[jamala00]

Originally Posted by ember1205

We live in a condo with a single garage bay. We have her SUV, my truck, and the Camaro. With the Camaro being a convertible, there's absolutely no way it will ever sit outside overnight anywhere because of the risk of damage/theft alone.

When the Camaro is "at home", it gets the garage and her SUV sits outside. When the weather won't allow for driving it for a while, it goes to storage. Having the Camaro home is the only time my truck is ever out of the elements because IT goes into the storage unit when I pick up the Camaro.

I pay $150/month for mine and don't think twice about the cost. When we move, we will have a 2.5-3 car garage as part of the house or we won't buy it.

For your situation, have you considered cutting the foundation and adding an extension to one side or something? I looked into converting the 2.5 car attached garage at my last house into a full 3 car (a double deep bay on one side) and the cost was around the same as building a full 15x20 detached garage conforming to "shed" guidelines.

I have, but because of the size of my existing garage, I can't add enough extra building to be a 3rd stall. I did inquire this AM to the city about a lean-to. Going to see what they say. You are correct though...your storage rent is even higher then mine. The fiscal side of me sometimes just gets the better of me.

[jamala00]

Originally Posted by KingLT1

I wouldn't sell the car over 95.00 a month storage if you enjoy it. If you no longer drive it and it sits, then yes maybe it's time to move on. I am sure if you look hard at your spending you can find other things that you waste 1200.00 a year that you could do without.

Ya, I drive it all the time. (Well when I'm not on my Harley). It's also stored in the winter too. But.. other then that, yes I love it and am driving it all the time. I have a 2.5 mile drive to work which normally turns into a 20 mile ride to work on the back roads out of town and back roads into work.

You're absolutely right. If I just took my wife and my Wed night pizza night every week, that alone ends up being more then my storage rent. Good way to put it into perspective. Oh, I also just talked to my storage unit owners. If I pay for a year at a time I get 12 months for the price of 10...So I'll be doing that.

[jamala00]

Originally Posted by hotlap

I mentioned to you once that watching my 13 ZL1 sitting in the garage depreciate (undriven) brought me to the decision to drive it, or sell it. I've opted for drive it with every Camaro I've owned since.

Your storage situation is another nail in the coffin

You will never convince me to drive my Camaro in the winter. . The storage unit doesn't stop me from driving my Camaro at all in the spring/summer/fall. It is simply to keep my Tahoe in so it doesn't sit outside. That's why I rent it all year. Put the Camaro in it for winter. Swap as needed... We all have different situations and we all do what works best for us. Glad you love to drive your car all year...

My Harley cost me more then my Camaro and it sits all winter too.

I have a Tahoe because I have land up north. I pull a trailer, a pontoon boat, hall construction things for projects, take the dogs up, sometimes my son his girlfriend and kid... etc... The 240 acres our 40 is a part of is all owned by family, we have trails through the woods big enough for vehicles but not smooth enough you'd take a Camaro on. I'll always have a need for some kind of 4WD vehicle. All kinds of things I could never use a Camaro for.

[ember1205]

Originally Posted by jamala00

I have, but because of the size of my existing garage, I can't add enough extra building to be a 3rd stall. I did inquire this AM to the city about a lean-to. Going to see what they say. You are correct though...your storage rent is even higher then mine. The fiscal side of me sometimes just gets the better of me.

If this is your "fiscal side" coming out, then make sure you do ALL the math...

How much would it cost you to:

- Add on to your garage for sheltered storage? There's the actual cost of construction, but don't forget to add in any interest or similar that you may "lose" by taking money out of the bank or interest you'll pay if you finance the build.
- Add on to your garage for semi-sheltered storage (lean-to)? Same as above.
- Give up the storage unit and leave a vehicle outside year-round? Exposing a vehicle to the elements year-round could cause accelerated wear on the paint or other components and devalue the vehicle as a result. May be harder to calculate, but worth trying...

Compare all of those against a $1200/year rent for a 'garage'.

[JKSully]

Originally Posted by ember1205

If this is your "fiscal side" coming out, then make sure you do ALL the math...

How much would it cost you to:

- Add on to your garage for sheltered storage? There's the actual cost of construction, but don't forget to add in any interest or similar that you may "lose" by taking money out of the bank or interest you'll pay if you finance the build.
- Add on to your garage for semi-sheltered storage (lean-to)? Same as above.
- Give up the storage unit and leave a vehicle outside year-round? Exposing a vehicle to the elements year-round could cause accelerated wear on the paint or other components and devalue the vehicle as a result. May be harder to calculate, but worth trying...

Compare all of those against a $1200/year rent for a 'garage'.

Don't forget to account for the occasional catalytic converter theft, too....

[ember1205]

Originally Posted by JKSully

Don't forget to account for the occasional catalytic converter theft, too....

lol... While not out of the realm of possibility for it to happen, that's an event that insurance could cover and wouldn't likely reduce the value of the car (unless they hacked the hell out of something trying to get the cat off!).

[jamala00]

Originally Posted by ember1205

If this is your "fiscal side" coming out, then make sure you do ALL the math...

How much would it cost you to:

- Add on to your garage for sheltered storage? There's the actual cost of construction, but don't forget to add in any interest or similar that you may "lose" by taking money out of the bank or interest you'll pay if you finance the build.
- Add on to your garage for semi-sheltered storage (lean-to)? Same as above.
- Give up the storage unit and leave a vehicle outside year-round? Exposing a vehicle to the elements year-round could cause accelerated wear on the paint or other components and devalue the vehicle as a result. May be harder to calculate, but worth trying...

Compare all of those against a $1200/year rent for a 'garage'.

