If you are interested in vehicle shipping, or you are simply considering storing your car for some time for whatever reason, you must be interested in what methods should you use in order to preserve the car’s functionality, look and value while it is in storage, not being used. Cars are complex machines and a lot of things can go wrong when they are idle, almost as much as when they are in use. That is why we listed these guidelines for storing cars to help you out. Let us begin!
The kind of storage you will need
So, first and foremost, if you are cargo shipping to Saudi Arabia and need a shortstop, or if you are long-term storing your car, you still need to follow some basic rules. Cars require a lot of care and perfect conditions, and that is exactly why we will cover what factors you should look for in your car storage.
- Enclosed – Cars are not meant to be left outside. Exposed to the elements for any, even short amount of time will leave your car with steadily increasing consequences. Especially so if not driven often.
- Climate-controlled – To prevent freezing of oil or high humidity, our guidelines for storing cars will definitely recommend you invest in climate-controlled storage.
- Well protected – Finally, make sure that you protect the storage from any kind of vermin. Insects and rodents are a piece of very bad news. Therefore, before leaving the car in storage, clean your car and inspect it regularly for any traces of critters activity.
Maintenance guidelines for storing cars
Now that we have covered what kind of storage should you use for your car, be it that you are storing it or waiting for shipping it with the help of cargo companies in Kuwait. Now the other part comes in. Cars require maintenance even when in storage. That is why you will need to know everything there is to know about making sure your car stays functional while in storage, and that it also keeps its value.
So first and foremost, make sure you prevent rust on the unpainted metal surfaces. That should be done by applying a coat of rust inhibitor substances. Furthermore, protect the painted areas as well. Remove salt and dirt and apply a coat of vax before you store it.
Also take care of the battery, as it can either die a silent death or even explode. That is why you should hook up your battery to a charger.
Also, do not forget to care about the oil. If you are storing your car for a longer period of time, make sure you use corrosion protection oil.
Advantage of climate-controlled storage units
Storage in which you will place your car matters a lot, we have already established that. However, we will further emphasize just how much climate-controlled storages make a difference. These types of storage are not as common as the regular ones but are crucial if you want to store your care for any amount of time whatsoever.
As we explained, moisture can expedite rusting, cold can induce freezing and high temperatures generally can invite a lot of critters inside and around your car. That is exactly why you should choose a climate-controlled solution. That way you can make sure that the storage unit will self-regulate its heat and moisture levels, preventing any kind of damage from occurring to the car in terms of rust, freezing, etc.
And, of course, you should definitely store your care in safe storage. Cars are, as you no doubt are aware of, very expensive property and burglars would be happy to get their hands on any car they can, or at least its parts. That is why you should also place great emphasis on car protection.
What not to do
Don’t store anything else in your car. Car is not a good storage place unto itself. Due to its shape, temperatures inside, and its general construction it should not be a holding place for any type of technology, furniture, food, clothes, etc.
Especially don’t store documents. Valuable documents, as well as car documents, should be either with you at all times or stored separately. That way you avoid any loss or damage to valuable documentation.
Taking the car out of storage after a long time
Finally, when the long-term storage of your car is done, you should make sure it works. Inspect the oil, search for rust and check the battery. After that, make a thorough examination of the interior, in order to locate any pest.
Make sure to thoroughly clean your car in order to make it both presentable and in order to thoroughly look over all parts of the car itself. After that, check the engine (outside of the storage, of course) and drive slow at first, checking the pedals.
Shipping a car
The same rules from our guidelines for storing cars apply when you try to ship them. Don’t put anything inside them, and don’t try to do it in the type of transportation that would not accommodate the car.
There are many car transport services around the country and you can hire them to move your vehicle while you fly or go by some other means of transportation. However, shipping a car can be expensive and you should be aware of additional paperwork, including insurance, that you should get.
In summary
In the end, we will just remind you of the one major premise of our guidelines for storing cars. Cars always, always require maintenance. It does not matter if you use them or not. Like musical instruments, they want to be used, and complex systems that make this machine functional will breakdown from under usage as often as they do from over-usage. So be sure to take care of your car. Out of sight should not be out of mind.