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Snow loads for Trailer

SweetLou
Explorer
Explorer
Anyone with any experience storing a trailer outside for winter and the build up of snow on the roof? I know about winterizing so no issue there. I can get a cover for the trailer but it is 34 ft. My question is once you have it all covered and parked, can the roof hold 3 feet of accumulated snow on a flat roof? The trailer is well built being a NUWA, but I don't want to pay the big bucks to storage it if I can help it. Any thoughts?
2013 3500 Cummins 6.7 Quadcab 4x4 3.73 68FE Trans, 2007 HitchHiker Discover America 329 RSB
We love our Westie
17 REPLIES 17

JAC1982
Explorer
Explorer
SweetLou wrote:
JAC1982 wrote:
We park indoors now but our previous two were both outside and we never had an issue with snow or water intrusion. The sun did more damage than any other kind of weather.

Sun can be a killer on all trailers and boats.


Yup especially when the trailer is dark gray (Keystone Impact). The whole side that faced south looked absolutely awful. I noticed they only did the dark gray ones for a few years and have now switched back to white.
2020 Keystone Montana High Country 294RL
2017 Ford F350 DRW King Ranch
2021 Ford F350 SRW Lariat Tremor

SweetLou
Explorer
Explorer
JAC1982 wrote:
We park indoors now but our previous two were both outside and we never had an issue with snow or water intrusion. The sun did more damage than any other kind of weather.

Sun can be a killer on all trailers and boats.
2013 3500 Cummins 6.7 Quadcab 4x4 3.73 68FE Trans, 2007 HitchHiker Discover America 329 RSB
We love our Westie

JAC1982
Explorer
Explorer
We park indoors now but our previous two were both outside and we never had an issue with snow or water intrusion. The sun did more damage than any other kind of weather.
2020 Keystone Montana High Country 294RL
2017 Ford F350 DRW King Ranch
2021 Ford F350 SRW Lariat Tremor

Super_Dave
Explorer
Explorer
colliehauler wrote:
Last winter the resort in Northern MN where I leave my TT had enough snow to collapse the roof of a large barn. I have seen small steel storage sheds collapsed as well. Not one of the seasonal RV'S that I know of were damaged. My Cherokee has survived a decade of winters and it's not built nearly as well as your Nuwa.


One of my buddies used to keep his motorhome under a carport roof. The snow collapsed the carport and crushed the motorhome.
Truck: 2006 Dodge 3500 Dually
Rig: 2018 Big Country 3155 RLK
Boat: 21' North River Seahawk

way2roll
Nomad III
Nomad III
theoldwizard1 wrote:
My biggest concern would be snow melt that re-freezes to ice at the bottom of the snow load. Ice is much heavier than snow.


While ice is heavier than snow by volume, you don't increase the total amount of water via snow melt. If it's snows a foot and melts to an inch of ice, it's the same volume of water and the same weight. It's just changing from snow to water back to ice - but you didn't add any additional water or weight. Reminds of an old riddle - which weighs more, a pound of feathers or a pound of lead?
2023 FR Sunseeker 2400B MBS

SweetLou
Explorer
Explorer
bucky wrote:
Lwiddis wrote:
Winter snows are terrible in La Quinta I hear.


I agree, couldn't get out for weeks one year. 🙂

Yup, it can be brutal. The trailer would be stored in NE WA where it can sometimes snow a lot. As mentioned I don't want to spend the money on covered storage some place if I can diy my own way.
2013 3500 Cummins 6.7 Quadcab 4x4 3.73 68FE Trans, 2007 HitchHiker Discover America 329 RSB
We love our Westie

colliehauler
Explorer
Explorer
Last winter the resort in Northern MN where I leave my TT had enough snow to collapse the roof of a large barn. I have seen small steel storage sheds collapsed as well. Not one of the seasonal RV'S that I know of were damaged. My Cherokee has survived a decade of winters and it's not built nearly as well as your Nuwa.

bucky
Explorer II
Explorer II
Lwiddis wrote:
Winter snows are terrible in La Quinta I hear.


I agree, couldn't get out for weeks one year. 🙂
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SDcampowneroper
Explorer
Explorer
I had a roof sag on our 1973 Vanguard 20' tt. in Manitoba. A 1986 24" snowstorm put 30" on the roof. It was parked in a sheltered area that drifted a lot.
The roof was framed with 2x2"! We, yes we, not a shop, removed all the roof, reframed with 2x4 alot more insulation and arc to the roof.
After 9 years in 1989 sold it for 90% of what we paid for it. The quality roof and better heating cooling insulation made the sale.

mooky_stinks
Explorer
Explorer
I wouldn’t be concerned at all. I live in an area that receives between 120-300 inches of snow every season (Central NY/Tug Hill Plateau) and there are tons of seasonal campers that get left outside all winter. I have never seen or heard of one not handling the snow load. And I can guarantee that a lot of those aren’t as well built or as good of condition as yours!
2020 F150 XL Screw 4x4 6.5”box
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7850 GVW. 4800 RAWR
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2020 Cougar 29RKS 5th wheel

RAS43
Explorer III
Explorer III
I have owned 2 NUWA 5th wheels since 1996 and they get stored outside in the winter and not covered. Some winters we had multiple feet of snow. Neither unit suffered any roof damage and never leaked. I may have shoveled the snow off a couple of times in all those years but only when I was going somewhere. It is just too dangerous being on a slick roof.

theoldwizard1
Explorer
Explorer
My biggest concern would be snow melt that re-freezes to ice at the bottom of the snow load. Ice is much heavier than snow.

SweetLou
Explorer
Explorer
way2roll wrote:
If you can walk on your roof, I doubt the weight of snow would be a problem. The issue comes in the depth of the snow and it melting into places like your AC and vents where the water can then enter the RV. But I've had over a foot of snow on our previous MH and no issues whatsoever.

Agreed. I would first place a good quality thick tarp over the roof. Then get a a good quality cover so melt shouldn't find its way inside. It doesn't leak now, but also a little caulking around untis will help. I figure the weight may not be bad since we can walk on them but wanted to ask.
2013 3500 Cummins 6.7 Quadcab 4x4 3.73 68FE Trans, 2007 HitchHiker Discover America 329 RSB
We love our Westie

way2roll
Nomad III
Nomad III
If you can walk on your roof, I doubt the weight of snow would be a problem. The issue comes in the depth of the snow and it melting into places like your AC and vents where the water can then enter the RV. But I've had over a foot of snow on our previous MH and no issues whatsoever.
2023 FR Sunseeker 2400B MBS