Blog | Northern Virginia Self Storage | Gateway Storage Center

Veterans Day: Thank You to All Who Have Served

Posted on November 11, 2013 by Amanda Chambers - Uncategorized

Gateway Storage Center would like to extend our deepest and sincerest thanks and blessings to all the brave men and women who have served our country throughout the years, and for their families who supported them. We cannot show our appreciation enough for all the sacrifices you have made to give us all the liberties and freedoms we hold dear.

Being up the street from Quantico & Fort Belvoir and down the road from our nation’s capital and the surrounding military installations, we see first-hand the wonderful service of our Armed Forces. Often they come by our facility for our car storage or container storage services before being deployed overseas. We say thank you then and are saying thank you now for all that you do.

To all the veterans and those currently on Active Duty, thank you for your service and your sacrifice. We wish you all the best and hope you enjoy a wonderful holiday weekend with your families.

Happy Veterans Day!

How to Prepare Your RV for Winter Storage

Posted on November 4, 2013 by Amanda Chambers - Parking, Storage

Sigh…though we really don’t like this topic because it means that it’s going to start getting colder out, it is important to be prepared when Winter comes. Unless you’re headed to Orlando or Gulf Shores Alabama this Winter, you’ll need to “winterize” your RV so it’s ready when Spring comes around. Here’s a quick checklist of how to prepare your RV for Winter storage:

Turn off everything – turn off the LP gas tank and the thermostat. You’ll also want to empty out your water heater, water tank, and holding tank
Inspect the exterior – check the outside of your RV for any cracks, seals or seam leaks, and repair those. Close all windows and roof vents. Wash and wax your RV, then protect it from the elements with an RV cover
Clean the interior – clean the carpets, counters, and surfaces. Essentially wipe down everything. You don’t want to open your RV after the Winter and find a funky sell. Close the blinds to protect the interior from sunlight
Clean out the fridge – a must-do. Throw out anything perishable in the fridge and cabinets. Defrost your fridge, wipe it down, and place an open box of baking soda to absorb odors
Get your RV a checkup – take your RV to get serviced and lubricated
Check on your RV monthly – even after you’ve put it in storage, it’s good to go by and check on it monthly. The cover may have blown off and you want to just do a visual check for any cuts in the cover or any other damage. Better to catch any problems early!

Needing a place to store your RV for the Winter? Gateway Storage Center has your answer. We provide RV parking and storage solutions for Springfield, Alexandria, Fairfax, and the surrounding Northern Virginia area. We offer flexible terms and affordable prices at our secure facility located right off of I-95 in Lorton, VA.

Give us a call today or stop by to learn more about our RV storage services!

RV Trips: Things to Do on the Road

Posted on October 27, 2013 by Amanda Chambers - Lifestyle

Ahh the wide open road…so much to see and so much to do. There are so many sites to see and things to do, hard to do them all in one trip. Here’s a helpful list of things to do on your next RV trip:

Golf – break out the clubs and check out the links; these are fun to just walk too
Bicycling – mountain biking or just trekking around a quiet town, get out and find your own adventure. Maybe you’ll stumble onto Foamhenge
Hiking – climb a mountain (or a hill), enjoy the great outdoors
Fishing – enough said
Kayaking – maybe save this for the warmer months, but it’s nice to get out on a lake or river and paddle around
Camping – nothing like a nice campfire coupled with the peace and quiet of the woods; cooking some hot dogs and a cold one definitely adds to the picture too!
Line Dancing – find yourself a nice local bar and get to your boot scootin’ boogie on!
RV Park Activities – tons of stuff to do, including tennis, shuffleboard, board games, bingo, card games, pickleball, cornhole, and tons more

Tips for Hauling Trailers

Posted on October 17, 2013 by Amanda Chambers - Parking, Storage

Since we have many trailer hauling friends out there, we wanted to pass along some helpful tips for hauling trailers across this fine country of ours.

