RV Winter Storage Cost: Seasonal Rates in Cold States

By the RV & Boat Storage Directory team · Sources checked November 3, 2026

In cold states, a lot of RV storage is sold by the season rather than by the month. Fairgrounds, city lots and marinas open their barns and yards from fall to spring, charge once, and close the doors until April. That pricing looks very different from the monthly rates in our main RV storage cost guide, so this page collects only winter and seasonal rates, plus a few monthly rates from cold-weather cities for comparison.

Every price below was read on the operator's own website on November 3, 2026, for the 2026-27 season unless noted. We don't use national averages or price estimates. Rates change, spaces fill early, and posted prices may leave out taxes, deposits and add-ons, so confirm with the operator before you tow in.

How winter storage is priced

You'll usually see one of three models:

A one-time fee per foot of length. The operator measures your rig, often hitch to bumper, and multiplies by a seasonal rate. Fairgrounds use this most.
A flat seasonal fee by length band. One price for anything up to a set length, a higher price for the next band.
A monthly rate with a winter minimum. The usual monthly rate, but you must pay for several months up front.

Because so many seasonal rates are per foot, measure your RV the way the operator does before you compare. Several operators below say they measure from the hitch or tongue to the furthest point at the back, which is longer than the length on your title.

Per-foot seasonal rates

Champlain Valley Expo, Essex Junction, Vermont (near Burlington): boats and campers pay $33 per foot for indoor storage or $22 per foot outdoors. CVE says these are one-time fees, not monthly, payable when you drop off. Storage runs from early November to early April. Indoor space is unheated with concrete floors, the highest clearance is 11 ft 10 in, and outdoor space is uncovered grass. CVE takes no reservations: drop-off began Wednesday, November 4, 2026, and continues weekdays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. until space is full, first come, first served. You can't reach your vehicle during storage except by appointment, and no work is allowed on stored units. Champlain Valley Expo: Winter Storage, checked November 3, 2026
Bonneville County Fairgrounds, Idaho Falls, Idaho: fully enclosed storage in the livestock and swine barns is $15 per linear foot, and covered storage in the beef barn is $10 per linear foot, November through April, measured hitch to bumper. The page lists it as boat and trailer storage. Bonneville County Fairgrounds: Winter Boat/Trailer Storage, checked November 3, 2026
Jerome County Fairgrounds, Jerome, Idaho (near Twin Falls): barn storage for RVs, boats, campers and trailers is $15 per foot of length, with length counted from hitch to bumper plus anything sticking out. For 2026-27, drop-off started October 26, 2026 and pickup runs March 15 to March 26, 2027. Items not removed by April 1, 2027 are towed at the owner's expense. Jerome County Fairgrounds: Winter Storage, checked November 3, 2026
Dakota County Fairgrounds, Farmington, Minnesota (Twin Cities area): indoor cold storage is $16 per foot for RVs, fifth wheels, travel trailers, pop-ups and boats 25 feet and longer, and $14 per foot for cars and boats 24 feet or less. Buildings are unheated, so units must be winterized. Outdoor storage for boats is $10 per foot. Returning customers get first chance, and new customers join a waitlist that opened September 1, 2026; as of November 3, 2026, the page lists indoor storage as full for 2026-27. Dakota County Agricultural Society: Off-Season Storage, checked November 3, 2026
Portage Fairgrounds, Portage, Wisconsin: the city charges Portage residents $15 per foot indoors or $10 per foot outdoors, and non-residents $20 per foot indoors or $15 per foot outdoors. It's a one-time fee paid by check at move-in, and staff measure front to back, hitch included. The 2026-27 move-in days were October 23 and 24, so call the parks office to ask about space. City of Portage: 2026-27 Winter Storage Info (PDF), checked November 3, 2026

Flat seasonal rates

Minnesota State Fair, Twin Cities: from late October to late March, the fairgrounds store motor homes, travel trailers, boats and vehicles in unheated buildings. 2026-27 rates go by length, tip to tip including the tongue: $250 up to 20 ft, $300 up to 25 ft, $350 up to 30 ft, $400 up to 35 ft, $450 up to 40 ft and $500 over 40 ft. A $50 non-refundable deposit is taken off the final bill. Fifth-wheel trailers can't go in the buildings, and stored units can't come out before their assigned removal date. Minnesota State Fair: Storage General Information, checked November 3, 2026
City of St. Clair Shores, Michigan (Detroit area): a fenced, locked asphalt lot at Lac Ste. Claire Harbor takes trailers, boats and campers from October 15 to April 15 for $350 per space up to 24 ft or $450 for 25 to 40 ft. The maximum is 40 ft long with a 12 ft beam, and owners shrink-wrap their own boats. St. Clair Shores: Winter Trailer/Boat/Camper Storage, checked November 3, 2026

