Last winter, when an unexpected improvement in my wife's medical condition allowed us to leave the cottage for Florida early, I ran the furnace in the coach for two days to defrost the cover so I could remove it. This year, I didn't cover it and kept the snow shoveled off with a plastic "coal scoop" so we could leave right after her last checkup. I only started the heat one day ahead this time, so I could fill the water tank and load the items that shouldn't be frozen.