Getting Hitched

Before you embark on your next adventure, and especially before you latch on that trailer, check the label on your hitch to make sure your hitch can handle the load of the trailer. Checked that box? Good. Ok now you need to jack up the trailer a bit, drive your truck in reverse until the hitch ball is centered to receive the trailer couple. Once you’re all lined up, put your truck in park and put on the parking brake. You can never be too safe. Next slowly lower the trailer down until it’s completely seated. Engage the latching mechanism. Now you can hook up the trailer’s electrical chords. Don’t forget the safety chains, which are best attached in a cross-cross pattern. They should be loose enough to allow for turns but should not drag.

Braking

Remember that whole “objects in motion tend to stay in motion” deal from high school physics? Well, it’s true. And now you’re lugging a lot more weight, so be sure to give yourself extra space between you and whatever is in front of you when needing to slow down. Also the faster you’re going, the more space you’ll need as well.

Weight Distribution

To avoid your trailer rocking and rolling out of line, make sure you load it properly. You want the weight distributed evenly from left to right, and from front to back.

Backing Up

The dreaded backing up. Frustrating for most first timers. Use this trick and you’ll master it easily: place your hand at the bottom of the steering wheel and turn the wheel the direction you want the trailer to go. Turning the wheel clockwise will make the trailer go left, turning counterclockwise will make it go right.

Turning

Your rig is much longer now, about twice the size of your truck. So give yourself plenty of space while turning. The wheels of your trailer will always make a sharper turn than those of your truck, so make wide turns.

Parking

You finally made it to your destination! After all that fun with loading your trailer, turning, and backing up, now you’re ready to park it. If possible, have someone out of the truck helping you park. Once you’re in place, put the truck in park, put the parking break on, THEN let go of the break. Finally make sure to put blocks around the tires of your trailer to keep it in place.

Gateway Storage Center provides trailer parking and storage services for all types of trailers. With flexible terms and affordable rates, we’re the best choice for Alexandria, Springfield, and Woodbridge trailer parking. Give us a call today to learn more!

RV Accessories

Posted on October 7, 2013 by Amanda Chambers - Parking

One of the most fun things about RV’s, besides the ability to spontaneously get up and go anywhere whenever you want, is the ability to accessorize. There is nothing more fun that tricking out your RV with the coolest gadgets and gizmos. Don’t forget about the necessities too. From hitches & towing to outdoor furniture and awnings, you can find anything and everything to add to your RV. Here are some examples of categories and RV accessories within each category you might want to look into before embarking on your next road trip:

Air & Heat – heaters, vent covers, fans, thermostats
Appliances – propane regulators, propane camp fires, fire pits, portable grills
Awnings, Screens, & Accessories – collapsible awnings, window screens, step braces, window thermometers
Battery Chargers – batter charger/maintainer, Amp charger
Bedding & Furnishing – oak accents, sheets & towels
Cleaning & Storage – wheel and tire protector, trash bag storage, sealant, roof maintenance
Freshwater Systems – hoses, valves, pumps
Hitching & Towing – D-rings, straps, twine
Jacks & Leveling – wheel chock, leveling blocks, jack pads
Outdoor Furniture – grilling tables, folding chairs
Power & Electrical – extension cables,
Renewable Energy – solar panels, LED safety light
RV & Trailer Covers – camper covers, spare tire covers
Safety Kits – road assistance kits, flares
Waste Water & Sanitation – sewer hose extensions and supports, water filters, holding tank deodorizer

Gateway Storage Center offers parking and storage for RV’s and trailers of all sizes. We service Springfield, Lorton, Woodbridge, and Alexandria, VA. We offer flexible terms, affordable prices, 24-hour gate access, and extra-wide aisle ways for easy navigation. Give us a call today to learn more about our RV parking and storage solutions.

