Garage Or Outside?

[punmax]

Hello guys. I was just wondering if it really matters whether you leave your vehicle outside or you park it in your garage. My Silverado does not fit in my garage as it is too long. It rains here all the time, does that do anything to the truck? Thanks.

[VMax2007]

Yes, it matters...ALOT!!! Especially here in MN, but acid rain is everywhere, and hail is fairly frequent here too. But the cold winters here are the main reason I have a nice cozy, insulated (but not heated) attached garage. My garage stays above freezing as long as it's at least 10 deg F outside.

 

Here is my garage:

 

 

 

 

[punmax]

Oh.... d**n. Nice garage you have there. Can I do anything to protect my truck?

 

p.s - still waiting for your interior pics of the floor liners

[VMax2007]

Oh.... d**n. Nice garage you have there. Can I do anything to protect my truck?

 

Yep, wax it...alot. And make it fit in the garage if at all possible. Where do you live? Could you at least make a canopy to keep the rain, hail and direct sun off of it?

[mini1]

It makes a VERY big difference. You can clearly tell a used garaged vehicle from a non-garaged vehicle. Put the thing in a garage. Get one of those portable garages if need be.

[J45p3r]

I've actually heard that a heated garage can accelerate the ill effects of road salt on the under carriage in the winter time. Any truth to that? I bet you'd be hard pressed to tell my daily driver non-garage kept Maine truck from a daily driver garage kept Maine truck.

[VMax2007]

I've actually heard that a heated garage can accelerate the ill effects of road salt on the under carriage in the winter time. Any truth to that? I bet you'd be hard pressed to tell my daily driver non-garage kept Maine truck from a daily driver garage kept Maine truck.

 

I think there used to be some truth to that, but newer vehicles have much better rust protection, metal treatment, etc. I think the benefit of keeping it out of the frigid cold far outweighs the potential negative rust issues. Starting an engine when it's sub-zero outside puts the equivalent wear of driving several thousand miles at operating temp.

 

With that said, my mom had a 1978 Monte Carlo that was garaged in a tuck-under (not heated, but always warm). It suffered from alot of surface rust that I attribute to the warm garage. However, my first house I built in 1992 and now this house both have insulated, attached (not heated, but warm) garages and my 1989 GMC and my 2000 GMC never had any rust while I owned them.

[hubbycap]

Yes, it matters...ALOT!!! Especially here in MN, but acid rain is everywhere, and hail is fairly frequent here too. But the cold winters here are the main reason I have a nice cozy, insulated (but not heated) attached garage. My garage stays above freezing as long as it's at least 10 deg F outside.

 

Here is my garage:

 

It matters alot down here in Georgia too. I like slipping into "Silvia" when it's in the 20s (that'd be cold in Georgia) and feel heat coming out of the vents as I pull on to the street.

 

And Yea, nice garage. I was checking it out and the wife saw it from across the room and asked "what was that?" I tried to put the screen in "boss mode" but failed. Thanks a lot man! My wife now knows what a garage COULD look like. What are you doing putting pictures like that out on the web, there are married men out here. Are you super-human or something? You're not supposed to let other men's wives see stuff like that! Don't even chance it! I don't think my story about it being a regular room with garage doors photoshopped into it is going to stick. Good God man! The humanity!

[VMax2007]

Yes, it matters...ALOT!!! Especially here in MN, but acid rain is everywhere, and hail is fairly frequent here too. But the cold winters here are the main reason I have a nice cozy, insulated (but not heated) attached garage. My garage stays above freezing as long as it's at least 10 deg F outside.

 

Here is my garage:

 

It matters alot down here in Georgia too. I like slipping into "Silvia" when it's in the 20s (that'd be cold in Georgia) and feel heat coming out of the vents as I pull on to the street.

 

And Yea, nice garage. I was checking it out and the wife saw it from across the room and asked "what was that?" I tried to put the screen in "boss mode" but failed. Thanks a lot man! My wife now knows what a garage COULD look like. What are you doing putting pictures like that out on the web, there are married men out here. Are you super-human or something? You're not supposed to let other men's wives see stuff like that! Don't even chance it! I don't think my story about it being a regular room with garage doors photoshopped into it is going to stick. Good God man! The humanity!

