Slide and Snow

[Great Horned Owl]

While getting the 5er ready to head south for the rest of the winter, I stupidly left the slide open over night. Of course, it snowed. It snowed a lot.

I waited a few days to see if it would melt. It melted a little, but then turned to ice. Time for plan B. I turned on the furnace and an electric heater. After 48 hours at 75? inside, nothing. Damn, this thing has better insulation than I thought.

Switched to plan C. Got a squirt battle and two gallons of window washer fluid. No luck.

Next, Plan D. Two days on a ladder with a hair dryer and a plastic ice scraper. I finally got the slide in.

Joel

 

[themothership]

I bet you won't be doing that again any time soon!

I am dreading the next week here - snow and sub-zero temps forecast, and I will not be able to get out ahead of the storm.
That means I will be snowed in until the weather lets up a bit. 

Which comes first - moderate temps above freezing or an empty propane tank? 

hope your trip south is uneventful, now that you have put the slide issue behind you

 

[Tourmaster]

I'm right there with you guys. Am anxious to get out of here and get to a warmer climate. However with the sub zero temps and all the snow that is expected it is going to be a real challenge getting packed and keeping warm at the same time. We will be burning a lot of LP trying to get ready. If plans work out we will leave after this weekend.

Have a safe trip and stay in between the snow flakes.

 

[WILDEBILL308]

I don't miss the prolonged cold of the far north but we get some cold weather down south to. We had a really bad ice storm that paralyzed the area for a week. We were headed further south and had to throw kitty liter on the ice to get to the door of the RV. Made it to the street which had cleared but didn't get clear of the ice on/under Bridges for 100 miles. Better hear now 40 tonight 60 tomorrow, Happy New Year and come on down.
Bill

 

[Howard R]

We often use our mh in the winter, even here in Colorado and have had some snow on the slideout awnings.  Most times in Colorado it will be a dry snow ... relatively fluffy and not a big problem.  Normally take the brush with long handle that I carry to wash the mh with and while the wife moves the slide in a little at a time I knock the snow off the edge of the roller and we are good to go.

Near the end of last winter we found ourselves in the Minneapolis area and had to wait a few days for a window between snow storms to get out of town.  Last night forecast was for a little snow stopping over night ... should be good to go next day.  Well as you've probably guessed it wasn't a light powder ... had 3 or 4 inches buildup on the top.  When we went to retract the slides the roller wouldn't even turn, sagging a little in the middle.

The last thing I wanted to do was get up on the roof  :  ... finally dropped the jacks on one end, full up on the other and from the ground used a water hose to wash about half the snow off, reversed the jacks to get the other end.  Off course about a week earlier and the water wasn't turned on yet either, so not a readily available option ... unless you strung about 200 + feet of hose from the washroom.

So another option if it's available ... and yes I knew better than to leave the slides out but got used to that "powder".    :-[    ;D

Howard

 

[John From Detroit]

Do you have a slide topper?  I do, but one of my toppers sags a bit and holds water, it froze, I was able to break it up some and get the ice basically to hang off the edge, it held till I got to my next stop and still it was froze when I left there.. By the time I got to Seneca SC, it had dissappeared though (Melted)

I just finished installing a drain so the "Bathtub" formed by the topper will drain onto the slide itself, I have a dam to make sure the water never even reaches the seal, so I think I may have solved it.. When I say "Just finished" i mean 30 minutes ago, along with re-charging water filter and airing up car tires that needed it.  So I do not yet know how well this will work.. Should find out.... Tomorrow (Per in-accuweather but in this case NOAA radar says the same thing)

 

[Frizlefrak]

The nice thing about doing something like is that you generally only do it once. 

 

[themothership]

The nice thing about doing something like is that you generally only do it once. 

My thoughts exactly, regarding staying too long before heading south!

 

[WILDEBILL308]

My thoughts exactly, regarding staying too long before heading south!

One of my favorite storeys was a friend who said when he retired he was going to strap a snow shovel to the top of his car and drive south till some one said "what is that"
Bill

 

[ljcygnet]

Best suggestion I've heard is to stick a couple of large balls (soccer ball size or larger) under the awning to keep it from sagging.

 

[WFD]

Drove by a dealers lot today...they had several trailers with slides extended...full of snow that we have had for quite a long time already...since early Dec...the slide toppers were sagged right down with the weight of the snow...and its been sub zero temps here for the entire month of Dec. My bet is those trailers will be like that till spring. Hate to think what those toppers will look like in spring.

Rick

 

[JeffPax]

Heard it suggested on other forums to slide a PVC/ABS tube down the center lengthwise. If/when we get toppers, I will try that unless I hear of something better.

 

[terry735001]

i dont under stand  why not hot water from the Rv    well not hot hot water  but  water from  the rv bay down below should  get it 


befor i get cut down here i am a FL guy dont know better  LOL  just saying whats coming to mind

 

[Larry N.]

When it's really cold out, the water can freeze before it runs off or dries, with the potential to cause more problems.

 

[kenb1023]

I know the feeling.  Had this hapen to me at Eagle Nest NM this past Oct.  8 inches of snow.  I thought how nice it looked and didn't get the snow of the slide toppers.  Well the North side froze the next night and when it was time to break camp it took me about an hour or so to chip off the snow and ice so I could get the slide in.  South side had no proble as the sun hit directly and melted the snow off.  Next time I will get up there as soon as the snow stops and brush it off.