Storing vehicles properly

According to statistics, 41.2 million households were registered in the Federal Republic in 2025, to which 50 million passenger cars are registered. In addition, there are commercial vehicles (6.7 million), motorcycles (5 million) and motorhomes (1 million). At the same time, the possibilities of parking them properly decrease with each year, while the costs associated with parking are constantly rising.

If then a portion of the vehicles, including motorhomes and motorcycles, are only used for a certain time of the year, the question arises: Where to put this valuable property?

Vehicle storage outside your own home can offer the optimal solution here. By choosing the right provider, you can kill several birds with one stone with professional vehicle storage.

Below, we show you what proper vehicle storage should look like and how you can not only save space and money, but also a great deal of trouble.

Which vehicle categories require which type of storage?

Before you start looking for a suitable parking space for your motor vehicle, you should inform yourself about which requirements must be met. Different vehicles have different needs.

It is not only the size of your vehicle that matters, but also its age, the type of engine (electric or combustion engine) and whether it is an open (convertible, motorcycles) or closed vehicle.

Here are some of the most common vehicle types with the requirements that storage will impose:

Storage of conventional passenger cars with combustion engine

If you do not need your car for a longer period of time, for example because you are traveling or moving abroad, you should ensure that the vehicle is accommodated in dry and well-ventilated storage units. Before you finally store the passenger car (Pkw), you should take the following measures:

Fill the vehicle with premium fuel to prevent the tank from rusting during storage.
Inflate the tires to 0.2 bar less than the maximum pressure to avoid a flat spot during storage.
Clean the vehicle thoroughly shortly before storage so that moisture cannot settle in dirt residues during storage.
Use a trickle charger for the battery so that it survives the storage period. However, this requires that you have access to a power outlet in your storage unit.
Lift the windshield wipers and ensure that the handbrake is not engaged before leaving the vehicle at the storage facility.

Storage of electric passenger cars

Apart from the guidelines regarding tanks and battery care, you should take the same precautions with an E-Auto as with conventional passenger cars with combustion engine. However, the battery of the E-Auto requires special consideration:

Disconnect your E-Auto from the power grid during storage to prevent the battery from being overloaded.
Discharge the battery to about 40% before storage if the E-Auto is to stand for longer than one month in order to avoid cell stress.
Ensure that someone regularly checks the battery level during storage to prevent deep discharge, which can lead to the death of your battery.

Storage of classic cars and collector vehicles

Classic cars (Oldtimer) are motor vehicles that are older than 30 years. Currently, about 1.5 million of these classic vehicles are registered in Germany and many of them have, in addition to considerable age, also reached a high financial value. Therefore, when storing classic vehicles and classic cars (Oldtimer), special needs should also be considered:

Ensure that the humidity of the storage facility does not exceed 50%, as classic cars (Oldtimer) are particularly susceptible to rust and mold due to the materials.
Fill the tank and the tires before storage as with conventional motor vehicles, but remove the battery and spray all rubber parts, seals and door openings with talcum, glycerin or silicone spray.
Check hoses and lines particularly carefully for tightness in order to avoid leaks.
Use a breathable cover to avoid condensation.

Storage of motorcycles and scooters

Motorcycles and scooters, alongside motorhomes, are among the seasonal vehicles that most owners want to store safely over winter. Here too, a breathable cover is a good prerequisite for getting the two-wheeler through the wet months well. In addition, you should observe the following:

Apply corrosion protection to all components at risk of rust, including the exhaust and the rims.
Change the oil before storing the motorcycle. Fresh oil contains no combustion residues and therefore protects better against rust.
Always store your motorcycle in an upright position. Obtain a tip-over protection or motorcycle stand that ensures your two-wheeler remains in an upright position throughout the entire storage period.
Inflate the tires to about 0.5 bar above the air pressure specified by the manufacturer. During storage, place simple wooden boards under the tires to avoid standing damage.

Storage of vans and minibuses

The storage of commercial vehicles, including vans, delivery vehicles and minibuses, follows the same measures as in the preparations of passenger cars with combustion engines and E-Autos. However, ensure that your vehicles have been emptied before storage so that the body is not exposed to extraordinary loads during the storage period.

Storage of motorhomes, caravans and RVs

For campervans and RVs, you must also take the same safety precautions before storage as with conventional passenger cars. However, additional necessary steps must be taken before storage:

Clean the vehicle thoroughly and ensure that even the last crumbs or food residues are removed before winter storage to prevent uninvited rodent visitors from nesting.
Empty the water tank before storage so that you are not greeted with the smell of rotten water after winter storage.
Lock all windows of the motorhome or caravan in ventilation position to ensure permanent air circulation.
Do not pull down the blackout blinds in order not to overstretch and wear out the springs in the suspension.
Open all cabinets and flaps in your motorhome or caravan to prevent moisture from accumulating inside.
Remove all cushions and store them in a dry, well-ventilated room. If you do not have this available, place the cushions upright and freely in the room to avoid mold.
Remove gas cylinders, batteries and other fire-hazardous items from your motorhome or caravan before storage to avoid leaks.

Storage of vehicle-trailers and trailers

Trailers are part of the inventory in more and more households and are often shared by entire families and neighborhoods. More than 8.5 million trailers are currently registered in Germany, but not all are on the road at all times. Trailers are among the household equipment that take up the most space and are therefore often stored elsewhere all year round, especially because parking on the street is associated with fines. To avoid damage and wear on trailers during longer storage, you should observe the following:

Lift the trailer so that the tires are not excessively stressed over a longer period of time and wear out or deform.
Turn the tires every three months to distribute the pressure better and maintain the lubricants in the bearings.
Protect the coupling system from rust with corrosion protection.
Use wheel chocks so that the trailer cannot roll away during storage.
Consider storing the trailer vertically. This saves a lot of space and at the same time does not put strain on the wheels and tires.

Storage of boats

With the increasing severity of winter storms, many boat owners decide to bring their watercraft ashore and store them over the stormy months. The preparations for storage are similar to the measures for storing motorhomes and caravans. In addition:

When storing the boat, use a fixation that keeps the hull high enough off the ground so that moisture and frost from the ground cannot impair the hull.
If you store your boat outdoors, ensure that the cover is large enough to be lashed down below the hull.
In the case of a sailing boat, ensure that there is enough space in your chosen storage unit for the mast. The mast must not sag even during horizontal storage and must have sufficient support.
Look for a storage facility that offers access to water and electricity so that you can carry out necessary repair work on site.

How to determine the dimensions and space requirements for your vehicle

In contrast to conventional household goods and business inventory, storing vehicles not only requires significantly more space, but access to the storage facility must also be measured by different standards.

To avoid unpleasant surprises on the day of storing your vehicle, you should inform yourself about the important finer details such as door swing areas, mirror clearances, aisle widths for getting in or out and turning radius when entering/exiting.

As a rule of thumb for the appropriate size for your vehicle parking space:

(Vehicle length × vehicle width) + maneuvering space

At the same time, it is appropriate to plan additional space of about 60 to 90 cm for comfortable car door opening and 30 to 60 cm for the exterior mirrors.

For unusual vehicles such as motorhomes or boats, calculations regarding height are also added. In addition to headroom, installations such as antennas, roof racks and air conditioning systems must also be taken into account during storage. Also ensure that your storage space landlord not only offers sufficiently high gates and doors, but also that the floor on which your vehicle will stand can bear the heavy load.