Weight of Heavy Snow on Trailer

[NH_camper]

I was out at our storage lot and noticed a flat tire on single axle trailer. Everyone has about 8" of heavy wet snow on their roofs. It got me to thinking.

A typical 20' single axle trailer could easily have 2 tons of heavy wet snow on its roof. Assuming the roof can handle it, but what about the tires and suspension? My frame is almost sitting on the axles. At least that's as far as the leaf springs can go, but I'm at least a ton over my tire rating, maybe more.

Yeah, I know most everyone gets thru the winter without anything too bad happening...

[SkyBound]

If you do remove snow, be ever so careful to not damage anything. The rubber roof or plastic accessories up there are easily broken/cracked/punctured. Leave a couple inches of snow on it and only remove the top 2/3s with a broom.

Thousands of trailers sit all winter with tons of snow on them and it's not like there is a huge epidemic in the spring of burst tires and bent suspension and axles. It must be that it's a static load - no bouncing down the road with all that weight. Just a thought. This is also why they recommend not keeping your stabilizers down over the winter in case you lose a tire or two.

[NH_camper]

I agree, too much risk of damaging something on the roof, let alone myself.

Just noticed Lippert's axle manual under storage says "Jack up the trailer and place jack stands under the trailer frame so that the weight will be off the tires.
Follow trailer manufacturer’s guidelines to lift and support the trailer."

I might do that at home, but I think that's against the rules at my lot. I'd be leery of using jack stands in a storage lot, anyway.

Guess I'll do what most everyone else does in the winter - nothing.