Worried about snow/outdoor winter storage

[dcmcderm]

Hi!  It's my first winter with my new travel trailer, and here in Canada we've been getting hammered with snow the past few weeks.  I have it stored outdoors at a storage facility this year and all that snow on the roof has me worried.  Should I be going out there to brush the snow off once in a while?  There's probably ~2 feet now.  I just worry about the longevity of the roof and to me that's a lot of weight on it now, not to mention all the water potentially exploring for leaks once it melts. 

Shopping for a new house now too... one of the most important features for me will be a place to store the trailer indoors/covered so I don't have to think about this beyond this season.

 

[lindy-FRF]

Speaking from experience, If you do clean off the roof be EXTRA careful at the roof edge. I cleaned mine off ONCE and ended up putting holes in the rubber roof right AT the roof edge. Might be it was because the rubber is cold and more brittle, or like sanding a car you can sand right thru the paint real quick at any ridge/body line.

 

[dan23]

If it is a, Jayco Featherlite or the like.... then MHO yes. I had a neighbor (at a campground) have his Jayco roof from the weight of snow 
collapse. His insurance company said it was totaled. FYI

 

[dcmcderm]

If it is a, Jayco Featherlite or the like.... then MHO yes. I had a neighbor (at a campground) have his Jayco roof from the weight of snow 
collapse. His insurance company said it was totaled. FYI

Yikes mine is a bit sturdier than a Jayco I think but that's enough to convince me, I'll be going by to clear it off this weekend!

 

[denmarc]

IMHO, regardless of what type of roof you have, please be carefull on how you remove the snow from the top of your TT.  You will be glad you did.  With that much weight in snow, adding your weight if you decide to climb up there, could equate to a hole in your roof.  Not to mention the utensil used to remove the snow that could very easily put a small hole somewhere in the roofing.  My biggest concern is usually under the snow is ice that is blanketed by the snow.  You tend to want to chip it off and end up doing damage to the roof top.  Be very careful.  Otherwise come Spring, get ready for a mess!

I'm in MI and my TT is parked outside year around.  The roof should withstand Winter conditions under normal conditions.  Don't worry too much.  I just don't take the chance if conditions are not normal here.

But that's just me.

 

[Mopar1973Man]

I normally use a plastic shovel and carefully remove the snow off my trailer without any issue. I get 2-3 feet of snow typically through a winter but my RV is still sitting outside every winter here in Idaho.

 

[winniman]

i usually shovel my tt twice a year. where i live in ontario we get plenty of snow. i try to be careful not to hit any of the vents or skylights. just like shovelling your house the object is to remove the weight, not get right down  to shingles. i generally leave three or four inches on it just to be safe. the other factor is mid winter rain. if you have say a foot of snow on the tt, it wont hurt it but that same foot of snow after a day of rain can be heavy. if i know we are in for rain i will clear the roof off in advance.

 

[Jim Godward]

This is one approach as published by a Newmar dealer, http://rvingiseasyatlerchrv.com/2011/01/21/protecting-your-rv-from-heavy-snow-loads/

 

[BinaryBob]

Well... I don't have one yet, but my plan is a two tarp system for winters here - an extra roof tarp holding a snowfall that I untie, drop then re-tie. From what I read, I would be afraid to run anything across the roof.

 

[Ken & Sheila]

We live in central and then Northern Vermont for 10 years. First 7 seven years we owned a HR Travel Travel. Always left outside in the winter. As it got older I did tarp it the last few years, but I never shoveled the roof.
The last three years in VT we had a 36ft HR Imperial Motorhome. First year I stored it in a commercial stoarge garage in Burlington, but after that I just kept it home. I twas never covered or shoveled, at least until we were ready to head south for 3 weeks in March.

ken