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Re: Storage unit recommendation
I work in the museum field with artifacts collections and so have training in long term management and protection of items, (technically Preventive Conservation). I've also been a transformer collector since 1984 (I was born in 70s), so I share your pain in trying to preserve these things.
So transformers are multi-material constructs, in this case plastics (also multiple types) and metal (screws, pins, die-cast etc.).
The good news is both of those materials are pretty robust and tolerant of many different environmental conditions (more so than say, wood), but as anyone who has noticed stress marks, rusted screws, GPS or light damage knows though, they are not indestructible.
To the best of your ability, to prevent damage, you will want to control the following factors:
1) Eliminate high temperatures (low temperatures are actually good as chemical reactions generally slow down)
2) Eliminate temperature swings (a consistent temperature is better than one that swings back and forth).
3) Avoid humidity that is either to high (causes condensation/ rust) or too low (can dry out some plastic materials causing cracking). Given the materials Transformers are made of, too high is likely more of a threat, plastics are pretty tolerant.
4) Eliminate extreme humidity swings (again consistent is better than swinging from low to high). The best humidity conditions are generally 40% to 50% for most materials but that is hard to maintain in the summer.
5) Eliminate visible light and UV, both cause damage in different ways.
Based on this I'd suggest the indoor option because of the AC, which will kill a lot of the heat and humidity in the summer. Being inside will also eliminate some of the temperature and humidity swings as the entire building will have to heat up and cool down which takes longer than a single unit.
Pack them carefully and don't use tightly sealed containers (like bags) as that can cause micro-climates which can actually be more damaging.
Hope this helps.
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