Monthly rates with a winter minimum

Portland Motor Club, Portland, Maine: indoor winter boat and RV storage is $17 per foot per month with a five-month minimum. Outdoor storage is $175 a month for vehicles 25 feet or less; longer vehicles need to call. Portland Motor Club: Storage Pricing, checked November 3, 2026
ABC Mini Storage II, Butte, Montana: outdoor spaces (10 x 25 and 10 x 35) for vehicles, trailers and boats are $65 a month, with a three-month minimum of $195 that isn't refundable, then month to month. ABC Mini Storage II: Unit Pricing, checked November 3, 2026

For comparison, two cold-weather operators that price year-round by the month:

All Season's Storage, Spokane, Washington: outside parking for boats, trailers and fifth wheels runs $55 to $110 a month by size. All Season's Storage, checked November 3, 2026
Full Service Storage, Salt Lake City area, Utah: indoor storage where staff move your RV in and out is $15.50 per foot per month on a monthly plan or $13.50 per foot on a 12-month contract. The paved outdoor lot is $7.50 per foot per month on a 12-month contract, and there's a $150 monthly minimum. Full Service Storage: Storage Pricing, checked November 3, 2026

What a winter actually costs: worked examples

These are our own math on the posted rates above, for a 30-foot travel trailer measured hitch to bumper. They're examples, not quotes.

Champlain Valley Expo outdoors: 30 × $22 = $660 for the season. Indoors: 30 × $33 = $990.
Jerome County or Bonneville County enclosed: 30 × $15 = $450 for the season.
Minnesota State Fair: $350 for the 25-to-30-ft band.
St. Clair Shores: $450 for the 25-to-40-ft band.
Portland Motor Club indoors, minimum five months: 30 × $17 × 5 = $2,550.

Those numbers vary a lot, and the cheapest options usually come with tradeoffs: no access until spring, an unheated barn, a fixed pickup window, and a first-come line on drop-off day.

What changes the price

Length as the operator measures it. Hitch and tongue count at every per-foot operator above that says how it measures.
Indoor vs covered vs outdoor. Every operator above that lists more than one kind of space charges more for indoor. Our covered vs indoor vs outdoor guide explains the differences.
Width and type. Some buildings won't take a fifth wheel at all (Minnesota State Fair), and some cap size (St. Clair Shores takes 40 ft long and a 12 ft beam at most).
Residency. Portage charges non-residents $5 more per foot.
Minimum terms and deposits. Five months at Portland Motor Club, three at ABC Mini Storage II, a $50 deposit at the Minnesota State Fair.
Late pickup. Jerome County tows items not removed by April 1. The Minnesota State Fair charges $100 a day for units not picked up on their assigned date.

Questions to ask before you pay

How do you measure length, and does the hitch count?
Is the space heated? (None of the indoor fairground spaces above are.)
Can I get to my RV during the winter, or is it "dead storage" until spring?
What are the drop-off and pickup dates, and what happens if I miss mine?
Do you require proof of insurance? CVE, the Minnesota State Fair and Dakota County all tell owners to insure their own units. See RV and boat insurance while in storage.
What do you require before drop-off (propane, fuel level, batteries, keys)? Rules differ: our boat winterization checklist lists several operators' rules side by side, and they apply to campers too.

Whatever you pay, every indoor space above is unheated, so the RV still needs winterizing. Our RV winter storage prep checklist covers the water system, water heater and fridge.

Find winter storage near you

City pages list storage near each city, with what each facility states on its own site:

Or search by ZIP code with our storage search.

Related guides

FAQ

How much does RV winter storage cost?

Among the posted 2026-27 rates on this page, seasonal fairground storage runs from $10 per foot (covered at Bonneville County, or outdoor for Portage residents) to $33 per foot (indoor at Champlain Valley Expo), and flat seasonal fees run from $250 to $500 at the Minnesota State Fair depending on length. Indoor winter storage at Portland Motor Club is $17 per foot per month with a five-month minimum.

Is winter RV storage cheaper than monthly storage?

It can be. For a 30-foot trailer, Jerome County's posted $15 per foot comes to $450 for the whole season, while Portland Motor Club's indoor rate comes to $2,550 for the five-month minimum. Seasonal spots usually mean no access until spring and fixed drop-off and pickup dates.

Is fairground winter storage heated?

Not at the fairgrounds on this page. Champlain Valley Expo, the Minnesota State Fair and the Dakota County Fairgrounds all say their storage buildings are unheated, and the two Minnesota sites say units must be winterized.

Can I get to my RV during winter storage?

Often not. The Minnesota State Fair and Dakota County call it dead storage with no early removal, and Champlain Valley Expo allows access only by appointment. If you need to use the RV in winter, look for a monthly lot instead.