The trips wind down, the weather turns, and the boat or caravan ends up parked at the side of the house for months. For most of us that’s autumn through winter, when the rig sits unused while the wet weather has a go at it.
That stretch of downtime is exactly when undercover storage earns its keep. Get it sorted now and your pride and joy comes out clean, dry and ready to go in spring, instead of damp, mouldy and flat-batteried. Here’s how to store a boat or caravan properly over winter, including the part most people get wrong: what size shed you actually need.
Why Winter Is the Time to Get Your Boat or Caravan Undercover
Spring and summer are when the boat and van get used. Winter is when they sit. And a rig that’s sitting still for months is a rig that’s quietly copping damage.
Sun fades and cracks things over summer, sure. But winter brings its own problems. Damp gets into everything. Mould takes hold inside. Seals perish, batteries go flat, and tyres sit in one spot long enough to flat-spot. Park it outside and the weather works on it the whole time you’re not looking.
Getting it undercover before the wet months do their worst is the simplest way to protect what’s usually a serious investment.
What Months in the Open Do to a Parked-Up Rig
If you’ve ever pulled the cover off in spring and found the damage, you know the drill.
The usual suspects from outdoor winter storage:
- Mould and mildew through the interior, on the seats, mattresses and soft furnishings
- Damp getting into cupboards, electrics and timber
- Perished rubber seals around doors, windows and hatches, which then leak
- Flat batteries and flat-spotted tyres from sitting still
- Pests and vermin nesting in a cosy, unattended space
- Fading, chalking and water marks on the exterior
None of it is dramatic on day one. It adds up slowly over a few months of weather, and you cop the bill when something needs replacing or the rig comes out looking tired. Undercover, most of it simply doesn’t happen.
There’s also the security side. A boat or van sitting in the open is an easy target. Behind a locked door, it’s a lot less tempting.
How Big a Shed Do You Need?
This is where people come unstuck. They buy a shed that fits the car, then find the caravan won’t go near it.
Start by measuring your rig, then build in room to move. As a rough guide for caravans in Australia:
- Length: most vans run 6 to 7.5 metres including the drawbar. Allow 8 to 9 metres of shed so the drawbar’s fully covered and you’ve got room to reverse in.
- Width: the average van is around 2.4 metres wide. Go 3.5 to 4 metres wide so you can open the door, walk around it and back it in without stress.
- Height: vans commonly sit 2.7 to 3.2 metres tall once you count the rooftop air-con, solar panels and aerials. Aim for at least 3 metres of clearance through the opening, and 3.6 metres is safer if you can manage it.
Boats vary more, so measure yours on the trailer, including the motor and any tower or canopy. The same rule applies. Find the tallest, longest, widest point and add a buffer.
The big trap is door height versus actual clearance. They’re not the same thing. A standard shed with a 2.4 metre wall might only give you around 2 metres of usable clearance, because the rolled-up door sits below the lintel and the roof pitch eats into the gap. Always work off the real clearance height, not the quoted door size. And if your driveway slopes up into the shed, the back of the van rises as it comes in, so allow even more.
The cheap mistake is building too small. Adding length or height at the design stage costs very little. Adding it later is expensive, or impossible. Measure once, build with room to spare, and leave yourself the option of a bigger rig down the track. And if you’re on the coast or up north, remember a tall roller door catches a lot of wind, so in cyclone-prone areas you’ll want a cyclone-rated shed with wind-rated doors to match.
Lock-Up, Garaport or Carport?
How much protection you want comes down to the structure you choose.
A carport keeps the worst of the weather off but leaves the rig open to wind-driven rain and anyone walking past. Fine for short stints, less ideal for months of winter storage.
An enclosed garage or shed is the full deal. Locked up, weather-tight and out of sight, it protects against both the elements and theft, which is what you want if the rig’s sitting idle for a season.
A garaport splits the difference nicely. You get an enclosed bay to lock the van or boat away, plus an open bay for the car or everyday gear. If you want one structure to do both jobs, it’s a smart setup. Not sure which way to go? Our guide on garaports versus carports breaks it down.
Getting It Ready to Store
A bit of prep before you shut the door makes a big difference.
- Give it a clean and let it dry fully first. Storing it damp is asking for mould.
- Empty the fridge and clear out all food, then leave the fridge door ajar so it doesn’t go musty.
- Pull the battery or put it on a trickle charger so it’s not flat come spring.
- Pump the tyres up and, if you can, take the weight off them or shift the rig now and then so they don’t flat-spot.
- Help airflow inside with a moisture absorber, and crack a roof vent if the shed’s secure, to keep mould down.
- For boats, flush and drain the motor, add fuel stabiliser, and pull the bung so water doesn’t sit in the hull.
Do it once at the start and the rig looks after itself through the cold months.
Room for the Gear, and a Bit to Grow
A shed that fits the boat or van fits a lot more besides.
All the gear that goes with it, the camping setup, fishing tackle, awning, tools, life jackets and spares, ends up in the same spot instead of cluttering the house. Build in a bit of extra length or a workbench along one wall and you’ve got somewhere to service and clean the rig too, undercover and out of the weather.
Quick rundown for storing a boat or caravan:
- Size it right: measure the rig including drawbar, motor and rooftop bits, then add room to move.
- Mind the clearance: work off real clearance height, not the door size.
- Lock it up: an enclosed garage or garaport beats an open carport for winter.
- Prep it: clean, dry, battery and tyres sorted before you shut the door.
Worth knowing too: a shed this size will need building or council approval, so factor that into your timing if you want it up before next season.
Thinking about getting your rig undercover? Take a look at our range of sheds and garages, call us on 1300 887 433, or request a quote and we’ll help you size it up for your boat or caravan.