Snow load when top down

[Dafinga]

Hi Folks,

I have a 2017 Hawk flatbed (campercamper's old rig). I was wondering what i should be doing when we get big dumps like we do in Tahoe. I know that I can't pop the top with too much snow or lower with too much snow and I know that the top is supposed to support 1000 lbs of snow when up but what about when down. Do I need to worry about the top bending when it is in the down position? We get some big heavy dumps in Tahoe and I am wondering about having to get up in the middle of the night to clear the roof. Thanks in advance.....

-Pete

 

[longhorn1]

Cover the roof with a tarp, secure, and pull the tarp off to remove the snow.

 

[Wallowa]

Cover the roof with a tarp, secure, and pull the tarp off to remove the snow.

Snow on the tarp is still weight on the top...his question was how much weight can the top support when down without deforming. Also put 2 feet of snow on the roof or even 1 foot of high moisture content snow and try to drag the tarp off the top; add to that the vent or solar panels and a tarp will have a lot of drag...but i could be wrong.

Phil

Ps...Speaking of solar panels, how much weight can they support if mounted to the FWC Yakima rails?

 

[Kolockum]

I used to live at a ski resort. I normally shoveled snow off in the morning and/or at night. Unless it was a massive rain on snow event I never worried about doing it more often. Your roof can handle at least 1000 lbs in the down position. A buddy of mine would put just the front of the camper up and just let the snow slide off of the roof and it seemed to work fine. If you are getting light fluffy snow it is even less of a concern compared to our wet cascade concrete up here.

Driving even a little bit with the snow on top is where you need to be careful. A bump or pot hole can cause the snow to bounce and shock load the roof. Where I used to live we would drive to the back of the parking lot before scraping the snow off our vehicles but after somebody caved in the roof of their old lance camper after hitting a pot hole, I stopped doing that.

 

[longhorn1]

You are probably right. However, I do believe the OP did ask what to do to remove the snow. " I wonder what I should be doing when we get big dumps like we get in Tahoe".You would need to pull the tarp on a regular basis so as not to allow a large build-up. The tarp idea has been been mentioned on this site for years with success. If you wait till there is a large amount of snow on the roof, the tarp isn't going to work. If you are pulling it off with a couple of inches at a time it works.

Snow on the tarp is still weight on the top...his question was how much weight can the top support when down without deforming. Also put 2 feet of snow on the roof or even 1 foot of high moisture content snow and try to drag the tarp off the top; add to that the vent or solar panels and a tarp will have a lot of drag...but i could be wrong.

Phil

Ps...Speaking of solar panels, how much weight can they support if mounted to the FWC Yakima rails?

 

[Wango]

I spend most of the year at a resort in Montana, and while i realize our snow is lighter, the weight is a concern of mine.
For me, after every six to eight inches i broom it off. I found that anymore snow than that gets to hard to move. Part of the curse of living up here i guess.

 

[ski3pin]

First off, I do not have a Four Wheel Camper. But, I went through exactly what you describe for one winter with our Sierra cement. I have a friend with a FWC who positions two 4x4 posts inside to add to the roof's strength, backup for those times when the forecast is a bit off - say 4 feet instead of the predicted 2. With our camper we used tarps and ran out and shoveled to be on the safe side. Bottom line, one winter was enough for us. It is now in the garage. Get it inside or under a sturdy shelter.

 

[Wallowa]

No easy way to remove snow with the top up especially; personally pulling a tarp loaded with even a few inches of snow and they repositioning it, then repeating often so as not to get too much weight on tarp...all night long... is too much for me to handle... a ladder and a broom is more expedient for my use...especially now that my top has two vents, a 190w and a new 170w panel...lots to drag across...

Of course all this is dependent on the rate of snow accumulation and the water content [weight] of snow..

The information about not driving with a snow load was wisdom that I had missed...one good bounce while moving and it could distort the roof...thanks!

Phil

 

[DanoT]

I use a snow rake:
https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/yardworks-16-ft-telescopic-roof-rake-24-in-0591579p.0591579.html?gclid=CjwKCAiA57D_BRAZEiwAZcfCxfLnLnTXDS7AjHoa2a1Wddv-F7gWoGZsjU05yIX81yXLQj09J2Aq6xoCY4IQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds#store=355