I have to park one of my mopars on gravel next to my driveway this winter. Any suggestions on what I could do to help it not rot out the frame?
- Thread starter tonyp25
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Spray it clean, DON'T drive it.
Unless ya live near an Ocean, then it's just the way it is! (JK you'll be ok).
HA! Yassssss!
Gravel is probably the best. It doesn't sweat like concrete can and it's a solid base unlike out in the grass somewhere. Storage outside is hard to keep the critters out though. Mice and chipmunks like to chew the wiring and squirrels like air cleaners and under hood for nut storage. If there is any holes to the interior, racoons will destroy your interior as well as mice.
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We have been very lucky so far. Have an acreage that is mostly sand. When you park a vehicle the grass dies and stays that way. Undercarriage stays very clean. Had a 68 GTX shell that set out since 1994. Sold it this summer, still had solid rockers, floor pans and trunk pan.
fine69
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Yeah SK can be pretty dry. Maple Creek and area would be great for keeping cars outside.
GetX'd
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I do believe you pal - but almost hard to believe thirty yrs sitting out on the ground - especially in Canuckada. Your province is right above my home state of MN (correct) I don’t think we could get away with that in MN. Me thinks you’re a lucky dude.…
Sixpactogo
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I would be way more worried about the critters than any surface rust that may or may not show up. One mamma mouse moving in would be more than I could stand.
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We straddle the North Dakota/Montana borders. Apparently some gangs, possibly Butch and Sundance hid out in our badlands. Sitting Bull fled to Southern Saskatchewan. We have cactus nearby. Bit of trivia. Next summer if I remember I will take pictures of some of ground beneath the cars.
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My '04 Ram sits under a huge carport built specifically to protect it and my tractor from the elements.
It's gravel underneath and I built it a dozen yearsa ago thinking I was doing right by the truck.
Now, though - it's actually rotting in the left side from it, a result I believe of water coming off the
hill behind the house (and probably some gutter leaking, too).
It's already rotted out some brake lines (a real thrill when the pedal goes to the floor, let me tell ya)
and now the back bumper has begun rotting though from inside.
It's gravel underneath and I built it a dozen yearsa ago thinking I was doing right by the truck.
Now, though - it's actually rotting in the left side from it, a result I believe of water coming off the
hill behind the house (and probably some gutter leaking, too).
It's already rotted out some brake lines (a real thrill when the pedal goes to the floor, let me tell ya)
and now the back bumper has begun rotting though from inside.
Thrashingcows
Well-Known Member
As someone who drives old iron year round in the Canadian north if you want to protect the underside then you can do what I do....brush everything with oil, and squirt oil inside the frame rails, inside the trunk extensions etc. I do this to my old crewcab, and even with all the harsh chemicals and salt they put on the roads I make it through the winters with relatively little deterioration, my vehicles that just sit usually look no worse than before winter.
Lamadogg
Active Member
BTW, attach chain to chassis and lay on ground under car to ‘ground’ car to earth. Helps reduce moisture and dust attraction. (Helps when painting also…). If using jack stands, no need for chain. Also, I place a large box of cat litter inside on back seat even when storing in garage over winter to help soak up moisture. I imagine it would help outside as well.
Agreed!
Detective D
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Here is my experience storing various things in WI. Remember, basically no moisture in the winter with -25F temps, jungle hot dew points in the high 80's in the summer. Wisconsin is a lush state all summer. Observations-
In winter, even sitting on the grass, underside will be fine. Once the ground is froze anyway. However, snow is HELL on everything because of the intensification of the sun. Snow won't rot a car, And if the car is blanketed it actually helps protect it. But the sun in winter with no moisture and snow to reflect it is really bad on paint and interiors.
Grass is usually the enemy, it holds dew against the car. Most people know this.
Gravel is better, because there is no grass to prevent wind from going under the car. Dew will still come up, repeats of this are not good over time but a breezy area will keep it reasonable underneath. Still not ideal.
Sand may or may not be better. If the sand has dew or will hold moisture it is no better. Have seen wooden posts dry rot away in what seems like a really dry gound, the moisture cycles do their damage.
Sheds, concrete floors:
Roof keeps sun off, generally a good thing!
Open air is better than partly open if you are going to leave something sit. Most of the year, an enclosed concrete floor is fine. In the spring, bad things can happen.
All winter the floor is cold. In an enclosed shed, the air and sun do not warm the concrete. Air will warm before the concrete. Moist air, warmer than the concrete, makes crazy condensation worse than any grass could ever strive for. I have seen farm equipment DRIPPING water off because the air got to 50 degrees from a south wind and the floor was still 35. Open the shed, pull your stuff out. Or run a dehumidifier, or pop a heater on to warm the floor even if you have to set the temp to 85 degrees lol.
