If you are considering storing a vehicle in a storage unit for the winter, there are some things you'll want to know before you put the car away. You can't just drive the car in, close the doors, and go back in the spring. You want to know that the vehicle is going to be protected and that the vehicle was maintained before it sits. Here are two things you need to do before you agree to a lease and store your belongings.

Investigate the Storage Facility

Drive around the storage facility during the day and at night to see how easy it is for someone to get in. Is there a passcode or lock at the gate before you get in? Ask the facility if they have a camera system in place that watches all of the entrances and storage units 24 hours a day. You also want to ask about the locks they use.

A padlock can easily be damaged and opened with a pair of bolt cutters. You want a facility, like Allsafe & Storaway Self Storage, that requires key pass codes on the doors, or that uses cylinder locks that you can't damage from the outside of the unit.

Prepare Your Car

Don't wait until you get the car out of storage to take care of it, and instead prep it properly before you put it away. You need to have the oil changed so it doesn't break down throughout the winter. If the oil is dirty, the dirty oil won't lubricate your motor like it should when you use the vehicle again. You also want to fill the fluid compartments. This prevents condensation when the temperatures change. Condensation will dilute the fluids.

Add a fuel stabilizer to the gas in case the gas breaks down over time, and in case moisture gets into the tank. If you are worried about your tires, add extra air so they don't get flat spots. You also might want to jack it up and take off the tires. Remove the car battery so it doesn't go dead.

There are a lot of people who will steal the tires, catalytic converter, and other items off of vehicles in storage units, so it's important to make sure you find a storage facility that you can trust. Prepping your car properly for the months it will be in storage will help preserve it so that it's ready to ride when you pull it out of the storage unit when warm weather hits.