Most people shopping for boat or RV storage start with the wrong question.
They ask how wide the space is. Width is almost never the problem. A single-axle bass boat and a 40-foot fifth wheel both fit comfortably between the lines. What sends people back to the drawing board — usually after they’ve already hitched up and driven over — is length.
If you take one thing from this guide: measure your rig bumper to bumper, add the tongue or hitch, add anything that hangs off the back, then add five feet. That number is what you’re shopping for.
Here’s how the rest of the decision breaks down.
Start with length, and be honest about it
The single most common sizing mistake is measuring the boat or trailer and forgetting everything attached to it.
A few things people routinely leave out:
- The tongue and coupler. On a boat trailer this is often 3–4 feet of additional length beyond the hull.
- The outboard motor. Tilted up, a motor can add 2–3 feet past the transom.
- Swim platforms and bow pulpits. Easy to overlook, frequently the reason a boat doesn’t clear.
- Spare tire carriers, bike racks, and cargo boxes. All of it counts.
- Ladders and rear-mounted A/C on travel trailers.
Then add maneuvering room. A space that matches your rig’s length to the inch means you’ll be inching in and out with no margin for a crooked approach. Five feet of buffer turns a stressful ten-minute park job into a thirty-second one.
Across our sites, vehicle spaces run from 15 feet deep up to 50 feet deep. That range covers everything from a compact car or utility trailer to a Class A motorhome — but the difference between a 30-foot space and a 40-foot space is the difference between “it fits” and “it fits, and I can get to the storage bay door.”
Rough guide by vehicle type
| What you’re storing | Typical length | Space depth to look for |
|---|---|---|
| Car, small SUV, utility trailer | 12–18 ft | 20 ft |
| Bass boat / small runabout on trailer | 18–22 ft | 25–30 ft |
| Pontoon, ski boat, mid-size cuddy | 22–28 ft | 30–35 ft |
| Travel trailer, small Class C | 25–32 ft | 35–40 ft |
| Fifth wheel, large Class C | 32–38 ft | 40–45 ft |
| Class A motorhome, wake boat w/ tower | 38–45 ft | 45–50 ft |
Treat this as a starting point, not gospel. Manufacturer “length” specs are notoriously optimistic and rarely include the hitch.
Covered, uncovered, or fully enclosed
These are three genuinely different products, and the right one depends less on your budget than on how long the vehicle sits.
Uncovered parking is a marked outdoor space on a paved or graveled lot inside the gate. It’s the most economical option and it’s the right call for vehicles that move regularly — a work trailer, a second car, a boat you’re pulling out most weekends in summer. It’s also the most widely available; we run uncovered spaces at more than two dozen locations.
Covered parking puts a roof over the vehicle. In Oklahoma, Texas, and Arkansas, that roof is doing more work than people expect. It’s not primarily about rain — it’s about UV and hail. Sustained sun exposure is what chalks gelcoat, cracks dashboards, fades decals, and turns vinyl seating brittle. Covered spaces run deeper on average than uncovered ones, which also makes them the practical choice for longer rigs.
Enclosed drive-up units are the maximum-protection option: a fully walled unit with a roll-up door. Worth it for classic cars, restoration projects, motorcycles, and anything where you care about the finish as much as the function. The tradeoff is width — an enclosed unit constrains you on both dimensions, so measure carefully.
Dedicated boat storage is its own category. Our Eufaula II site runs purpose-built boat spaces at 40 to 50 feet deep, sized for larger lake boats that simply won’t fit a standard parking space.
If the vehicle is going to sit for more than a season, the math usually favors covered. A single hailstorm can cost more than several years of the price difference.
What lake country changes
If you’re storing near Lake Fork, Lake Eufaula, Grand Lake, Tenkiller, Broken Bow, or Lake Tawakoni, the calculus shifts in two ways.
First, demand is seasonal and it’s spiky. Covered spaces near the water are the first to go, and they tend to go in early spring before anyone has launched. Waiting until Memorial Day weekend to sort out storage generally means taking whatever’s left — which is usually uncovered, and usually shorter than you wanted. If you know you’ll need a space in April, reserve it in February.
Second, the drive matters more than the price. A space that saves you fifteen dollars a month but adds twenty-five minutes to each round trip is not a good trade when you’re launching most weekends. Storage near the ramp is worth paying for. Storage forty-five minutes away quietly turns into “the boat that never comes out.”