Obviously a climate controlled or year round heated shed will not have this issue.
Other sheds:
I grew up with barns and machine sheds built in the 1800's. Our main machine shed had 4 bays, was all wood, and had a wood floor. Things from 1890 were in that shed and looked like they were used last week. Wood is amazing for storage. Obviously a good roof and doors to keep out the sun matter.
A second shed we had was built and then had about a foot of sand added. It worked well also, we would back loads of hay bales in sometimes to store over winter and they looked the same a year later as when they went in. Personally I don;t think things were quite as dry and safe in the sand floor as the wood floor, but things kept very well in there.
A third shed was built with one door and made deeper, it only had bare earth. Equipment would sink in the dirt some, but nothing went bad, paint was always nice, bolts didn't rust or anything. We had a wooden Oliver grain drill with the big wheels in there that stayed good, kept it's green paint and the lettering, and didn't rust. The big steel wheels would sink in about 4" every year, but nothing stayed wet.
All of these wooden sheds had equipment in them that was decades old and stored in them year after year to good effect. We had an old truck in the wood floor shed for 15 years and it looked as good as it did when parked when we pulled it back out.
Wood will not have dew. it will absorb humidity in the air, and not expel it so fast as to make condensation beads or the like.
"Barn find" has a meaning for a reason.
Part of the reason wood floors work best is because there is an air space beneath them. Our machine shed had rough cut 2x10's and hewn logs for joists, so there was a large space under. barns are similar. Throwing a sheet of plywood on the bare ground is not going to help.
For OP looking to park on gravel:
Keep the sun off of the paint and interior. Car covers invite mice. One of those car port things they sell would be good.
Jack the car up high enough to allow the air to freely move under the car. This will both keep the car further from the dew/ground, and allow the dew to blow out sooner. Nothing you put on the ground will stop the dew, not really. Not unless there is air space under it too. At a minimum, jack the car and put some old car ramps under the 4 wheels to get it up a good foot higher. Even a set of old steel wheels on their side can provide some extra room if you don't have ramps.
Moisture tends to linger longest in the shade of an east wall on a building. Maybe the sun can't cook it off before it goes past and the shade comes back after noon, not sure.
Dryer sheets help with mice. Chuck them all over, but avoid plastic stuff as sometimes it will react over time. Carpet and seats should be fine. Glove box, trunk, under seats, inside console, behind kick panels, etc. Get an outside cat
In winter, even sitting on the grass, underside will be fine. Once the ground is froze anyway. However, snow is HELL on everything because of the intensification of the sun. Snow won't rot a car, And if the car is blanketed it actually helps protect it. But the sun in winter with no moisture and snow to reflect it is really bad on paint and interiors.
Grass is usually the enemy, it holds dew against the car. Most people know this.
Gravel is better, because there is no grass to prevent wind from going under the car. Dew will still come up, repeats of this are not good over time but a breezy area will keep it reasonable underneath. Still not ideal.
Sand may or may not be better. If the sand has dew or will hold moisture it is no better. Have seen wooden posts dry rot away in what seems like a really dry gound, the moisture cycles do their damage.
Sheds, concrete floors:
Roof keeps sun off, generally a good thing!
Open air is better than partly open if you are going to leave something sit. Most of the year, an enclosed concrete floor is fine. In the spring, bad things can happen.
All winter the floor is cold. In an enclosed shed, the air and sun do not warm the concrete. Air will warm before the concrete. Moist air, warmer than the concrete, makes crazy condensation worse than any grass could ever strive for. I have seen farm equipment DRIPPING water off because the air got to 50 degrees from a south wind and the floor was still 35. Open the shed, pull your stuff out. Or run a dehumidifier, or pop a heater on to warm the floor even if you have to set the temp to 85 degrees lol.
Obviously a climate controlled or year round heated shed will not have this issue.
Other sheds:
I grew up with barns and machine sheds built in the 1800's. Our main machine shed had 4 bays, was all wood, and had a wood floor. Things from 1890 were in that shed and looked like they were used last week. Wood is amazing for storage. Obviously a good roof and doors to keep out the sun matter.
A second shed we had was built and then had about a foot of sand added. It worked well also, we would back loads of hay bales in sometimes to store over winter and they looked the same a year later as when they went in. Personally I don;t think things were quite as dry and safe in the sand floor as the wood floor, but things kept very well in there.
A third shed was built with one door and made deeper, it only had bare earth. Equipment would sink in the dirt some, but nothing went bad, paint was always nice, bolts didn't rust or anything. We had a wooden Oliver grain drill with the big wheels in there that stayed good, kept it's green paint and the lettering, and didn't rust. The big steel wheels would sink in about 4" every year, but nothing stayed wet.