How to Pick the Right Car Cover

Posted on September 25, 2013 by Amanda Chambers - Parking, Storage

The first step in deciding what type of car cover you need is determining what dangers you need to protect your car from. If storing outside, you’ve got the weather elements to worry about, mainly rain, snow, and UV damage, plus birds and other debris flying around in the wind. If storing inside, you’ve got dust, condensation, and the worry of garage debris toppling over on your beauty when you’re digging out Halloween decorations.

Now that you’ve figured out where you’re going to be storing your car and what elements you need to protect from, you need to know the types of car covers:

Outdoor Car Covers – these heavy duty covers protect your car year-round and often feature a multi-layered design to protect your car from dings, debris, and weather damage
Indoor Car Covers – these are less-heavy duty but are fully equipped to protect against scratches, dings, dust, and condensation
Custom Car Covers – these hug every curve of your car, from your side mirrors to headlights, you are covered
Universal Car Covers – these protect your car without taking a bite out of your wallet, coming in a variety of sizes and styles to project your car and save you some money

When searching for the right car cover, make sure you find one that is:

Breathes – you want a breathable cover to allow moisture to escape from below the cover and keep condensation off of your finish
Weather Resistance – this is a given, make sure you also know the weather in your area so you can make the best choice. Car cover needs differ from Upstate NY to North Carolina to South Florida
Soft – with most paint jobs being about 0.006 inches thick, you want to be extra careful when it comes to scratches. Find a cover that features a soft, satin lining
Mildew Resistance – just like your shower curtain, you want to protect your cover against the moisture in your garage or the rain/snow outside and get one that’s resistance to fungi and rotting

Do your homework and find a car cover that works the best for your car, your location, your peace of mind, and your wallet. Good luck!

What RV Type is Best for You?

Posted on September 17, 2013 by Amanda Chambers - Parking

We all have our preferences when it comes to our vehicles: trucks vs. cars vs. minivans. When it comes to RVs, there are just about as many choices as red sports cars. When it comes to RVs, there are three main types:

Motorhomes (which include bus conversions)
Travel trailers (also known as towables)
Truck campers

Motorhomes, as the name implies, are your vehicle and living quarters combined. Motorhomes are further broken down into 3 classes:

Class A are the largest and are the ones most people think of when they think of RVs. These are the ones the College Gameday Boys roll around in.
Class B are the smallest, built on a van chassis. Though some live in these full time, most don’t. They’re meant for shorter periods of live-in time.
Class C which are in the middle, also built on a van chassis, and feature the extended section over the cab which normally has an extra bed in it

Towables are the ones you pull behind your truck (or car). They include travel trailers (in British, these are the “caravans”), fifth wheels, teardrop trailer, and pop-up campers. Travel trailers and fifth wheels are the most convenient for long-time living. Fifth wheels are the big boys that need to be pulled by a pickup or heavy duty truck. Some of these can be as big as 40ft-long and weigh up to 18,000 pounds. Travel trailers tend to be less expensive than fifth wheels. Fifth wheels offer more living space and are easier to tow than travel trailers.

Truck campers are temporary units that fit in the bed of your pickup. These are mainly used for hunters, fishermen, and other backwoods travelers. These are popular in North America.

So there you have it: your rundown of RVs. Now you just need to decide what you want an RV for, and then go find the right one that fits your needs.

And when you’ve found the RV that’s perfect for you, you’re going to need a place to store it! Gateway Storage Center provides RV parking and storage for all varieties of RVs. You can even park your towables with your RV. Our secure, well-lit facility features extra-wide aisle ways, snow removal for those Winter days (just around the corner), and 24-hour gate access. We offer affordable rates and flexible terms, so you can choose the option that best fits your RV parking needs.

Give us a call today or stop by and visit us! We’re conveniently located in Lorton, VA, just off of I-95. Hope to see you soon!

Have a Great Labor Day Weekend!

Posted on August 30, 2013 by Amanda Chambers - Parking, Storage

Yay it’s finally Labor Day Weekend!! Seems like it’s been awhile since we had an actual extended weekend. Time to get out and enjoy some fun in the sun and on the water.