Our lake-adjacent locations include Lake Fork and Alba in the Lake Fork basin, Quitman and Van in East Texas, Lake Tawakoni, the Eufaula sites on Lake Eufaula, Monkey Island on Grand Lake, Tahlequah near Tenkiller, and Broken Bow.
Before you park it for the season
A vehicle that sits is not a vehicle at rest. Fluids settle, batteries drain, rodents look for shelter, and rubber degrades. A little prep prevents most of it.
Fuel and fluids. Fill the tank to roughly 95% and add a stabilizer — a full tank prevents condensation on the interior walls, which is the source of most water-in-fuel problems. Change the oil before storage rather than after; used oil is acidic and shouldn’t sit in an engine for months.
Battery. Disconnect it, or better, pull it and keep it on a maintainer. A battery left connected in a stored vehicle will typically be dead in six to eight weeks from parasitic draw alone.
Tires. Inflate to the maximum sidewall rating before storage — tires lose pressure over time, and an underinflated tire sitting in one position for months develops flat spots. If the vehicle will sit longer than six months, consider jack stands.
Water systems (RVs). Drain and blow out the lines, and bypass the water heater. Freeze damage to plumbing is the single most expensive winter storage failure, and it’s completely preventable.
Pests. Steel wool in exhaust and intake openings, dryer sheets in the cabin, and no food left aboard — not even sealed snacks. Rodent damage to wiring harnesses is common and expensive.
Cover it, but breathe it. If you use a cover, use a breathable one. A plastic tarp traps moisture against the surface and does more harm than sun exposure would have.
Boats specifically: drain the bilge and livewells completely, remove the drain plug and store it somewhere you’ll remember, flush the engine, and store the outdrive in the down position so water drains out rather than pooling.
Questions worth asking before you sign
- How deep is the space, in feet? Not “will my boat fit” — get the number and compare it to your own measurement.
- What are the access hours? If you launch at dawn, a facility that opens at 8 a.m. is a problem.
- What’s the surface? Gravel is fine for most rigs; it’s harder on low-clearance vehicles and messier in wet weather.
- Is there room to turn around? A long space on a narrow drive aisle can be harder to use than a shorter space with good geometry.
- What does the gate log? Individual access codes create a record of who entered and when.
- Does the facility require insurance, registration, or proof of operability? Most do. Sort it out before move-in day rather than in the office.
- Is there a dump station or wash area? Not universal, but valuable if you’re storing an RV.
The short version
Measure your rig including everything that sticks out, add five feet, and shop by depth. Choose covered if it’s sitting through a season, uncovered if it’s moving weekly, enclosed if the finish matters. Near the lakes, book early and stay close to the ramp. And spend the hour on prep — stabilizer, battery, tires, water lines — because that hour is what determines whether the first trip out next season is a launch or a tow.
Ready to find a space? Browse vehicle and RV storage, covered parking, and trailer storage across our Oklahoma, Texas, and Arkansas locations, or check our unit size guide if you’re also sorting out indoor storage.
FAQ
How long of a storage space do I need for my boat?
Measure from the tip of the trailer tongue to the furthest point at the rear — including the outboard motor tilted up and any swim platform — then add about five feet for maneuvering. Most boats on trailers need 25 to 35 feet of depth; larger wake boats and cruisers need 40 to 50.
Is covered RV storage worth the extra cost?
If the RV sits for more than a season, usually yes. The roof protects against hail and UV, which cause most of the cosmetic and seal damage in this region. A single hail event typically costs more than the multi-year price difference between covered and uncovered.
Can I store a car long-term outdoors?
You can, but an enclosed drive-up unit is a better choice for anything you care about cosmetically — classic cars, restoration projects, low-mileage vehicles. Outdoor storage is well suited to daily drivers, work vehicles, and second cars that still move regularly.
Do I need to keep my RV or boat registered while it’s in storage?
Most facilities require current registration and proof of insurance for vehicle storage, and many require that the vehicle be operable. Confirm the specific requirements before your move-in date.
When should I reserve lake-area boat storage?
Late winter to early spring. Covered spaces near the water are typically the first to fill, and by the start of the season the remaining inventory is mostly uncovered and shorter.