All of these wooden sheds had equipment in them that was decades old and stored in them year after year to good effect. We had an old truck in the wood floor shed for 15 years and it looked as good as it did when parked when we pulled it back out.
Wood will not have dew. it will absorb humidity in the air, and not expel it so fast as to make condensation beads or the like.
"Barn find" has a meaning for a reason.
Part of the reason wood floors work best is because there is an air space beneath them. Our machine shed had rough cut 2x10's and hewn logs for joists, so there was a large space under. barns are similar. Throwing a sheet of plywood on the bare ground is not going to help.
For OP looking to park on gravel:
Keep the sun off of the paint and interior. Car covers invite mice. One of those car port things they sell would be good.
Jack the car up high enough to allow the air to freely move under the car. This will both keep the car further from the dew/ground, and allow the dew to blow out sooner. Nothing you put on the ground will stop the dew, not really. Not unless there is air space under it too. At a minimum, jack the car and put some old car ramps under the 4 wheels to get it up a good foot higher. Even a set of old steel wheels on their side can provide some extra room if you don't have ramps.
Moisture tends to linger longest in the shade of an east wall on a building. Maybe the sun can't cook it off before it goes past and the shade comes back after noon, not sure.
Dryer sheets help with mice. Chuck them all over, but avoid plastic stuff as sometimes it will react over time. Carpet and seats should be fine. Glove box, trunk, under seats, inside console, behind kick panels, etc. Get an outside cat
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Moisture.
We built a cabin at our lake in 1984-85, built a 3 foot pony wall with gravel floor. Covered the gravel floor with vapour barrier, we have not had any problems with moisture.
1974 we parked our original Charger in a wooden machine shed that was built about 1925. It had a gravel floor.Dad had an old wooden sleigh and binder that had been in there since about 1952. They looked the same in 1994 when the farm was sold.
Our original 67 Charger was parked in 1974, rust did not change when we brought it out in 1983.
My belief. Build an un insulated wooden garage, wooden roof, gravel floor no tin roof and park it. If it breathes it is better. This works in our climate, but don’t think it might work in moist climates. Just my opinion.
Forgot to mention. We insulated and vapour barriers the pony wall also. Did not insulate the cabin floor.
We built a cabin at our lake in 1984-85, built a 3 foot pony wall with gravel floor. Covered the gravel floor with vapour barrier, we have not had any problems with moisture.
1974 we parked our original Charger in a wooden machine shed that was built about 1925. It had a gravel floor.Dad had an old wooden sleigh and binder that had been in there since about 1952. They looked the same in 1994 when the farm was sold.
Our original 67 Charger was parked in 1974, rust did not change when we brought it out in 1983.
My belief. Build an un insulated wooden garage, wooden roof, gravel floor no tin roof and park it. If it breathes it is better. This works in our climate, but don’t think it might work in moist climates. Just my opinion.
Forgot to mention. We insulated and vapour barriers the pony wall also. Did not insulate the cabin floor.
Last edited:
Some Car Guy
Well-Known Member
I used to park stuff on gravel all the time. None of it rusted. I even tarped them, just like you aren’t supposed to do. Sometimes I used a car cover thing, but those tended to rip in the wind after awhile. Water getting inside a car will rot its guts right away. Leaves and pine needles will clog up drains and all sorts of things. Then they rot.
i had a car from New Mexico that was stored that way, one from MississippI, one from Georgia, one from New York. Just off the top of my head, I had more. All stored that same way, the one from New York spent the most time in the garage. It sat for 8 years at one point. It was rusty in the same places in the same way after all that time.
park a rusty car and it will be rusty when you pull it out. I think guys don’t pay attention or even realize the extent of the rust on their car, then think it was storage that caused it because when they get the car out, that’s the first time they looked closely.
when you stop and think about 50+ year old cars, and how they made it this long, the idea that parking them on xyz surface and it destroying them doesn’t hold water.
i had a car from New Mexico that was stored that way, one from MississippI, one from Georgia, one from New York. Just off the top of my head, I had more. All stored that same way, the one from New York spent the most time in the garage. It sat for 8 years at one point. It was rusty in the same places in the same way after all that time.
park a rusty car and it will be rusty when you pull it out. I think guys don’t pay attention or even realize the extent of the rust on their car, then think it was storage that caused it because when they get the car out, that’s the first time they looked closely.
when you stop and think about 50+ year old cars, and how they made it this long, the idea that parking them on xyz surface and it destroying them doesn’t hold water.
