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Old 01-03-2014, 02:33 PM   #1
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Snow Loads on your Escape

Just a cautionary note to those of you who have experienced significant snowfalls so far this winter, it may be a good preventative measure to go out and clear the snow off of your roof.

I am not really sure how much of a snow load my 19' can take before the roof would collapse or even develop a permanent sag. However, we have received about 1m (39") of snow so far this winter, and I was getting a little worried about how much of a snow load was still on my roof. So last weekend, I went out and cleared the snow off the roof of the trailer. It was actually quite heavy, and once on the ground, took me about a 1/2 hr to clear away from the sides of the trailer. (I will see if I can snap a picture to show you the snow piled up beside the trailer).

Next task was to clear away some of the snow that has collected along the edges of the roof of my house, since when it starts to melt, the snow will cause the water to back up on the roof and leak into the house. This has happened a couple of times to us over the past 15 yrs and I have found that the best prevention is to climb up on the ladder with a snow rake and clear away whatever can be reached without actually climbing onto the roof. After doing about half of what needed to be done, I was a little pooped and was getting a sore back, so I sent my son out to finish the job.

Now we are ready for more snow. I will definitely be happy when spring arrives.

As a sidenote, with all of the snowfall we have recieved and with my trailer tucked away in the middle of a huge pile of snow, it is not going to be possible to move it out until either the snow melts, or some body spends a day with a shovel to clear a path to the road. I sure don't have to worry about anybody stealing my trailer until spring.
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Old 01-03-2014, 06:02 PM   #2
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Dave,

Did you see any deflection in your roof at all? Did your ceiling rise at all when you removed the snow?

We don't have a meter on the ground, but I have been wondering about snow load...
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Old 01-03-2014, 06:30 PM   #3
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Originally Posted by dbailey View Post
Dave,

Did you see any deflection in your roof at all? Did your ceiling rise at all when you removed the snow?

We don't have a meter on the ground, but I have been wondering about snow load...
Doug, I would have had to open up the cover to get inside, so I didn't check the deflections before or after.
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Old 01-04-2014, 09:34 AM   #4
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Snow loads not a concern if trailer is used.

In 1963 to 1965, Nancy and I spent our honeymoon at Minot ND. We lived in a 1954 Schult trailer on the base. We had snow that drifted to the top of the trailer but didn't worry about snow loads. The heat loss was so great, no snow on top and a 2 to 3' walk melted all of the way around the outside.
In 1983-85 we let our 13' scamp set outside in Utah, down wind from the lake, the snow was piled about 3'high on top and when we used it next spring the axle had taken a new lower set where a tire could not be removed without deflating first.
All lessons learned the hard way. Or as my sign that I used to carry says, "if we learn by our mistakes, I'm getting a tremendous education."
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Old 01-04-2014, 10:08 AM   #5
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Jack raises a good point regarding the weight of the snow load on the axle, let alone the roof. Even if the roof suffers no damage, the weight of a winter of condensed snow could put it well over the weight of the axle allowance.
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Old 01-04-2014, 11:44 AM   #6
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Here are a couple of pictures of our Escape before the winter and again this morning. You may not see it but my canoe trailer is buried in the snow in the second photo in front of the Escape.

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Old 01-04-2014, 05:15 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by azjack View Post
... In 1983-85 we let our 13' scamp set outside in Utah, down wind from the lake, the snow was piled about 3'high on top and when we used it next spring the axle had taken a new lower set where a tire could not be removed without deflating first.
All lessons learned the hard way. Or as my sign that I used to carry says, "if we learn by our mistakes, I'm getting a tremendous education."
Jack
Sounds like another reason for supporting the frame on blocks over the winter. However, to deal with snow loads on your roof, you would have to clear off the snow, park under cover, or go south to warmer climates in the winter.
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Old 01-04-2014, 07:24 PM   #8
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Hmmm, wonder how our Escape will handle the Sunshine Loads ... (Sorry, just couldn't resist ;-)

On a serious note, be thankful that your snow loads will equate to "water". California is experiencing the driest year since 1849, when records began. Our "fire season" has yet to end ...
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Old 01-04-2014, 07:33 PM   #9
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We need snow here in the (typically) Pacific NorthWET. Our mountain, Mt. Hood doesn't have enough snow for skiing. It should have about 5' of snow right now! If it doesn't get cold with a bunch of moisture, it's gonna be an awfully dry summer. So dang it... share!
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Old 01-04-2014, 10:20 PM   #10
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We don't have our Escape yet, but when we do I will be happy to clear snow off of it whenever necessary.

While other parts of Canada are getting major snowfalls this winter, the mountains of Vancouver Island have had almost none. As well as putting about 700 people out of work, costing business owners a bundle, and disappointing thousands of skiers at Mount Washington Alpine Resort, this sparse snow pack could lead to water shortages, reduced fish stocks, and a heightened forest fire risk next summer.

Our snow pack often peaks at over 20 feet so some major weather systems are needed, and soon, to get us on track.
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