Parking your Jeep outside

[Lunentucker]

Mine only comes outside on nice days, and then just for pictures.

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[ShadowsPapa]

Mine only comes outside on nice days, and then just for pictures.

Same here-

Otherwise, our Jeeps are garaged......... at the insistence of my wife.
Thank goodness for big garage doors.

 

[Bluefalcon]

I get it... pretty expensive... however, if I want to garage mine... I have to move the 4 seater Kubota out of the barn... and move the tractor. All 5 vehicles are outside here in Southern TX. Only the 07 F250 is showing signs of sun damage. We do have some trees for cover... thats where I park the JTR. Kind of on a lopsided ditch to flex a little ?. The wife's Edge is between trees but in the sun 3/4 of day... doing just fine.

As for critters.... I've had to replace vacuum lines on the F250 and a breather hose on the tractor due to field mice and have scattered a few squirrels when starting vehicles but I literally live a half mile off of the gravel road and then 4 miles to the road... lots of dust that rinses off pretty easily. My JK sat outside for 8 years and had the body color top and fenders till I put flat fenders on... no fading. I did paint the fenders with bed liner though.

 

[CampThree]

I bought a metal carport 25 years ago and it's been a blessing (pic in avatar). Aside from keeping snow, rain, hail, bird droppings and sun rays off the vehicles it protects against the crap that falls 24/7 from the surrounding trees. I'm pretty whacked about keeping my stuff nice especially at the prices of these vehicles. Maybe the OP has the space to erect a carport, something is better than nothing. My 31 year old Silverado has been outside for 31 years and man does it show it, the Jeep will never look like that.

 

[Fungi3]

There are many variables that must be considered to answer your question.
1. Weather
- Ice ?
- Hail ?
- How cold ?
- High wind and trees close by ?
- Ceramic or good wax protectant on paint ?

2. Soft top or hard top ? Soft top and plastic rear window doesn’t take to many months of ice and cold.

3. How high altitude and hot sun ?

Hi all,

I am being to cautious with my Jeep?

I would like to hear some of your thoughts and ideas on parking your precious Jeep outside. I've had a garage for about 7 years now and have always parked my Jeeps inside. Living in Colorado, the hail and intense sun can really do a number on your panels and fiberglass top. That being said, I use my Jeep as a real expedition vehicle, it's not a mall crawler, and I'm not afraid to hit the trails at Moab or the San Juans. That being said, I paid almost $60k for this thing, and when it's home, I take extra care of it as I want it to last me 15 years. I have a new camper on the top and it won't fit in my garage when it's attached. I can take it on and off, but it can be a hassle.

Am I being too cautious? Am I making it up that my jeep will fall apart in a year if I park it outside?

 

[MemphisMississipp]

Hi all,

I am being to cautious with my Jeep?

I would like to hear some of your thoughts and ideas on parking your precious Jeep outside. I've had a garage for about 7 years now and have always parked my Jeeps inside. Living in Colorado, the hail and intense sun can really do a number on your panels and fiberglass top. That being said, I use my Jeep as a real expedition vehicle, it's not a mall crawler, and I'm not afraid to hit the trails at Moab or the San Juans. That being said, I paid almost $60k for this thing, and when it's home, I take extra care of it as I want it to last me 15 years. I have a new camper on the top and it won't fit in my garage when it's attached. I can take it on and off, but it can be a hassle.

Am I being too cautious? Am I making it up that my jeep will fall apart in a year if I park it outside?

I live down south and bought my 2020 new in July that year. Been parked outside everyday since and still shines like new. The black panels on the cowl by the wipers have faded some. That’s about it.

 

[insanitize]

I have an 07 JKUR that I've owned since new that has never been garaged. I took good care of it the first ten years (although it was used as and off road toy since new) but have lately let it just sit parked for months at a time and it has held up very well.

 

[Billkowski]

If you care about it, dote on it, still look back at it in the parking lot, take the camper off and put it in the garage.

 

[PsyRN]

I've had my jeep outside since I bought it 4 years ago. I don't have a garage, just a carport, so it was never an option. And once I got my camper over a year ago, it doesn't fit in the carport anymore, so it sits out in the open all the time. No issues.

