Outside winter storage

[Carbon18]

I have a carbon 357 toy hauler. Live in central NY in lake effect snow zone. I had a travel trailer I left outside uncovered in winter no problems, , but now with more invested $ in toy hauler a little more worried about keeping outside uncovered with feet of snow.. Anyone have any issues with snow/cold effecting fifth wheel?

[jonnyaiks]

I live north of Massena (so in Canada) and I just do what the local dealers do - winterize and not much else. I also crack a vent under the vent cover and make darned sure there isn't any food to entice pests (or larger animals). If I got 3 or 4 feet of wet snow overnight like you might, I suppose I'd think about carefully shovelling the roof.

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[SteveC7010]

Originally Posted by Carbon18

I have a carbon 357 toy hauler. Live in central NY in lake effect snow zone. I had a travel trailer I left outside uncovered in winter no problems, , but now with more invested $ in toy hauler a little more worried about keeping outside uncovered with feet of snow.. Anyone have any issues with snow/cold effecting fifth wheel?

Plenty of previous discussions on covers. Generally they end when the OP is convinced by the rest of us that covers are not a good idea.

If you stored your previous TT uncovered, there's really no difference in your new one in this regard. My Cougar sits out every winter now with no ill effects. I have the Max-Air vents so I leave the vents wide open to keep the interior nice and dry. Routine maintenance on the membrane roof is mandatory regardless. There are plenty of previous threads on that topic for the reading.

In my experience, winter storage outdoors is no different than the other three seasons. The snow cover actually keeps the direct sun off the roof which is a good thing.

Covering your tires is a good measure, too.

Check out a product called the SnoRake if you are concerned about keeping heavy snow load off the roof. www.snorake.com

[CrazyCain]

WE keep ours out all winter, actually use it a few times a month. not covered and have 2 large containers of Damp Rid inside. They do a grea job of keeping things dry inside, summer and winter..

[Carbon18]

Thanks for reply’s! No going to use a cover, just. Concerned with rodents and cold.

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by Carbon18

Thanks for reply’s! No going to use a cover, just. Concerned with rodents and cold.

Good decision not to cover, I think you'll find it's not that advantageous to use a cover. As for rodents, try to find some Cab Fresh. It's a "bontanical repellant" that's all natural and is the only thing I've found that works for field mice and chipmunks.

This year, for some reason, it's difficult to find Cab Fresh in the stores. I've heard several reasons for the shortage, but I don't have any reliable data to offer. If you are concerned with keeping field mice out of your RV, I'd suggest you start looking now for Cab Fresh and, if you can find it, buy two boxes (8 pouches) and put a couple in the front storage, a couple in the bedroom, a couple in the bath and a couple in the kitchen. Be sure to seal the refrigerator side vent with plastic, cover the furnace vent with foil tape and use expanding foam to seal as much of the underside as you can find. Don't leave the entire security to Cab Fresh, but do as much as you can and hopefully it will "carry you through the winter without droppings".....

[NorskeBob]

No issues - I do clear of the snow off when it gets pretty high. I used to cover the fifth wheel but the movement of the cover due to the wind caused some damage to the roof and paint.

[mets721]

We don’t cover our Cougar. This is my first year with Airmaxx vents, so I’ll leave them open. As far as rodents go, I look around the underbelly and make sure there are no gaps. If I find one I seal it with spray foam. My wife removes all food and uses Clorox wipes in the cabinets to eliminate any food odors. I then place a few drops of Peppermint Oil on cotton balls and Place them in all of the food cabinets and near the plumbing holes under the sink. They say that mice don’t like the smell.

[Bama Hammer]

A bit off the topic of covers, but can a tankless air compressor be used to purge the water system when winterizing?

[SteveC7010]

Originally Posted by Bama Hammer

A bit off the topic of covers, but can a tankless air compressor be used to purge the water system when winterizing?

Way off topic. But several of us already answered this question over in the other thread where you also asked it. That should take care of it.

[Bingo 57]

As far as rodents, I've been using those dryer fabric sheets for years now after my winter prep for storage. Have had no issues with rodents since doing so. Just put them in drawers, cabinets, under belly.

Bingo