Car Storage FAQs

RI Car Storage Vault Questions

We love to answer all the questions you may have about our car storage facility. These are the most common questions we receive.

Our facility has a designated, secure, drive-up staging area with access by appointment only. Upon leaving, the security door is shut for you during business hours or closed by you with prearranged after-hours service. Our package variations offer the freedom to drop off or pick up your car 24/7/365. A one-time access code will be provided for opening the staging area garage door. Our facility features multiple cameras inside and outside the garage bay to monitor all activity. Several procedures are adhered to at our location, providing ultimate protection for your car. You may take pictures of your car condition during drop off, but this is a part of our morning take in procedure. All receiving photos will be uploaded and stored to your online portal account for review. If you choose a package with detailing services, more photos will provide a before and after glimpse for your review. This photo intake and service update process is something that I wish other facilities had been providing for years. Our past experiences helped pave the way for our facility to take car care to the next level.
In a word, EASILY! We provide multiple ways for you to contact us. Any of our services can be scheduled via your online portal access. Send us a quick email to the dedicated request email address provided during the package sign up process. You may call or text us any time. There’s a monitored, dedicated voicemail box for after-hours phone calls for your convenience. All requests, regardless of origin, are logged in your online portal. If there is a fee to associated with your request, you can either pay with the stored card information you provided or choose a different credit card, bank account, or e-check instead.
This is not a feature seen at any other car storage facility in the area, so we understand why you would ask. Personally, I had a battery tender fail during a car storage before starting my own facility. Neither I nor the car storage facility knew that my battery had failed, so when it came time to collect my car in the Spring, the battery was completely flat which cut into my personal time. Our facility removes this possibility by providing an active outlet monitoring system as a standard feature with all our packages. Knowing if your battery has stopped drawing power, and for how long, allows us time to check the battery tender and provide a solution before it is too late. You will be notified if we believe your battery is not optimal, and provide optional solutions, so that you won’t be stuck like I was when the time comes to use your stored vehicle.
Our East Providence, RI Car Storage Vault facility currently has a 10-foot max overhead door. We are reviewing options to increase this height in the future since we have a 16-foot ceiling height inside the facility itself.
There are many reasons to choose a dedicated tire storage facility for your seasonal tires. Tires need to be stored indoors in a properly climate-controlled environment. Idle tire rubbers deteriorate due to natural aging and oxidation. Crazed surfaces and cracks appear on tires indicating ultraviolet light and ozone damages when left to the seasonal elements. While this is not only unsightly, it may lead to slow leaks or even tire failure due to the weakened tire carcass. Note that tires on frequently driven vehicles do not suffer these occurrences because oils within the tire rubber feed the surface during natural tire flex while driving, thus protecting the rubber. Most importantly, tires need to be cleaned before you they are stored away for the season, a service we provide with our packages.

Not all people have access to a truck or SUV to transport their winter tires to and from the shop. At our facility, we have the solution. We offer free pickup and delivery of your stored tires to local shops near our car & tire storage facility. This list of over 15 service providers is included with our tire storage packages. If you prefer a tire service provider not on our list, don’t worry, we can still take care of the transport for you with a small additional fee.
Yes! We are fully insured to store your vehicle in our facility. Like all storage facilities you are still required to have insurance on your vehicle while it's in store. Call your insurance company and let them know your car is going to be stored for a short time as most insurance companies offer discounts when you’re not actively driving your vehicle.
Yes! We have dozens of monitored, state-of-the-art cameras on the inside, outside, and in our staging area with motion sensors. Additionally, we monitor the climate and are alerted instantly if the temperature or humidity is too high or too low. We even have multiple water leak detectors for that extra peace of mind.
No! The privacy of our customers, and their cars, are the top priority for us. People can enter the staging area to drop off or pick up a car with a predetermined security code only. No one has access to the main storage area and will not be allowed to ogle other cars. We take pride in providing top level privacy as this is not common practice at other storage facility companies.
No! Our system lets us block out the other cars around it. You will have full view of your car and the space between. This is a unique feature not offered at other storage facilities in the area. To ensure we provide the best services to our customers, we researched other facilities. Amongst our research one of the car storage facilities was noted to give their "high-end" clients access to a camera in the garage, but it was low quality and not filtered or focused on one car. This was not how we wanted to do things, so we setup a dedicated camera per car featured in our PLATINUM package with HD quality feed of your car, and only your car.
Yes! During the summer, your car can be stored from 1 to 7 months, based on your individual needs, with no commitment required. However, in the Winter Months, we do require a 5-month commitment from November to March. The exception to this is granted by selecting a winter package that gives you access to your car during the winter months as needed. In addition, some packages allow car swapping meaning you could store one car for a short time and then store a different care for the rest of the package duration.
Yes! Our 24/7 contactless pick up and drop off services require a unique code to enter the staging area. It is your choice whether to share this unique code with someone else. You are responsible for who you send to pick up your vehicle and they must be aware of all rules and procedures prior to visiting on your behalf.
Yes! You are welcome to check out the staging area and meet with one or both owners to discuss your storage needs. However, the main storage facility is off limits as we take the security and privacy of our clients and their stowed items seriously.
Our discreet and secure indoor car storage facility is conveniently located off Rte. 195 in East Providence, RI – just minutes from both Providence and Seekonk, Massachusetts.

General Car Storage Questions

There are many myths surrounding the need for indoor car storage and multiple opinions regarding the best way to store your car during your typical New England winter. Below are some of the most popular questions and concerns we’ve received on the subject.

100% Yes! Even if you have your own garage, there are benefits to using a secure, indoor, climate-controlled car storage facility. The need for proper winter storage is best explained by sharing the story of my 2016 BMW Z4. I loved that car! I did all the right things to prepare it for the winter and even started it regularly as was suggested online. When Spring finally arrived, I hit the road on the first sunny day, heard some strange sounds, and investigated immediately. No! A family of mice had moved into the motor, firewall, and the air intake system. This was thousands of dollars’ worth of damage to fix. I had to trade the car in for a huge loss after one year of ownership. I vowed the mistake of not using a professional facility would never happen again.
It depends on your garage and how much time you have available to maintain your car properly, but in most cases, the answer is YES. Dramatic and quick temperature changes occur each time a garage is opened and closed. Proper temperature and humidity levels are important and can present major problems when not properly maintained. Tires can lose pressure, develop flat spots, and lead to costly repairs. Car leather can splinter and crack if the humidity is too low. If your garage has windows, you must be vigilant against UV ray damages to your vehicle’s paint and tires. Let’s face another fact, no matter how hard you try, all household garages have a mouse or two get in over the winter. They can and will get into your garage and cause thousands of dollars’ worth of damage…I know this from experience.
We have “dynamic” car storage packages for the winter, so you would be able to get your car out of storage by request. Most car storage facilities in the area offer “static” storage meaning once you drop it off for in the winter, you can’t drive it again until the spring. We do offer “static” storage packages, but most people choose the car storage package that allows them to take the vehicle when they need it. Maybe you need your vehicle for something other than driving? Sometimes the best car deals happen during the winter and you may need your car to sell or trade into a dealership.

There was a car storage facility in Rhode Island that wanted an additional $500 package fee to take a car out of storage in the winter because they needed to move cars around to get to the car. Outrageous! The difference between our “static” and “dynamic” winter car storage packages is only $20 and comes with some other nice benefits. Well worth the upgrade!

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