Don't forget to account for the occasional catalytic converter theft, too....

lol... While not out of the realm of possibility for it to happen, that's an event that insurance could cover and wouldn't likely reduce the value of the car (unless they hacked the hell out of something trying to get the cat off!).

110% agree with all your posts. If I could add a 3rd stall to my garage, I 'd probably do that as I'm capable of building it myself and would save a ton of cash on labor. I'd wait till materials came back down to reality though. There are a multitude of reasons why I won't let my vehicles sit outside 24/7. The catalytic converter theft is a real thing, it just happened to someone at work I know. Years ago, I had a sport car I had put a kick ass stereo system in. It was stolen. Aside from the sun, hail/storms... etc... I will not if I can avoid it leave a vehicle outside. Not much I can do when it's parked at work.

[FlukeSS]

Originally Posted by jamala00

Was just curious, I rent a storage unit as a "3rd Stall" for my vehicles. I swap my Tahoe and Camaro as needed. The Camaro goes into the unit for winter storage. The storage unit is very close to my house and costs me $95/month to rent. I really wish I had a 3 car garage at home, but I don't. I don't like to keep my vehicles outside all day/night for many reasons so this is why I rent the unit. Do any of you do the same thing? It seems lately the more I go to the unit to swap my vehicles, the more I wonder why I bother.

I don't have a garage at all, and yes, I have done the same thing during the winter. Only drove my car on clear sunny days in the winter, so I didn't perma store it for winter. Swapped cars like you did as needed. At the very least once a week I'd warm the camaro up in the storage unit, then shut it down to keep the fluids moving. Sometimes with snow may go almost 2 weeks before I drive the Camaro on a clear day in the winter.

If you have a 2 car garage, store the truck outside, and keep the Camaro in the garage.

That's what I would do.

I don't mind storing my truck outside in the winter.

[ember1205]

Originally Posted by FlukeSS

I don't have a garage at all, and yes, I have done the same thing during the winter. Only drove my car on clear sunny days in the winter, so I didn't perma store it for winter. Swapped cars like you did as needed. At the very least once a week I'd warm the camaro up in the storage unit, then shut it down to keep the fluids moving.

Unless you're able to get the car up to full operating temps and keep it there for a while, you could easily be doing more harm than good by only "warming it up." I know that my car produces a stupid amount of moisture out the exhaust that will end up in a huge puddle under the car if I don't actually drive it for a while to burn that moisture off.

[Fraxum]

Originally Posted by jamala00

Was just curious, I rent a storage unit as a "3rd Stall" for my vehicles. I swap my Tahoe and Camaro as needed. The Camaro goes into the unit for winter storage. The storage unit is very close to my house and costs me $95/month to rent. I really wish I had a 3 car garage at home, but I don't. I don't like to keep my vehicles outside all day/night for many reasons so this is why I rent the unit. Do any of you do the same thing? It seems lately the more I go to the unit to swap my vehicles, the more I wonder why I bother.

OP, this is an easy question. Keep that bad ass Camaro in the garage and keep the Tahoe outside. That is where I keep my RAV4. Since I bought it I washed it twice. It runs fine......

Use that cash on well researched Camaro mods.

[jamala00]

Originally Posted by Fraxum

OP, this is an easy question. Keep that bad ass Camaro in the garage and keep the Tahoe outside. That is where I keep my RAV4. Since I bought it I washed it twice. It runs fine......

Use that cash on well researched Camaro mods.

I'll be keeping the Camaro. I have/had no real intention on getting rid of it. I just get these stupid "frugal" thoughts every once and a while. They eventually pass. I'll keep my storage unit. My '18 Tahoe is brand new, maybe 20k miles on it now. I don't want to leave it sit outside every day. Besides, even if I did keep it outside, my driveway apron is setup in such a way that I'd be shuffling it around all the time in order to get the Camaro or the wife's Impala out of the garage. If I had a vehicle that I didn't care about then for sure, I'd be just leaving it outside all year round. I just have never been like that with any of my vehicles though. I take care of all of them meticulously. My Tahoe is black and looks like it was just drove off the showroom floor. I can't keep it sitting outside. I also do not want to scrape my car in winter every AM to come to work. Been there done that and why I have a garage.

[JG0203]

I am also using a storage unit for my car. The facility which I am using is fully fenced and with 24/7 security. Although all facilities have risk factors of theft and things to get damaged. So when choosing the facility make sure and check surroundings whether they can be safe or not. Climate-controlled storage facilities are much better for keeping our stuff and car in the winter.

[closs2sx]

if you have 10ft ceilings you would be able to get a four post lift but your wife's car would be the only car that would be able to park under it. put the lift all the way to the back on one side and back your camaro on thats what i do with mine for the winter. I have 2 four post lifts and 1 2 post lift in a 3 car garage. in one bay i have 14.5 ft ceilings so I can put one of my cars on and drive my kubota L4240 under it. The other 2 bays are 10 ft 3 in plenty of room to stack cars but not suvs or trucks.

[xmattyx]

Originally Posted by jamala00

Ya.. I have only 3 real options...

1) Keep paying the storage unit... (which... I'm 50% ok with)
2) Move to a different place where I have or can build more storage. (With my retirement goal and age, this is just not in the cards)
3) Keep the Tahoe outside, back it out of the way, get the Camaro out and then put the Tahoe back. (or leave it on the street).

Option 4) Sell the Camaro stop the storage rent and forget the idea of a "fun car". Keep riding the Harley... But gall damb I love my SS...

I would do Option 3, bank the $$ unless you can swing the $95/month...forget about option 4 LOL