How to store and maintain a tire inflator when not in use long-term?

A portable 12V inflator left in the trunk for 6 months will usually still work—but the battery in the digital gauge will be dead, the hose will have a permanent kink memory, and the cig-plug contacts may be corroded. The real killers aren’t the pump itself (DC motor + piston are simple); it’s the peripheral stuff: gauge battery leakage, hose rubber aging, and 12V plug oxidation. 10 minutes of prep before storage saves a dead pump the day you actually need it.