# Mid-season raft storage



## SummitSurfer (Jun 23, 2010)

I clean my 16footer real good, then baby powder it and put it in a bag in my garage. The trailer turns back into an all purpose utility trailer stored outside under tarp. 
At start of season, pull the boat out, hose it off free of baby powder, 303 prot. the crap out of it.
At water and stir into the season.


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## earthNRG (Oct 24, 2003)

Thanks SummitSurfer, but that sounds like a good over-winter storage technique to me, but a lot of work to do every Sunday night throughout the season. What do you do between trips during the summer?


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## BoilermakerU (Mar 13, 2009)

Not sure this helps, because I have a garage. When I know I'll be going a lot, I leave it rigged and ready to go on the trailer in the garage. The wife's minivan parks outside in the sun. LOL I let a little air out of it (as much for travelling over passes as anything else) but otherwise I leave it river ready. When I won't be going for a while, I then put everything away and fold the trailer up so the wife can get her minivan back in the garage.

If I didn't have a garage, I'd probably be inclined to rig it every time and store it out of the sun. I want to baby it so it will last a long, long time. My second choice would be to cover it with a car cover or something like that. A car cover works pretty well to cover a boat, and you can get one at Walmart pretty cheap.


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## goldcamp (Aug 9, 2006)

Whatever you do don't leave it exposed to the sun. At least cover it with something.


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## ENDOMADNESS (Jun 21, 2005)

I use the Walmart car cover, like Purdue U stated. I think it cost about $70. after 2 years mine is fairly ripped (it is on my Cat, so all 4 points poked thru)....i live on top of a ridge with consistent 20+ mph winds. I throw a 20' cam strap over it to keep it from billowing, since it has a bunch of extra material, designed to cover a car. The cover would last forever in a valley floor, or in suburbia.

I think i will upgrade to the $400 thick covers sold by designated raft stores.


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## leery (May 16, 2005)

In the off-season I put mine storage. You can rent a single car storage unit for ~60 bucks a month. It's the best option I have since my garage / yard isn't big enough to store the utility trailer and 2 cars. 

during the season, it sits fully rigged in the garage. I park outside. Kudos to Purdue Pete for getting his wife to park outside.


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## Osprey (May 26, 2006)

I have outdoor storage where I park my camper and raft trailer. I leave it all rigged up and ready to go and don't do anything special between trips. When its not in the garage and at the storage place, like if I know I'm not going to go for a couple weeks, I keep it covered with a cover. I got the one from Saturn instead of the $400 one just to try it out. For $100 figured it was worth a shot. Heavy good cover that I think will last except the bungee that goes around the perimeter died fast. I just got several tarp clips and bungees to hold it down. Other than that it seems like a pretty soild cover.

I got the 15' to go on my 14' boat to go over fishing seats which works, only issue is there isn't enough width to go over the oarlocks so I have to fold them down. Like the others said, no real issues with keeping it outside other than sun protection.


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## Snaggletooth (Jun 2, 2008)

I have had my Maravia for 5 years and it stays on the trailer parked in the yard rigged up and ready to go from March through October. I have never covered it but 303 it about 2 or 3 times over the course of the summer. I have seen no indications of sun damage so far, although reading all these other posts is making me a little nervous...


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## tomrefried (Oct 12, 2003)

mine goes in the barn on the trailer fully rigged with a poly tarp on it, when I need it I take the tarp off and go. Off season I let a little more air out of it.
no problem with mice so far.


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## JohnnyCash (Mar 14, 2010)

In the winter mine goes in a back corner in the shop, partially inflated. In the summer when it gets frequent use I leave it fully rigged on the trailer with a tarp over it. The boat is 25 years old and is still in very good shape. My $.02: use a $10 tarp vs. a $400 boat cover.


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## earthNRG (Oct 24, 2003)

Thanks for all the replies. I already knew I want to cover the boat with something to protect from UV, but am concerned about how hot it gets under a standard tarp if there's no ventilation. Do those of you who use car covers find that it gets much above ambient temp under the cover?


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## lhowemt (Apr 5, 2007)

tomrefried said:


> mine goes in the barn on the trailer fully rigged with a poly tarp on it, when I need it I take the tarp off and go. Off season I let a little more air out of it.
> no problem with mice so far.


Have you heard the tip about leaving the mice a board or something to climb out? One fellow, maybe a while ago, talked about how a mice fell into his boat, couldn't get out, and chewed a bunch of it up. Just a thought, I'm not sure if it would be a bad path into the boat as well...


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## tomrefried (Oct 12, 2003)

lhowemt said:


> Have you heard the tip about leaving the mice a board or something to climb out? One fellow, maybe a while ago, talked about how a mice fell into his boat, couldn't get out, and chewed a bunch of it up. Just a thought, I'm not sure if it would be a bad path into the boat as well...


 They really can't get into the boat unless they get thru the tarp first, I keep it tucked under the boat pretty well and make sure there's no straps hanging that they could climb. 
I've had squirrels get into the trailer while camping and chew some IK and drybag straps but they never touched the boats.


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## El Flaco (Nov 5, 2003)

Mine's in my garaged, trailered, but it takes up all the damn storage space for just a two-car footprint. If I could get access to my backyard with the trailer, I would place it there under a tarp, but I'd have to remove trees and whatnot. 

My idea is to rent an airplane hanger at one of the small airports on the Front Range. The trailer and raft can sit there year round, and you can pull up with the truck, hitch up, and roll in 2 minutes anytime of year. Those hangers can easily hold 3 trailered boats (maybe 4), and I think some of the smaller airports rent them for about $150-$200 month. I've been trying to convince other friends to go in on it, but haven't found any takers.


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