Even though it hasn’t felt like it, winter is here and some of us store our vehicles in a location that is out of the weather. However, you need to be careful. We heard of an individual whose vehicle was being stored in a rural warehouse that hadn’t been inspected in years. The rafters were rotten, the roof couldn’t support the weight of the snow and ice and the building collapsed on several vehicles being stored inside. The individual was fortunate, as only part of the building collapsed and crushed just one of the five cars he was storing inside. The roof of his BMW was nearly flattened, breaking all window glass and bending the door frames. In addition, a beam ripped a large gash in the trunk and blew out the tail lights. The car was a total loss. This same situation often happens with metal carports that were not built to withstand much weight on top.
Whenever you store a vehicle, make sure the building you’re storing it in can handle the weight of the snow and that the rafters have been inspected recently to ensure they are sound. If you are paying for storage, never take it for granted that the building owner has insurance to cover the contents (your auto). The owner likely carries only enough insurance to cover losses to his structure, not what’s inside. Always insure your vehicle and include comprehensive coverage while in storage, and make sure it is stored away from objects that could fall on it.