Snow load

scottshoe · 02-02-2019, 10:34 AM

What depth of snow accumulation on the roof of FR MBS class C would you allow before you shovel it off?
Medium water content.

A32Deuce · 02-02-2019, 10:40 AM

I sweep my SunSeeker roof off during the storm.step ladder on the side and a garage push broom.

TitanMike · 02-02-2019, 11:14 AM

If you can walk on the roof then it will hold a lot of snow before it's a problem. Big issues occur if it rains on a big load of snow on the roof. Weight goes up considerably.

Nothing wrong with pushing it off as it accumulates using a shop broom or "snow rake" but it unless it's heavy, wet, snow, there's a good chance your roof will handle the load.

When it starts to melt it's a good idea to at least clear a drain channel from roof penetrations like A/C, vents, TV antenna, etc so ice dams don't cause lakes to form around these areas. If the melt gets deep enough you'll have water coming in through the openings.

Oh yeah, make sure to keep the refrigerator vent clear although the heat from operation may well take care of that on it's own.

MNtraveler · 02-04-2019, 10:11 PM

Light snow 8-10”, wet snow 4-6”. Keep in mind with wet snow, if temps fall you will have a solid block of ice the length and width of your RV and VERY hard to get off without damaging antennas etc. It’s much easier to brunch it off after it first falls. If we have a wet slushy snowfall, I’ll be out there cleaning it off right away unless a warmup is forecast. With temps hovering around 0 now, it’s not an issue!

Kimber45 · 02-04-2019, 10:23 PM

I remember a thread last year. Guy from Canada had cave in on a tt. I think there was multiple feet of snow before it happened. I'm over 250lbs and never had an issue or problem being on my roof. That's a lot of snow.

SailorSam20500 · 02-04-2019, 10:48 PM

I remember a post from earlier this week. Guy was shoveling off his RV. Found a skylight, when he stepped on it... OOOPS.

Moral - know where you are walking!

TitanMike · 02-05-2019, 12:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MNtraveler

Light snow 8-10”, wet snow 4-6”. Keep in mind with wet snow, if temps fall you will have a solid block of ice the length and width of your RV and VERY hard to get off without damaging antennas etc. It’s much easier to brunch it off after it first falls. If we have a wet slushy snowfall, I’ll be out there cleaning it off right away unless a warmup is forecast. With temps hovering around 0 now, it’s not an issue!

Turn the heat up and the ice will be easy to lift off in sheets.

I got a foot of snow on my TT today and I had the heat on inside. Have icicles at each drip spout the size of shovel handles where snow is melting on roof and re-freezing as it runs down. RV roofs are insulated but not as well as a house.

MNtraveler · 02-05-2019, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TitanMike

Turn the heat up and the ice will be easy to lift off in sheets.

I got a foot of snow on my TT today and I had the heat on inside. Have icicles at each drip spout the size of shovel handles where snow is melting on roof and re-freezing as it runs down. RV roofs are insulated but not as well as a house.

Mostly we’re talking about unoccupied RVs in storage, I believe. At least I was.

Let’s do some quick calculations. Source below.

Water weighs 62.4#/cu ft. Typical midwestern snow is 20% water so 1 cf = 12.48#.

Take an RV that is 8’x30’, that’s 240 sq ft of roof, with 1’ snow that’s 240 cf.

240 x 12.48 = 2,995# of snow or 1.5 tons per foot of depth.

Wet snow at 32% water weighs 19.92#/cf.

240 x 19.92 = 4,780# of snow or about 2.4 tons per foot of depth.

https://www.icedamremovalguys.com/ho...of-snow-weigh/

This source supports using 5-12#/sf. so adjust calculations accordingly. Snow is highly variable in density anyway.

http://www.monroect.org/filestorage/..._PER_CUBIC.PDF

Kimber45 · 02-05-2019, 11:01 AM

Oh my that is a lot of math. I have a headache. This forum is full of talented people. Master electricians, master weight/payload engineers and mathematicians.

MNtraveler · 02-05-2019, 11:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SailorSam20500

I remember a post from earlier this week. Guy was shoveling off his RV. Found a skylight, when he stepped on it... OOOPS.

Moral - know where you are walking!

I broke my bathroom shower skylight just leaning on it a bit while rolling out a tarp over the RV in the fall. :-( It was cold out so I guess it was brittle because it just immediately snapped.

Locky · 02-05-2019, 11:16 AM

I'm the guy who stepped on the vent cover and broke it this past weekend while removing snow. In my head while I was up there I was trying to picture exactly where it was. I was off by 6 inches lol.

Kimber45 · 02-05-2019, 11:31 AM

you didn't need to remove it. It went from -40 to 40 in three days. its all gone now.

Wisconsin-1 · 02-05-2019, 11:35 AM

Do you think the dealers here in Wisconsin get on each roof and clean it off

I think not and neither am I going to risk poking a hole in the roof or breaking a vent or skylight. The big bright yellow thing will melt it away sometime!

Locky · 02-05-2019, 01:21 PM

I'm just being more cautious of the slow melting snow finding a way to leak in somewhere. Is it overkill to clean it off .....maybe, but what if it would have found some spot to leak in. No the dealers dont clean them off but there have been numerous reports on trailers right off the lot with water damage.

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