We had our first snowstorm of the season this weekend, just 6 inches but while I was snowblowing the driveway I looked over at the pop up sitting alongside the garage with the roof and vent covered with snow and got worried. I cleared off most of the snow with a broom but it started me thinking should I be keeping the roof clear or don't I need to worry about it? My worry is ice damage especially around the vent.
Any suggestions from those of us in the snow belt? If the weather holds this snow isn't going to melt anytime soon.
The sun will heat up the top especially at the vent. As long as you have caulked the flanges,it won't get in and then freeze,if you haven't then maybe you should clear it off and then get a tarp to cover it. It's probably to cold to caulk it now. You should caulk roof seams and flanges,every fall when the cold weather causes the contraction and then opens up the old caulked areas.
As one who lives in the snowiest city in the lower 48 states I can safely say keep brushing the snow off. The problem is the day night cycle warms the trailer up during the day and when it cools off at night a small layer of ice is formed from the snow that semi melts next to the trailer. This can build up over time and is almost impossible to remove when it get fairly thick and a couple of inches of ice can weigh enough to start problems with overloading the roof, suspension, and tires.
Keeping the trailer either nose or rear down will help allowing snow to slide off or at least allowing any melt to run off and not form ice.
Another thing to watch for is the roof vents or other things that protrude when shoveling off snow. I found out the hard way roof vents break easily and it's no fun replacing a roof vent cover when it below zero, snowing, and the wind is tying to turn any exposed skin into a people sickle.
It's funny that the responses that you have gotten are from FL folks...lol
but..as a former northerner, I would clean it off, let it dry out (if you can)...and put a tarp over it, and cinch the tarp along the bottom. It should be fine
trop-a-cal wrote: The sun will heat up the top especially at the vent. As long as you have caulked the flanges,it won't get in and then freeze,if you haven't then maybe you should clear it off and then get a tarp to cover it. It's probably to cold to caulk it now. You should caulk roof seams and flanges,every fall when the cold weather causes the contraction and then opens up the old caulked areas.
Donna and Brian
Sebastian, FL
'07 Chevy Duramax 2500
08 Travel Lite Truck Camper
2008 HD RoadKing
They say that 12" of snow is about the same amount of water as 1" of water.
A cubic foot of water is 64 pounds, so 1 square foot of water 1" deep is about 5 pounds. If the trailer is 8' wide and 10 feet long, then there can be about 400 pounds of snow on the roof of the trailer.
The trailer is designed to have a rooftop A/C on it that weights about 120 pounds. Also if the popup is closed, it can support even more weight, such as a bicycle rack.
So an additional 400 pounds of snow on the roof I don't think it will cause a problem, but if you typically get over 3 feet, then it will become a problem, with 1,200 pounds up there.
So clearing off 6" is not a requirement, but when it is over a foot deep, it is time to get rid of some of the snow. If the snow changes to rain, then the snow on the roof can suck up many gallons of snow, becoming dence with ice, until the snow starts to melt off.
Fred.
Money can't buy happiness but somehow it's more comfortable to cry in a Porsche or Country Coach!
Sound like a good time to fire up the leaf blower(as long as it was not a wet,heavy snow). We used one on our PU and would blow it all off in minutes.Then you dont have to worry about that broom breaking the cold and brittle vent cap.
Don't like the view?? Then change it and Go Camping
If you decide you want to remove the snow, that's fine, I am just going to remind you not to hit the vents with the broom, very bad idea, they are very cold and break very, very easy, and very difficult to replace during the winter.
According to my owners manual, you shouldn't tarp or cover a PuP, something to do with moisture and mold. I would just brush it off carefully as mentioned before.
Merc
Happy to be the wondering wanderer,
...As long as there sand in my toes.
01 F-150
07 Rockwood Freedom 1980
Official Vehicle of the Camping Collies
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