 

[johnchabin]

All that said, between Colorado sun & hail, I’d find a way to get it in the garage.

And if you’re Denver/metro, theft is an increasing threat.

 

[Rebel.Matt]

I bought a metal carport 25 years ago and it's been a blessing (pic in avatar). Aside from keeping snow, rain, hail, bird droppings and sun rays off the vehicles it protects against the crap that falls 24/7 from the surrounding trees. I'm pretty whacked about keeping my stuff nice especially at the prices of these vehicles. Maybe the OP has the space to erect a carport, something is better than nothing. My 31 year old Silverado has been outside for 31 years and man does it show it, the Jeep will never look like that.

Trust me, if I could build a separate car port or raise the opening of my garage, I would have done it already. I live in a town house without a driveway, which means street parking. I do everything I can to park my jeep in the garage despite the added hassle and time. Colorado sun is brutal, the summer hail will ruin everything, and there's plenty of people running around looking for a Jeep to steal.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

All that said, between Colorado sun & hail, I’d find a way to get it in the garage.

And if you’re Denver/metro, theft is an increasing threat.

That's what's interesting to me - the flat-landers, low altitude/elevation people saying all is fine and good vs. keep a vehicle outside with no atmosphere to filter out the UV and so on.
Huge difference, you can't compare keeping a vehicle outside while in NY, FL, even IA, vs high elevations (or high crime areas for that matter)
Elevation matters.
A JT kept outside in FL, TX or NY will fare a lot better than one parked outside in the high elevations. They'll last years longer, little fading.
Hail here is a real bitch, too, that some haven't understood - don't know about hail in Denver area, but it wipes out millions of dollars of car inventory some years (not to mention totally wiping out crops)
A reporter from out east actually asked "can't you just put those cars inside"? LOL, what a hoot.

 

[Rebel.Matt]

That's what's interesting to me - the flat-landers, low altitude/elevation people saying all is fine and good vs. keep a vehicle outside with no atmosphere to filter out the UV and so on.
Huge difference, you can't compare keeping a vehicle outside while in NY, FL, even IA, vs high elevations (or high crime areas for that matter)
Elevation matters.
A JT kept outside in FL, TX or NY will fare a lot better than one parked outside in the high elevations. They'll last years longer, little fading.
Hail here is a real bitch, too, that some haven't understood - don't know about hail in Denver area, but it wipes out millions of dollars of car inventory some years (not to mention totally wiping out crops)
A reporter from out east actually asked "can't you just put those cars inside"? LOL, what a hoot.

Only caveat I got is sea spray. If you're on or close to the beach, that salty air/water/spray will absolutely destroy your car, from the inside out. I've heard of mechanics in Florida knowing which way you park your car relative to the beach because there is more corrosion on one side. Not only do you need to keep your car inside but you need to fresh water rinse that thing a few times a week.

 

[johnchabin]

Denver usually has at least one major hail event somewhere in the metro area per year. Golfball+ sized and very destructive.

Dent repair and roofers will always be employed.

 

[PuddleJumper]

I agree with keeping the vehicle in doors protecting paint/plastics/etc but none if those effect service life as I see it, especially in a Jeep that gets wheeled. Mechanically there's no difference. Sure tires could take longer to dry rot, but mine are worn out from use long before seeing the slightest signs of sun damage. The paint has pinstripes from brush and branches far worse than sun damage from 15 years outside could ever do. For the op, hail damage is a real concern but otherwise there's little real risk to parking outside. Every vehicle I've ever owned was parked outside. Even in 2012 my 77 wagoneer and 89 xj had no visible paint fading. Dents and scrapes from rocks or trees is another story.

i hear ya but that depends on where ya live. NE coast a decade of being part outside and you won't have much left. Every night spent in a garage does bounds on keeping away, rust, mold, moisture, etc. You scratch something to bare steel here and don't treat it immediately. It'll be rust by th etime you get home, and bubbling paint its touching in week. In a month you can go from minor paint touch up to just change the whole panel and repaint. My aunt had her entire hood replaced on her rubicon at 9k odo. cus it got dinged to bare metal and she ignored. 2 months of salt and that paint was flaking off. and yes while thats not necessarily affecting its mechanical integrity, it will eventually. the south west coast is far easier on vehicles.

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