Quote:
Originally Posted by plamb
We keep our Adventurer in the mountains. My concern is potential for roof damage from snow accumulation. Does anyone have knowledge of how many inches of snow a 1995 winnebago adventurer will support?
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Even though you may be more concerned about keeping warm at home and tossing logs on the fire at this time of year, you should know that all the snow that’s accumulating on your RV can easily do some serious damage.
With economy being a high priority today, many RVs are constructed very lightweight. One of the areas where manufacturers can save some weight is the roof. In fact, a lot of the travel trailers built now are constructed with thin enough material that simply walking on the roof requires laying down some plywood to spread the weight, in order to prevent damaging the sheeting under the rubber membrane.
Imagine how much weight is involved when wet slushy snow is allowed to build up on this same roof about 12″ to 18″ deep. With the levels of precipitation that have been falling this winter, you can see this amount after just a few weeks of snowfall. Something you can hardly afford to overlook.
The Wrath Of Snow
Any amount of snow beyond a few inches is enough to cause serious damage.
As Spring gets closer, the melting and refreezing cycle will let water creep into all kinds of little places. When it freezes and expands, any “slightly leaking” seams will turn into major entry points for water. Soon, the insulation will be saturated and water stains will start appearing on the ceiling.
If the extreme weight of the heavy snow isn’t enough to outright collapse the roof, the water seeping in will quickly do damage amounting to many thousands of dollars.
Unfortunately, the damage often remains hidden, and once the stain on the ceiling dries out you may think you’re good to go. However, water that will remain trapped in the insulation can quickly start the process of dry rot, de-lamination, or worst of all mold. All of that can easily de-value your RV by a very large percentage.
Jesse