Storing your ram for lengthy periods

These are all great recommendations. Best to be safe than sorry.

My truck just sat in the dead of winter (as low as -25c) for 3 months. I didn't do a thing to it (I know, I know lol).

Jumped in, to my complete surprise, it fired right up! Had a slight rattle for about 3 seconds, then it was fine. Brakes hung a little with some surface rust on the rotors, and tranny took about 3 seconds to engage, but everything was fine.

Just got lucky I guess, probably should have done what was recommended here but I got lazy

Sent from my SM-G920W8 using Tapatalk

Rzrman328 said:

I'm not thinking the 2 months will really be long enough to cause bald spots either.

It probably wouldn't hurt to leave on jack stands just high enough to help relieve some of the weight on the tires though right?

Click to expand...

Yes, two months isnt too bad. Jack stands would help though since the truck wont be moving at all. Plus, you live in a warmer climate, so the air will stay more stable in the tires. Hell, from the factory they usually over-inflate tires by 20psi to keep flat spots away and by the time the dealer sells the vehicle, which can be months later, the tires are still way over loaded (and of course they forget to air them down for the customer). Granted in that case the car is moved tiny bits here and there.

ill tell you this, many wont agree with me, but my show truck is stored in my garage for the past 3 years and the past 4 years before that it was stored outside on a gravel driveway next to my camper, it only gets driven maybe 3 times a year and the grand total per year is usually around 100 miles, that being said,

Fuel stabilizer: never used it, truck has been a stored vehicle for the past 7 years like this, not a single issue so far and the same gas sits in the truck for almost a year

oil change: once every 6 months of storage

tires: i'm on low pro tires, yes flat spots happen, but a 1 mile drive up the road after proper inflation and that is no longer an issue

battery: i have it on a tender and personally i put it on a full charger once every two weeks... if you wont be able to keep it on a tender or go charge the truck up at least every 2-3 weeks, id say unhook the battery


now this is what i have done with my truck for 7 years, it may even be longer, i have yet to have any "storage" issues so far...

This is how she was stored for at least 4 years, only driven once in a while untill i bought my house with a big garage to put her in...




And how she spends 99% of her time now, in the garage next to one of her sisters

You can see in this pic both "stored" trucks are on the plug, as my girl calls it lol

Two months is nothing to worry about. I have had vehicles sit for months and never experienced a flat spot in the tires. And the vehicles always started.

So many good tips and conflicting advice at the same time lol

So after doin some more research.....2 months isn't long enough to really do any damage. I've compiled a list of things I will do and might do:

1) air up tires/over inflate
2) disconnect battery
3) small plywood under each tire
4) top off gas tank...no room for condensation build up
5) wash...wax?
6) plug/cover exhaust pipes....snakes, mice etc...
7) dryer sheets/Irish spring inside cab....smell good and apparently keeps mice away


Might do's:

Cover tires/wheels....protection from outside elements
Cover entire truck....tarp? Worried about wind flapping
Fuel stabilizer...maybe
Considered jack stands but seems more people have advised against them
Not cracking Windows....lets bugs/dirt in

baum said:

also i have been told but never tried myself to put like bounce dryer sheets a few on the inside and many on the ground around as rodents dont like them.

OP do you have to worry about snakes crawling into anything?

Click to expand...

or little chunks of Irish Spring soap. I do that around my travel trailer. My TT sits under an awning in an area near my pasture so to keep the little mice out, it seems to work as well as moth balls. Just smells better.

edit: Rzrman, I see you already noted the irish spring...

I own a 1990 Triple E Empress with a Ford 460. Its been in the family for about 15yrs. It gets an oil change once every two years. It sits outside for about 8 months during the colder months (Canadain Prairie winter). To store I switch off the batteries and run RV antifreeze through water lines. Every year when it gets warm I go to storage, switch the batteries on and it fires on the first try.

That said, you gotta do whats going to make you feel comfortable. I'm not sure I'd go as far as jack stands though.. seems a little like overkill.

reek said:

or little chunks of Irish Spring soap. I do that around my travel trailer. My TT sits under an awning in an area near my pasture so to keep the little mice out, it seems to work as well as moth balls. Just smells better.

edit: Rzrman, I see you already noted the irish spring...

Click to expand...

I read cottonballs with peppermint oil to keep mice away. I tried it in my bbq.. they responded by crapping on the cottonballs....

Raist11 said:

I read cottonballs with peppermint oil to keep mice away. I tried it in my bbq.. they responded by crapping on the cottonballs....

Click to expand...

I'll debunk the dryer sheets, the critters could care less about them, walk right over them. Read about dryer sheets on RV forums so the wife tried it in our RV. Not only did the mice set up shop using her oven mitt, they also enjoyed the comfort of the dryer sheets in their nest.

I actually came across this when looking through the owners manual yesterday for bulb replacement numbers lol.

"Any time you store your vehicle or keep it out of service
(i.e., vacation) for two weeks or more, run the air conditioning
system at idle for about five minutes in the fresh
air and high blower setting. This will ensure adequate
system lubrication to minimize the possibility of compressor
damage when the system is started again."