Clear snow from roof or not?

[mrmom]

Wow! Great to get all this input from everyone. Thanks! We have gotten about a foot of snow so far, but it is very light & the wind is doing a great job of keeping a lot of it off the roof. I think I'll just leave it alone for now.

[USNMA1]

I only remove mine when I’m getting ready to move. And I use a leaf blower. Seems to work great with no direct surface to surface contact and great for around the wires since I have solar panels

[MikeyInNY]

I have a cover on my TT, and when it snows 2+ inches I remove the snow. I use a plastic shovel and scoop what I can reach off near the ladder, then carefully step on the roof to shovel the rest. I'm concerned about the weight of snow tearing the cover, then allowing the water to be trapped between the cover and camper doing the freeze/thaw cycle. The roof is rated for me to stand on, and I know where the antenna/vents/etc. are located so I can step around them. The biggest tear point is the TV antenna metal "ears". I have the non-retracting antenna, and I have pool noodle pieces on the ears and gutter extensions to protect the cover.

[saarf]

Use a SnoBrum to prevent roof damage. Its what car dealers use.

Available at Amazom for $25 with 4' handle. I purchased a longer telescopic handle.

SNOBRUM – The Original Snow Remover for Cars and Trucks – 28 to 48 Inch Snow Brush with Foam Head and 3 Piece Handle – Made in The USA, Push-Broom Design – No-Scratch Snow Removal

[SkyBound]

I think the magnum truss roof system is plenty strong to handle the weight of even a lot of snow. I don't worry about mine. I do think about the weight on the axles and tires though... I'm sure my trailer is over its GVWR right now with all that snow, but it's not bouncing down the road with all that weight as a dynamic load. Just a sad, frozen, static load. I hate winter.

[Hollander Mutthaulers]

Depends on the snow - even deep light 'lake effect' doesn't matter
Ice is a little iffy, but there's not much you can do about it
If there is 24" or so of heavy snow I'll use a long-handled push broom as a snow rake to pull some of the snow off
I walk on my roof, 220# on a 12"x 5" boot sole - roofs are pretty strong
Trailer springs and tires are 4200#, but the axel is still a 3500#...
For the most part I don't worry about it too much unless there is a lot of heavy freezing rain or ice

[NVGun40]

Live in Alaska. No covers, and never remove the snow. I currently have around 2 foot of snow and ice on my TT's roof. Not worried about in the slightest.

[saarf]

Being a snowbird with a Motorhome you dont want ice/snow on the roof flying off on the Toad windshield.
Also, some states require roof to be cleaned off.

[spoon059]

OP, where did you find a recommendation from Jayco to clear snow? I've never seen it anywhere. Just curious, my Jayco is parked underneath a Carolina Carport. It'll possibly see some snow as we head south to Florida next week, but at 60 mph I imagine most of it will fly off.

[3belkhunter]

Jeff from Phoenix AZ checking in... what is this thing you call "snow"???

[baehrelw]

We live in west Michigan, near lake Michigan. We will head for Texas March 3. We have the trailer covered, so I need to keep it clear so I can remove the cover. I will do that around Feb 24, about 2 weeks from now. I use a large squeegee which I also use to clear the garage floor after power washing it. It has a 24 inch blade. I clear it down to the cover while standing on a 12 foot ladder. I have been clearing it after every snow since Feb 1.

[GL243]

I had a roof membrane issue (no leak damage involved at that time) with our Jay Flight where I ended up dealing with a Jayco warranty service rep, and he told me owners are responsible for snow removal. Context was that any water damage that could be linked to failure to remove snow would not be covered under warranty. I use a soft bristle push broom to sweep snow from the roof, and routinely climb onto and walk on the roof to do it. The roof membrane is very tough in my experience (I did repairs on an older unit and had to pull up and re-glue a section - the stuff is pretty thick and very hard to tear) and I've had no issues worrying about slipping and falling off, or of the roof failing under my weight. Our unit is stored within a mile of the house, however, so it's no trouble for me to do this.

[mlumia]

Gravity. insurance. Will.

.................

[mrmom]

Originally Posted by spoon059

OP, where did you find a recommendation from Jayco to clear snow? I've never seen it anywhere. Just curious, my Jayco is parked underneath a Carolina Carport. It'll possibly see some snow as we head south to Florida next week, but at 60 mph I imagine most of it will fly off.

I found the recommendation in my owner's manual.

[bankr63]

Just cleared her off yesterday, first day above freezing in weeks, and not snowing. This is the second time out this year, and I cleared a good 2 feet off the roof. If you want an idea of how much weight the snow load puts on, the Grey Wolf (?) next to mine has a MUCH higher suspension and normally sits a few inches higher than our very low slung X19-H.




Even after tramping down the snow considerably with my snow shoes while clearing, I still had to dig a well in front of the door to get it open and check inside:



Although it has been snowing regularly for weeks, we haven't had as much accumulation this year. But the year isn't over yet, almost always get at least one good dump in March.

[TCNashville]

Originally Posted by bankr63

Just cleared her off yesterday, first day above freezing in weeks, and not snowing. This is the second time out this year, and I cleared a good 2 feet off the roof. If you want an idea of how much weight the snow load puts on, the Grey Wolf (?) next to mine has a MUCH higher suspension and normally sits a few inches higher than our very low slung X19-H. Even after tramping down the snow considerably with my snow shoes while clearing, I still had to dig a well in front of the door to get it open and check inside: Although it has been snowing regularly for weeks, we haven't had as much accumulation this year. But the year isn't over yet, almost always get at least one good dump in March.

Wow and I thought we had it pretty bad this winter here in Indiana. That's a lot of snow.