Here at Gateway Storage Center, we fully expect our boat storage yard to be completely cleared out this weekend as everyone will be hitting the water. What’s nice is that it doesn’t matter what time of day you want to pick up your boat because Gateway Storage provides 24 hour gate access. So you can get out on the water and beat everyone else to the best spots.

If you’re not one of our happy customers and haven’t found the best place to park your liberty vessel upon return, give us a call and learn why Gateway Storage Center is the trusted leader for Woodbridge, Springfield, and Alexandria boat storage solutions. Conveniently located just off of I-95 with several boat launching ramps nearby, Gateway Storage Center is the best place to store your boat and trailer. Gateway Storage Center has ease of access, electric hook-ups, flexible terms and competitive rates. We make sure your boat is safe and secure in between trips to your favorite fishing hole, or wherever you find paradise out on the water.

So get off the computer and go enjoy your long weekend. The water is calling you! And when you get back, give us a call and learn more about our affordable boat storage options.

Have a wonderful and safe Labor Day Weekend everybody!

Woodbridge Truck Parking

Posted on August 26, 2013 by Amanda Chambers - Parking

Are you new to the area and having difficulty finding a place to park your 18 wheeler in Northern Virginia? Many places have zoning restrictions and don’t allow you to park your semi in certain lots. You want some place that’s safe and secure to park your truck in between the long hauls. Gateway Storage Center is your answer.

Gateway Storage Center provides Woodbridge Truck Parking services for all types and sizes of trucks and other heavy duty and commercial vehicles. We offer several options to fulfill your business needs, including short-term, month-to-month, and yearly rates on parking and storage spaces. We provide controlled access to your trucks, outfitting each of your trucks with trackable remote access control devices. Our professional grade gating system keeps your business running smoothly, with 24 hour access, 7 days a week. Your employees and drivers can access your trucks at any time to get on the road earlier or arrive late after a trip.

Our facility features extensive lighting throughout the parking and storage areas. With extra-wide aisle ways, maneuvering into and out of your well-marked, assigned spaces is easy. We have night lighting, full time ground maintenance, and winter snow removal. Many business owners find the addition of a self storage container to their existing parking spaces reduces time, overhead and fuel expenses. Keep extra inventory, supplies and materials out of your trucks and safely stored in an adjacent locked container to which your employees have access.

Gateway Storage Center is conveniently located in Lorton, VA, less than a mile off of Interstate 95, making it quick and easy for you to get in, grab your truck, and get on the road. We are easily accessible from Quantico, Triangle, Alexandria, Springfield, and Alexandria, VA. Give us a call or email us for a detailed quote designed specifically to meet your business needs.

Springfield Car Storage

Posted on August 12, 2013 by Amanda Chambers - Storage

All your friends keep asking you, “What did you do to get your wife to allow you to buy that new hot car?!” And you have not once gotten tired of it since you bought that beautiful new 2013 Scion FR-S, in Firestorm Red no less. Your son thought that was his gift when you drove that beauty home, but no way, he got the hand-me-down van. Now he’s getting ready to go off to college and, since he can’t bring a car to college, you’re trying to figure out what to do with the van during semesters. You don’t want that old van in the driveway taking up room from Sheila (the name of your FR-S). We’re here to help.

Gateway Storage Center provides Springfield Car Storage services on a short-term, long-term, or month-to-month basis. We offer secure outdoor car storage plus container storage should you want to empty out his old room and make an office out of it. He won’t need his things until after graduation anyways. Going overseas? With Gateway Storage, you’ll have the peace of mind that your vehicle is safe and secure while it stays with us. When you return, you can pick up your car and check out of your storage space 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Our convenient Lorton facility located on U.S. Route 1, right off of I-95, offers 24 hour access for occupants, two automatic gates with power failure back up, a network of surveillance cameras and extensive lighting throughout the storage areas. Give us a call today and learn more about our Springfield Car Storage options. Long term pre-paid storage discounts are available on most spaces. Call today!