valley and left it there until spring (early May).
I just couldn't comprehend driving it in the Ontario winter with the salt on the roads, etc....especially given its nice Texas rust free body.

That said...i agree with the guys here, put some fuel stabilizer in it and make sure you have enough anti-freeze...and I would double check that.
If you want to keep the body from the winter elements I heavily recommend rust-checking it.....its a great investment and amazing piece of mind.

All good
Coley

[sick472]

Around here, further south, some mouse poison would be a good idea to help keep your wiring harness and seats in tact.

[C4UC101969]

Thank you all for your suggestions, I just never stored a vehicle over winter so this is all so new to me......

[Redneck Rydes]

When I store my 1970, I use fuel stabilizer,run it for a bit, remove battery and put where it is warm,and not on concrete, put 4 scab rims and tires on it,mouse proof the garage and se you in April

[Greasey Harley]

1: verify that your coolant is good to -30F
2: Add stabill to your tank--->before you top off
*** If you can't get Non ethanol gas, add Star-tron or similar ethanol treatment when you add the stabil
*** Adding it before you top the tank off helps mix it better.
3: Top off your gas tank, preferably with non ethanol gas.
4: Run the engine long enough to make sure the treated fuel makes it all the way to the carb.
5: Change your oil and filter, and let it run for a few minutes to coat everything with fresh oil. Fresh oil protects better than old oil.
6: Run a grease gun around the truck and make sure everything is properly lubed.
7: (optional) park the truck, remove the air cleaner, start it up and dump a good dose of Fogging oil right down the carb. Fogging oil is cheap insurance. It will smoke a lot. shut it off while it's still smokin' good.
8: Disconnect the battery

I used to be a boat mechanic. This is "basically" how you winterize a boat. I NEVER had a boat damaged during winter storage.

Bonus points:
Stick it up on jack stands, so the tires don't get flat spots (also makes it harder for mice to invade)
Clean it up and wax it.
Hang some Damp-Rid in the cab, to keep it from getting musty smelling.
add a battery tender

[jocko]

Sell your house and move to TX! No garage required
Except for the occasional hail storm that seems to pop up occasionally with zero warning.

Agree with all the above - might also advise adding some mousetraps (unless they all freeze to death up there by Nov..)

[jaros44sr]

I would remove my battery and store and charge it inside

[C4UC101969]

As mentioned earlier thank you all for invaluable input this definitely opened up my mind to storing my truck for the winter, never done it before but I guess there is always a first for everything for all of us.

[davepl]

I'm from Saskatchewan and would take my battery inside if it was going to be parked for a long time.

People would then set them on the basement floor and they'd be dead or go dead over time slowly and that lead to the myth that setting a battery on concrete would deplete it (WTF? how?) and so now people set batteries on wood, but it's not needed.

[C4UC101969]

Originally Posted by davepl

People would then set them on the basement floor and they'd be dead or go dead over time slowly and that lead to the myth that setting a battery on concrete would deplete it (WTF? how?) and so now people set batteries on wood, but it's not needed.

https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/ge...tored-concrete

[Coley]

...whatever you do, don't wash it after driving it in snow/slush and salt then put it in a warm garage.
Very few things kick off the rust as quick and as steadily as that.

Again, I recommend you rust check the heck out of it before driving it in winter conditions....and focus 80% of your efforts on the underside....not the surface paint, which is unfortunately what most people do.

All good
Coley

[northerngmc]

Many good suggestions. One thing to add. I buy Silica Gel cat litter and put a container full in the cab of my truck when they are parked for the season. This absorbs any moisture that may be in there. As air cools down it loses the ability to hold moisture and will leave condensation.

I bought a 12 lb pail for $22 at Canadian Tire. https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/f...1178p.html#srp