Heavy Snow Cover

[RonnieV]

I am moving soon from down in the valley back up into the hills where I was 20 years ago. Back then, I did not own a camper of any sort. This will be my first winter with an egg.

In the valley, with my pop-up, I had an aluminum row boat that sat on top of a roof rack system, covering the roof vent in the process. I just stretched a big plastic tarp over the whole thing, jacked the weight off the wheels and called it winterized. One side was close up against my shed and the other side got a snow blown path past it, so I seldom put anything down to keep the snow from accumulating up the sides.

Now I have a 16' Scamp. I took care of the waterlines a week ago and took out everything that could freeze the week before that. Now my question is, how best to cover this thing to protect it from heavy snow accumulation.

There is an air-conditioning unit on top (which has its own cover) that will produce some "peaking" to a cover. I have my own theories about using some fiber board or vinyl molding to put some rigidity to a good cover. Want to make a lot of the snow come off on its own. Don't know yet where I am going to place the egg on the new property: near a shed, under trees, or out in the open.

I was wondering what the veterans do. What kind of tarp materials are available that won't stain, mark, or scratch fiberglass? How much weight can an egg take? Our winters always bring some storms of 12 to 16 inches at a time. Twenty plus is less often, but not rare by any means. The other problem is that our proximity to Long Island Sound and the Bay of Maine makes us vulnerable to the fabled New England "Nor'easters" which bring very heavy, wet snow, sometimes mixed with rain and ice that can go on for days at a time. It is the heavy stuff that is my greatest concern.

Any answers?

[Gina D.]

I just tilt mine down so it doesn't pool when it melts.

A trick I use with my satelite dish is Pam, the cooking spray. Snow don't stick to it. It seems to have no ill effects on my plastic dish. I wonder if it would be OK on Gel coat? I don't have a mess to clean up.. but an egg is a LOT larger surface.

[Gerry]

Maine makes us vulnerable to the fabled New England "Nor'easters"
Any answers?

I live in western Maine and my company is Nor"easter Canoes and know all about those 12 to 24 inch snow storms or even worse those 10 inch wet spring storms that a shovel full of snow weighs 50 lbs or move.
I just posted recently about winterizing "putting the lady-bug in hibernation"check out earlier messages.
I cover my 13 foot Boler with a blue plastic tarp tapeing the groments so as not to scratch the surface and I too have the air conditioner on top.
I do not jack up trailer but do just support frame about 3/4 front and back on either side.
Park in open as to not get any broken tree branches on it.
I then place a 2x6 board on floor so it spans 2 frame members under fiberglass floor then have another 2x6 to across ceiling under airconditioner about middle of camper then an up-right, perfactly plum 2x4 goes in to support ceiling.
Hope this helpes and I am sure yuo will get loads more advise.
Gerry

[Roger H]

Ronnie, for a late-model Scamp, I wouldn't cover it with anything. Tarps tend to trap dust which then turns the entire thing into a sheet of sandpaper. NOT good for the finish. After you wash and wax it, you could probably wrap it in that white plastic shrink-wrap stuff they use to ship boats cross-country in?

Parking inside for storage is best, but the trailer will do just fine out all by itself, even with an accumulation of 24" of snow. Recognize that the entire trailer shape is arched, including the top; the strongest architectural shape known. Further, it's rounded which means that a fair amount of the snow will just slide off when it gets heavy enough. You can always go out with a push broom and remove what's left or it is enough weight to make the axle sag.

The roofs of the Scamp 16' trailers are reinforced and capable of carrying the weight of an A/C unit concentrated over a couple of square feet. Don't worry about the snow weight on the roof. The early Bolers and some of the early Scamps may have had an issue because the roofs were either flat rather than arched and/or had no reinforcing molded into the glass.

If you wax the trailer a couple of times a year, the finish will stay shiny and new as well.


Roger

[Buck62]

The ceiling on my U-Haul camper trailer is seperating on the inside, causing a dip in the roof where water and snow accumulates. The seperation of the two panels is about 2 feet long in the center of the trailer about 8 inches to the side of the ceiling fan (opposite the door-side of the trailer).

So, if I store my trailer outside (which it looks like I have no choice) should I prop up the ceiling from the inside with some kind of bracing?... or is this unecessary?

Also, this trailer has that yucky moldy smell inside due to windows not closing/sealing properly and possibly from water leaking in from the fan on top. I have a giant tarp over it for now while it's on the street in front of my house. Would it be best to keep the tarp on it and cover the wheels when she goes to the storage place? Otherwise, it will definitely have more rain pouring in and make my restoration work that much harder in the spring.

This thing has to be in storage by tomorrow, so I'd appreciate any advice... thanx.

[Buck62]

Okay, I think I solved the problem. I found a boat repair shop in my area that will shrink wrap my U-Hual for only $100. That's pretty reasonable considering I called three other boat shops and nobody else would wrap it for less than $300. Shrink wrap will not only keep out the snow and rain, but will also help to hold it tightly together should we get a heavy snow. U-Hual campers are constructed by putting two sides together, rather than one piece over the other like a Boler. That's why I'm concerned about heavy snow sitting on top. But I'm pretty sure that most of the snow would melt or blow off anyway when it lands on the plastic, so it should be fine.

Anyway, I'm getting her wrapped tomorrow morning.

If anyone else in the Chicago area wants to get their egg wrapped for a cheap price, send me a message and I'll give you the info.

[pjanits]

I have not braced the roof it but considered it if the snowfall got very heavy here.
I don't remember who said it but I read that some 2 x 4 's would do the job and I picture one along the roof , front to back and another one or two wedged between that top one and the floor. That should do it. When I say wedged I mean gently wedged, not pushing the roof off the frame. Shouldn't take more that two minutes to put up once the boards are cut.

I have a dip in my Burro roof too but so far iy hasn't gotten any worse than when I first bought the trailer. I have had 16 inches of snow on the roof twice but didn't seem to bother it much., Any more though and I would get out the boards.