Storing my Gladiator for Several Years

[Tazbert]

My family may be going out of the country for 2-5 years. Uncle Sam will store my Jeep, but do I want him to? I'm sure the battery(s) and tires will need replacement when I get it back. Anything else that can go wrong over that time? We love our Jeep, but is it better to sell it and buy again when we get back to the States?

Thanks,
Tom

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[PuddleJumper]

Where will they store it? If its cool and dark, you should be fine. barring batteries, tires, and oil (sorta). Out in the elements unmoved may be a different story.

 

[Lost1wing]

I would just write off the batteries. You should however, disconnect them. Keep the fuel tank full. I have a car that has been sitting since the Covid Era. I have kept a trickle charger on a schedule. I have moved it a few times but the 4 year old fuel is making it run rough at idle. Your brake rotors will rust to a point that you might think about brakes. If you like it, keep it.

 

[Gvsukids]

My family may be going out of the country for 2-5 years. Uncle Sam will store my Jeep, but do I want him to? I'm sure the battery(s) and tires will need replacement when I get it back. Anything else that can go wrong over that time? We love our Jeep, but is it better to sell it and buy again when we get back to the States?

Thanks,
Tom

Other tips,

https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/forum/threads/storing-jeep-for-a-few-months.74410/

https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/forum/threads/long-term-storage-6-months.65761/

 

[WoolyKris]

Personally I would not let the government store an old pair of socks of mine… if the truck is sentimental or you dumped a ton of money into it you better off leaving it with a trusted relative, otherwise I would say sell. Years back I was at a unit that shared their motor pool lot with long term storage. Once in a while an E4 pumped up on monster would side swipe some of the cars, and no body gave a shit… I can guarantee most of the time it will be some obscure lot wide open to elements the big G always will pick the cheapest route.

 

[1945gpw]

If you can keep it out of the element's in a garage I say go for it if its what you want. I would however run the tank as close to empty as you can then if this is a gas we are talking about put fuel stable in the gas tank and then fill it full of ethanol free gas. Then I would drive it a few miles to get the ethanol free gas and fuel stable additive through the fuel lines/filter, this will keep the gas from going bad.

Also you could put the truck on jack stands to keep the tires from creating a flat spot.

 

[Lunentucker]

Sell it.
Values are plummeting, and you can invest the proceeds and come out WAY ahead when you get back.

 

[Lunentucker]

Carvana is quick and easy, and they'll offer you within $1000 of about any dealer trade in allowance.

Recommended investment - ACFOX
Or speak with any Davenport rep.

 

[Tazbert]

Thanks, everybody. From the comments, it sounds like selling it is the best option, especially since I have no control over how or where it will be stored.

 

[Chaos Theory]

I kept mine while in service. In a barn. With a tarp. Turned out to be a very bad idea.
Sell it. Or I can store it for you in my garage. I'll just need to move it a few times every week, to work and back.

By the way, I'm a Pointer, too. Before I came to WA.

 

[Blade1668]

After the different storage situations I've seen and experienced with the military (Army) storing POV's selling is a top choice unless it's highly modified or personal attachment then self storage. Of the storage sites I've seen one that was a "contract" storage it was actually swampland that flooded every year to 2 ft deep or so, that was after the post had used a non paved old motor pool that had standing water in it. You can guess how that worked out. Now the POV storage when I was in Germany one of the times was actually great, stored in ammunition bunkers due to many being unused after end of "Cold War" and the sites were still under contract with USA. Otherwise just parked in units motor pool, and bored M.P's to go f### around in them..... steal, break ect ect. For perspective over 8 deployments and stationed in Germany twice totalling about 6 years there. My Comanche was shipped then storage at USMC base, it was parked almost in the surf and actually had front brake pads removed. so the floor rusted out too.

 

[Artsifrtsi]

My Comanche was shipped then storage at USMC base, it was parked almost in the surf and actually had front brake pads removed. so the floor rusted out too.

I think you should put expanded steel flooring in it... you'll never have an issue with it holding water again, and mut/dirt will just drop through...

 

[Jrgunn5150]

I have a 1965 F250 I have been parking long term since 1998.

I park it, unhook the battery, leave, and don't come back for 1-3 years.

Then I hook the battery back up, jump it, drive it, it shakes like a paint mixer for 5 miles, then it's fine for the rest of the week.

It accrues 50 miles or so, about 30 of them offroad or dirt road, then it gets parked for another 1-3 years lol.

 

[JTGuy]

Fuel sitting in the system for years. Batteries probably dead. Rodents moving in. Electronics going dead. Then there is the value going down and in 3-5 years there will be a new updated Jeep. So Sell and put the money in a high yielding saving account for the new one when you return. You won't have to think about it in storage. The restarting of it after 3-5 years could be another thread here on the forum.

 

[Rockabillyroy]

Jody will watch it for you. He likes to take care of your things while you're away.

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