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Old 06-12-2019, 09:19 AM   #1
John K.
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Idea to Keep Snow off Roof?

Hello fellow Montana owners,

I will be parking my 2018 3920FB Montana on my property through the winter in North Idaho. I was wondering instead of purchasing a portable building or something permanent large enough to store it for 10-15K, perhaps I could lay out heated mats on the roof to keep the snow and ice melted?

What are your thoughts?

Thanks in advance!


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Old 06-12-2019, 09:33 AM   #2
waynemoore
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Heated mats sounds good to me. I may not take a whole lot of them or heat to keep the roof warm enough to keep snow off.
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Old 06-12-2019, 01:20 PM   #3
John K.
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waynemoore,

That was my thinking as well. Thanks
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Old 06-12-2019, 01:37 PM   #4
mazboy
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i'd think about the heated pad thing. having snow on the roof shouldn't be a problem but what you are considering may cause some unknown issues with the heating of the roof.


another option, the one we like is go south young man
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Old 06-12-2019, 01:49 PM   #5
John K.
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Exactly, the unknown. I could easily have 2 to 3' of snow sitting on it which I do not like the idea of for sure. I wish I could head South in the Winter, one day though.
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Old 06-12-2019, 04:01 PM   #6
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Why not build an 'A' frame and cover it with heavy clear plastic or possibly a blue/green poly tarp. Build it out of 1 or 1-1/4 inch PVC piping, some fittings and some nuts and bolts for assembly and disassembly. Anchor it well to the ground to prevent the wind from blowing it away.


A heated pad arrangement (costly to buy) would be electric powered with a pretty expensive bill. I would also worry that differential heat would damage caulk, causing leaks along with icicles down both side and heavy icing alongside.


A note - we have had up to two+ feet of snow on our different 5ers with no damage
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Old 06-12-2019, 04:20 PM   #7
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Before we went full time our 2010 sat outside without any cover for two winters. Snow on the roof didn't cause any issues.
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Old 06-12-2019, 04:24 PM   #8
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John I live in Mich and we get lots mof snow. So ia'm lucky and go to florida in winter. I have a pole barn that I keep my tractor in and enough room for to 40' campers so I rent it out to people that still work. maybe someone has a barn with extra room for your fifth wheel. just a though. badknees
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Old 06-12-2019, 06:09 PM   #9
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We winter in Florida in our Monty, so no snow issues for us. Our daughter stores her 5er at the local fairgrounds in the cattle barn. The fair board rents space by the foot for the winter.

I saw a homemade RV cover once. It had a wood frame and was covered with plastic. It wasn’t pretty, but it did the job.

Just a couple of ideas.
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Old 06-12-2019, 07:11 PM   #10
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If you build a temporary cover or shed be sure it WILL withstand the snow load and wind you have where you live. If it collapses it could and probably will cause more damage than you will save on your camper.
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Old 06-13-2019, 12:25 PM   #11
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Snow is an excellent insulator
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Old 06-13-2019, 02:01 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by footz1941 View Post
Snow is an excellent insulator


But up to 20+ pounds per cubic foot depending on moisture content, can get really heavy
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Old 06-13-2019, 02:43 PM   #13
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Quote:
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But up to 20+ pounds per cubic foot depending on moisture content, can get really heavy

I put more than 20lb/ft when I walk on it
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Old 06-13-2019, 02:43 PM   #14
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Do you think www.shaderv.com product might work?
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Old 06-13-2019, 03:06 PM   #15
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Do you think www.shaderv.com product might work?
No. A heavy snow load will just collapse it.
John K why do you wont to keep snow off of your roof?
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Old 06-13-2019, 04:22 PM   #16
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We had a lot of snow last winter. Once my roof got over 2 feet with a 1/2 inch ice storm in between the snow layers, and I could not see the air conditioners I decided to rake some of the snow off like I do with my house.

Tried to be careful and it seemed to work fine. We received another 3 feet that I left alone, and it melted with no issues.

First trip up on the roof this spring revealed 2 broken attic vents and the bedroom ceiling cover damaged from my raking. Next year if it’s still outside, I will just leave it alone.
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Old 06-19-2019, 06:31 PM   #17
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I was just going to cover it with one of those ADCO covers and let the snow stay on it. I'm close to you in Utah and I'm at 7000' so we get some snow. I had a CW cover on it last winter and the cover didn't last 6 months. I probably never had more than 18" of snow on it at one time and there were no issues with damage to anything on the roof
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Old 06-20-2019, 04:56 AM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by footz1941 View Post
Snow is an excellent insulator
True enough, but the stuff also melts and freezes which is the real danger, do you really want water and snow freezing around your slides, vents and any other place that could be subject to water penetration. When snow melts and then the resulting water freezes into ice it expands and will open any gap like a giant pry bar that is possible to be opened.

As for the heated mats that have also been mentioned, they need a reliable source of electricity, otherwise you get the same problem listed above especially if the site is in a remote location.

To the OP... As I see it, you will have to develop a fanatical snow removal "religion" and actively stay ahead of any accumulation without fail. RVs (with the possible exception of an A-Liner) are not designed for heavy snow loading.

JMHO
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Old 06-23-2019, 02:41 PM   #19
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I'm in the Adirondacks of NY and we get the full gambit of winter weather from rain to ice to multi feet of snow. Temps can run anywhere from -30 to +40. Many folks here just cover it with a winter cover from CW or other dealer. They seem to have very few problems. Some will put storage tubs upside down over the vents to keep weight off.

My personal solution has been to head South.
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Old 06-23-2019, 02:58 PM   #20
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We spent many, many years of winter in Northern ,Ohio. Winter can be brutal in Northern, Ohio. We both retired in 2006 and we have wintered in Florida since them. We have not seen ice, snow salt on roads, etc since then
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