I have had enough, my life is not improving. Still having foreclosure issues on the house even after two years, why is it taking so long, can't they just get it over with. It has been two years since my partner's passing and still hitting me from beyond.

Well, enough on that. Just wanted to thank all the great people in RCU who have helped me throughout the years here, but I am putting my RCs in storage until my priorities are taken care of (except for two banged up sailplanes I am trying to learn on) and I wanted to ask . . .

What is the best way to store RCs for long periods?
Taking the electronics out, engine off, wrapping them for storage, plugging up the carberator and such to keep debris out. Or keeping them all in/on the plane, wrapping the motor and covering the electronics and keeping in storage. Or just store the plane as is and just plug the carberator from debris.

Keeping everything in room temperature storage or in a cool dark storage?
Will I need to oil the engine once in a while to keep it in good shape?
Will I need to charge all the batteries occassionally to keep them from burning out?
Is a good or bad idea to cover the plane with a sheet or something to keep clean during the long storage?

How do you all store yours for long periods?
And how long can you safely store fuel?

As I said I will be continuing on with the banged up sailplanes I have when I have the chance, and I will still be visiting RCU, but family and prioties will have to come first . . . I will learn to fly some day

Thank you all.

Just remove the batteries from the plane. I like to fire up my engines then empty the fuel tank then fire up the engines again to run out any left over fuel.
Here is where you will see a lot of other ideas. I run Powermaster fuel that has some castor oil in it so I don't bother with putting in any after run oil. Some do and some don't. I live in a very dry area so I have never had problems with rust. Others swear they must add after run oil. If you live in a damp area then by all means use it, doesn't hurt to be safe but the only engines I have ever had a problem with I used after run oil.
Covering a plane isn't a bad idea but it's only dust and comes off when I'm ready to get them back up. If you want then go ahead and cover them up. I leave in my gear, no reason to remove it.
If after storage your engines are stiff just heat them up with a shrink gun to soften up the castor oil that has hardened. This does happen but if you run them dry I haven't had the problem.
As for your house, I have several friends going through the same thing and there are a lot of folks in my area having the same problems. Hang in there!! It gets better in time but it's sure no fun !!!

I'll add to Grey Beards good advise. If you live, or are storing the planes anywhere near the ocean, pull the electronics and the engines and put them in a box under your bed. . The salt air will coorode the cables and circuits over time. Also, don't store them in an area where you will get wild swings in temp. IE in a garage that isn't heated in the winter, or gets to 110 in the humid summer. If you have a dry basement, hang the planes from the rafters with and old sheet over them. Make sure to check now and then for critters, mainly mice, who have decided the plane makes a nice condo.

I would also pull any and all foam and rubber bandsout of the plane, and pull the fuel tank and flush it with denatured acohol. I've aquired a few planes over that last four years that have been in "storage" for a few years, and some times longer. Rubber breaks down over time. One plane was a 33% Laser 2000 that had never flown. The foam used around the batteries and tanks was breaking down and crumbeling. I've seen it turn to an Oily Goo in other long term storage, not necessarly in a plane. The Laser had sat on a shelf and the light weight foam wheels had colapsed to the point they looked like your car with a fully flat tires. Those have to be replaced. Also, planes in long term storage have the fuel lines go bad, so pulling the tank and all the lines is a very good idea. If you don't before storage, make sure you do before trying to fly it again.I would say that 75%of the stored planes I'veaquired had the clunk line broken and the tank bungshrunk to the point of leaking. Any steel landing gears and pushrods, or other steel items, should have at least a coat of car wax on them to prevent them from rusting. Last, after a long storage, test the covering in an easilly patched spot for having gone brittle over time.

Last on the fuel. An unopened jug/can is good for several years if stored inside the house where it doesn't get to hot or to cold. An open jug will not last as long, Make sure you put the plastic plugsin before putting the cap backon. If you have a coupleopen containers,thatare both good, you may want to combine then into one full or fuller jug. Leave about thesame air space as a fresh from the store jug does and make sure ithas the plug and cap and it should store nearly as long as fresh fuel would.One of the guys at our field, who I head his advise on most things, recomends that for long term storage, fill the tank and then use a line between the pickup and vent toseal the tank. As long as air cant get in, there is little evaporation.Just remember to pull the vent line off first.

Don

Best of luck. Everything always gets better at some point.

Hi Don, I didn't even give the fuel tanks a thought, I reline or replace my old tanks after storage anyway but when I do the rebuild on them I usually have to flush out that nasty old oil that gunks up. Don and I both live in pretty dry climates so we don't have a lot of storage trouble. I leave my fuel in my shop without trouble, I have even used up my old K&B fuel and it was just fine, that was some old fuel!!! What we don't have is high humidity so we aren't bothered with moisture. My shop goes from 120 down to the mid 20s, {But it is a dry Hot and Cold!!}
When I put a plane back together I also clean all my wires with electrical cleaner, the RX too but as Don mentioned, I don't live by any body of water at all.
You may want to follow Camps instructions living in your area of the country.
But it's a dry Heat!!! So is Fire!!!

I am not near an ocean but we have very cold winters, a cellar that leaks, and poorly insulated old house.

SHD I,ve nothing to add beyond what Campgems and GB has already said but would like to say I wish you well with your priorities and I respect that.

Whatever you do or wherever you go do try to hang onto your gliders. They would not bring in much in the way of money but at some point in time you just may be able to pitch one off a ridge somewhere and that just may be the catalyst that keeps ya going.

Best of luck and it will get better.

John

Thank you for all your advice and kind words.

One more thing, should the glow plugs be removed from the engines or will they be ok?

Leave them in, helps keep moisture out.


John

I'd pull the batteries to avoid any leakage, depending on the time frame you do put them away for...I store my batteries in the fridge.
I'd seal off the openings on the engine, as I do live near the ocean and have problems in just a couple of weeks. I was shocked to change a backplate needle valve on an old OS FX 46 and find in just a few months a lot of rust inside, and I was religious about after run oil too.
I just didn't use enough, now I flood the engines with it (Marvel Mystery Oil) as a precaution. Lots of salt air in Florida and this time of year, it rains every single day. Needless to say I dedicated a bedroom with AC to store everything, and leave worthless things in the garage now. http://www.hangtimes.com/id35.html