 

 

LOL, sorry man. But my wife almost had me committed for doing that. She doesn't understand I guess. All she cares about is having a spot for her car, beyond that she couldn't care less.

[unit731]

Yes, it makes a difference.

 

The roof of my 1990 is all faded. I neglected to wax that part. The rest of truck is fine.

 

In the north areas with salt, there is an old Yankee procedure. It's called 'oil undercoating'. Done by/at a shop. Mine done every year and no rust after 18 years of driving in highly salted winter roads.

 

But no matter where truck is parked outside, wax it. And often.

[hubbycap]

Yes, it matters...ALOT!!! Especially here in MN, but acid rain is everywhere, and hail is fairly frequent here too. But the cold winters here are the main reason I have a nice cozy, insulated (but not heated) attached garage. My garage stays above freezing as long as it's at least 10 deg F outside.

 

Here is my garage:

 

It matters alot down here in Georgia too. I like slipping into "Silvia" when it's in the 20s (that'd be cold in Georgia) and feel heat coming out of the vents as I pull on to the street.

 

And Yea, nice garage. I was checking it out and the wife saw it from across the room and asked "what was that?" I tried to put the screen in "boss mode" but failed. Thanks a lot man! My wife now knows what a garage COULD look like. What are you doing putting pictures like that out on the web, there are married men out here. Are you super-human or something? You're not supposed to let other men's wives see stuff like that! Don't even chance it! I don't think my story about it being a regular room with garage doors photoshopped into it is going to stick. Good God man! The humanity!

 

 

LOL, sorry man. But my wife almost had me committed for doing that. She doesn't understand I guess. All she cares about is having a spot for her car, beyond that she couldn't care less.

 

 

Just kidding of course. In the South where the Sun is much closer to Earth, you can really see the difference in a 4 or 5 year old vehicle that is left outside.

[Zembonez]

Yes, it makes a difference.

 

This is the correct answer... no matter how much anybody tries to justify their position.

 

Leave ANYTHING outside 24/7 and leave another exact item inside overnight. The environment will do its harm. Keeping a vehicle clean and well maintained will lessen the effects but will not prevent them altogether... It takes time even if a truck is left outside every night of its life but over time plastics, paint, and rubber stuff deteriorates.

[VMax2007]

Just kidding of course. In the South where the Sun is much closer to Earth, you can really see the difference in a 4 or 5 year old vehicle that is left outside.

 

Sun is closer to the earth? LOL

 

By what? .0000000001% I think it has more to do with the angle of the sun's rays. But that was funny.

[Coachmenguy]

I agree if you wax it often you wont be able to tell!!! my truck doesnt fit in the garage either but i wax it often and i guarantee if you parked it next to a garage truck of the same year, mileage, etc you would tell NO difference, now take my 03 twenty years from now and there MAY be a difference. Garages are nice for keeping your just washed truck out of the elements, hail, frost, snow etc. as far as fading or rust goes just keep the d**n thing clean!!! how long do we really keep our trucks anyways?? some of youguys are trading every 2 years! long before you'll notice any difference what so ever! like I said, just keep it clean and wax it often!

[Zembonez]

I agree if you wax it often you wont be able to tell!!! my truck doesnt fit in the garage either but i wax it often and i guarantee if you parked it next to a garage truck of the same year, mileage, etc you would tell NO difference, now take my 03 twenty years from now and there MAY be a difference. Garages are nice for keeping your just washed truck out of the elements, hail, frost, snow etc. as far as fading or rust goes just keep the d**n thing clean!!! how long do we really keep our trucks anyways?? some of youguys are trading every 2 years! long before you'll notice any difference what so ever! like I said, just keep it clean and wax it often!

I have to agree that if you trade often and keep your truck clean you'll never see any of the damage the environment does. If you keep a truck 10 years I think you'd be able to see a real difference in plastic, rubber, and paint surface.