Last year, my car storage didn't go so well, I used moisture absorbing bags and bounce dryer sheets. When I opened up the car, I had a layer of mildew on everything and the mice got in and made nests in every crevice. I cleaned it all up and have developed a new technique for next time.

In addition to taping up everything, fuel stablilzer, etc.

Put the car up on 4 ramps(i don't care about the tires), Mothballs around the ramps, mothballs in the car, the moisture absorbing bags in the car, and a box of baking soda(for moisture absorbtion). In addition, removal of stereo, seats, door panels, and dashpad.

The car is stored in a carport in a very humid and insect ridden environment under a cover. My questions to the experienced are:

Should the windows be left open a crack, or would that just let bugs in?

Should I use baking soda with mothballs, or will the odor absorbing properties of baking soda cancel out the odor and rodent repelling ability of the mothballs?

I don't want mold, but mice are no good either and I've already experimented once with poor results, If anyone has tried anything similar I'd like to hear how it worked out.

 

Why are you doing this?

Being deployed?

 

Crack the windows if you like; it may help stabilize the air so it is more ambient and not a sweat box. If you are worried about bugs, just use some patio screen and secure it around the window crack or roll the window all the way down and cover the whole window area! If you are worried about critters smaller than that, double the screen up and align the grid appropriately in respect to the first.

Unless you are using a new type of moth-ball, I do not see any way in hell that a box, or even a case, of baking soda will get rid of that horrid smell. To both folk and bugs!

As for mice, get a whole lot (literally, an entire lot) of traps and good tasty bait. Kill all of the mice before you leave. After you have done this, install a grade-A barn owl (living, not those stupid things that are supposed to scare off pigeons by sitting as still as a rock) Also get a nasty little alley cat, one of those that has food trimmings on its coat from rummaging through trash.

If that doesn't work, find Bill Murray and tell him you have a gopher problem.

 

Those of us that dont live in a place thats warm year round usually put our cars in storage for the winter months.

 

What I found that really helps in removing moisture is called Dri-z-air you put this suff in a container and it pulls the moisture out of the air, and does something to it. Then it drips down into a container. just dump the water every so often. it works awesome. All I do for storage is change the oil, put a towl in the intake snokle, fog the cylinders with a anti corrosion for engines . stabilize the fuel. put a towel over the dash and throw the car cover on. it sits all winter in a simple car shed . I build it and take it down every winter. I've never had a problem. I know many do more. I guess it depends on the climate & location. I personally would much rather have a heated garage for it.

 

I'm doing this so the car has a safe place to sit while i'm at school. I tried the dryzair stuff, what ended up happening was that the water froze while it was in the crystals and ruined the whole setup, The screens sound like a good idea, thanks for the suggestion.

 

I do love Coastal California

:lala:

~C