Very familiar with weather conditions in Akron. I have close relatives in Warren and Youngstown. Spent may winters on the road traveling from near Indianapolis to that area. Winters can be harsh, same as where I live. We usually get the weather first, and then it moves East through Ohio and you get it next. So, that does leave a question what to do with the trailer.
Of course, the best solution, as stated above, is to put it under cover. But I know, and you know, where we live, that's probably not reality. Unless (we) know a farmer that has an open bay in his barn, there just isn't anywhere readily available for inside storage. Self-storage units are even outside and access is outside. Self-storage units in our area is packed full of RV's, pretty much year round. Indoor parking ... nope, not an option where we live.
To cover or not to cover, that is the question.
I've done both in the past and really, covering made little to no difference. What covering DID do, was prevent ready access to the inside of the trailer. Since we've always parked our trailers in our own driveway, no matter where we lived, we realized, even on the coldest of winter days, even the snowiest, we still hung out in the camper.
When we had a cover, I had to prop the cover up and out of the way to run the furnace. Although the cover over the trailer helped a little bit with insulation value using it in freezing weather, opening enough of the cover to expose the furnace was a real challenge. In time, we just started leaving the cover off.
Then came the 2nd trailer, which we covered again. (longer trailer, new cover). Very soon, the cover became a PITA again, we started doing winter camps, and found out REAL fast how hard the cover was to remove when it had frozen ice on it.
Third trailer, we never got a cover. Had it for 5 years in central Indiana, and used it twice every winter during that time, one week in Christmas, one week in March to go to either Florida or South Carolina. And we still used the camper every day until temps were so cold, the propane usage and cost became too great for our pocketbook.
About the snow and ice on the roof. With no cover, nothing EVER got hurt or damaged. In the Spring, I'd always inspect the roof seams carefully, and recaulk if I found some cracks in the caulking starting to form. Actually, recaulking didn't start until about 5th year of ownership for 2 of the 3 TT's we previously owned. (they were purchased new).
Now, with my 5er, the thing is just too dang big to cover, and we are literally living in it year round, even in the driveway. Covering is NOT an option any more.
And snow and Ice hurt nothing.
This last winter:
Previous camper. We always pulled the slides in when it snowed. I didn't want snow on top of the slides, in the event we needed to move the camper on a whim. After snow ended, we'd pull the slides back out and continue using the camper. We even did this when traveling and got caught in a snow storm. But no cover.
Two trailers ago:
That cover did not stay on there very long.
So, here's my conclusion.
First, I'll let others chime in on how well a cover actually "protects" or "damages" the camper.
Second, if you plan to use the camper in the winter, take winter trips, or use it for bedroom space in the winter, in snow country, DON'T cover. The cover is a real PITA to remove when it's got a few inches of snow and ice on it. Then you have to put the cover somewhere. It's now heavy, wet, and won't roll up. What do you do with a gigantic ball of glob then. Not to mention, attempting to remove it when it's freezing cold outside, or put it back on when it's freezing cold.
Bottom line, if you plan on USING the camper over the snow and cold months in your area, planning any winter trips to warmer climate, then do not cover. It's a real PITA.
