Anyone with any experience storing a trailer outside for winter and the build up of snow on the roof? I know about winterizing so no issue there. I can get a cover for the trailer but it is 34 ft. My question is once you have it all covered and parked, can the roof hold 3 feet of accumulated snow on a flat roof? The trailer is well built being a NUWA, but I don't want to pay the big bucks to storage it if I can help it. Any thoughts?

In three winters, I never had a problem with a foot or so of snow as long as it was not wet which translates to heavy. I tried to stay ahead of the game by cleaning it off when I had the time. The most I had to deal with was about 18 inches which caused no issues. Mind you the roof on my Wilderness was curved.A good gauge might be to clean it when the RV dealers do their inventory.

Winter snows are terrible in La Quinta I hear.

ssthrd wrote:In three winters, I never had a problem with a foot or so of snow as long as it was not wet which translates to heavy. I tried to stay ahead of the game by cleaning it off when I had the time. The most I had to deal with was about 18 inches which caused no issues. Mind you the roof on my Wilderness was curved.A good gauge might be to clean it when the RV dealers do their inventory.No one will be around to clean it off so this is why I am asking the question

If you can walk on your roof, I doubt the weight of snow would be a problem. The issue comes in the depth of the snow and it melting into places like your AC and vents where the water can then enter the RV. But I've had over a foot of snow on our previous MH and no issues whatsoever.

way2roll wrote:If you can walk on your roof, I doubt the weight of snow would be a problem. The issue comes in the depth of the snow and it melting into places like your AC and vents where the water can then enter the RV. But I've had over a foot of snow on our previous MH and no issues whatsoever.Agreed. I would first place a good quality thick tarp over the roof. Then get a a good quality cover so melt shouldn't find its way inside. It doesn't leak now, but also a little caulking around untis will help. I figure the weight may not be bad since we can walk on them but wanted to ask.

Snow loads for Trailer | Good Sam Community

colliehauler
Explorer III
Jan 12, 2021
Last winter the resort in Northern MN where I leave my TT had enough snow to collapse the roof of a large barn. I have seen small steel storage sheds collapsed as well. Not one of the seasonal RV'S that I know of were damaged. My Cherokee has survived a decade of winters and it's not built nearly as well as your Nuwa.
SweetLou
Explorer
Jan 12, 2021
bucky wrote:
Lwiddis wrote:
Winter snows are terrible in La Quinta I hear.

I agree, couldn't get out for weeks one year. :)

Yup, it can be brutal. The trailer would be stored in NE WA where it can sometimes snow a lot. As mentioned I don't want to spend the money on covered storage some place if I can diy my own way.
way2roll
Navigator II
Jan 12, 2021
theoldwizard1 wrote:
My biggest concern would be snow melt that re-freezes to ice at the bottom of the snow load. Ice is much heavier than snow.

While ice is heavier than snow by volume, you don't increase the total amount of water via snow melt. If it's snows a foot and melts to an inch of ice, it's the same volume of water and the same weight. It's just changing from snow to water back to ice - but you didn't add any additional water or weight. Reminds of an old riddle - which weighs more, a pound of feathers or a pound of lead?
Super_Dave
Explorer
Jan 12, 2021
colliehauler wrote:
Last winter the resort in Northern MN where I leave my TT had enough snow to collapse the roof of a large barn. I have seen small steel storage sheds collapsed as well. Not one of the seasonal RV'S that I know of were damaged. My Cherokee has survived a decade of winters and it's not built nearly as well as your Nuwa.

One of my buddies used to keep his motorhome under a carport roof. The snow collapsed the carport and crushed the motorhome.
JAC1982
Explorer
Jan 12, 2021
We park indoors now but our previous two were both outside and we never had an issue with snow or water intrusion. The sun did more damage than any other kind of weather.
SweetLou
Explorer
Jan 12, 2021
JAC1982 wrote:
We park indoors now but our previous two were both outside and we never had an issue with snow or water intrusion. The sun did more damage than any other kind of weather.

Sun can be a killer on all trailers and boats.
JAC1982
Explorer
Jan 14, 2021
SweetLou wrote:
JAC1982 wrote:
We park indoors now but our previous two were both outside and we never had an issue with snow or water intrusion. The sun did more damage than any other kind of weather.

Sun can be a killer on all trailers and boats.

Yup especially when the trailer is dark gray (Keystone Impact). The whole side that faced south looked absolutely awful. I noticed they only did the dark gray ones for a few years and have now switched back to white.

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