Steph and Dud B Posted October 25, 2021 Posted October 25, 2021 Any special concerns storing the trailer outside in the winter (Connecticut)? Snow loads on the roof? Stephanie and Dudley from CT. 2022 LE2, Hull #1150: Eggcelsior. Tow vehicle: 2016 GMC Sierra 6.0 gas dually 4x4. Our Oliver journey: Steph and Dud B's RV Screed Where we've been RVing since 1999:
Jim and Chris Neuman Posted October 25, 2021 Posted October 25, 2021 I would not let snow build up on the solar panels. The panel frame is supported only out on the edges with no center support and the panels themselves are supported only around the perimeter.
GraniteStaters Posted October 25, 2021 Posted October 25, 2021 We have had a foot of snow on our solar panels after a storm. I have a snow broom that allows me to push it off from curbside to the street side where there is no awning. We never leave the snow on very long. We live in NH and have it in the snow for the last two winters. 1 David Caswell and Paula Saltmarsh Hull 509 "The Swallow"
Mainiac Posted October 25, 2021 Posted October 25, 2021 We have had about a 1/2" of ice and 18 to 24" of snow on top of that here in Maine. The solar was STILL charging. We have waded down through waist high snow, on occasion, to clean it off. We use a foam "roof rake" type device and it works quite well. We find it all slides off easily, except maybe in around the ac. Maybe my imagination but it seems the dark solar panels melt anything on them and of course the wind up there scours anything else... 2
Jim and Chris Neuman Posted October 26, 2021 Posted October 26, 2021 Here in the Northwest our "cascade concrete" can weigh up to 20# per cubic foot. Wet, dense snow / ice a foot or more in depth can mean the equivalent of a couple of heavy guys standing on your panels. Best to keep it brushed off. Lot's of snow weight computers on the web for the interested.
John E Davies Posted October 26, 2021 Posted October 26, 2021 If you have a single awning: Tilt the solar array up, with the low side away from the streetside awning, the snow won’t stay up there, it will end up in a heap on the ground… If you have two awnings, it won’t work well, though you might be able to achieve a few degrees of tilt. If you can orient the trailer so the panel is facing to the south or west, that is even better, the sun will melt any ice easier and it will charge like crazy. https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/2791-how-to-solar-panel-extension-arms/ Being able to tilt the panel very high makes working up top orders of magnitude easier - a good reason to not buy that second awning….. John Davies Spokane WA 1 SOLD 07/23 "Mouse": 2017 Legacy Elite II Two Beds, Hull Number 218, See my HOW TO threads: Tow Vehicle: 2013 Land Cruiser 200, 32” LT tires, airbags, Safari snorkel, Maggiolina Grand Tour 360 Carbon RTT.
Steph and Dud B Posted October 26, 2021 Author Posted October 26, 2021 17 hours ago, John E Davies said: Being able to tilt the panel very high makes working up top orders of magnitude easier - a good reason to not buy that second awning….. John Davies That's pretty cool. Those look bigger than the stock solar panels. To be honest, we were planning to get the second awning to have more windows open in the rain, but I was getting concerned about getting snow off with two awnings. Undecided again... Stephanie and Dudley from CT. 2022 LE2, Hull #1150: Eggcelsior. Tow vehicle: 2016 GMC Sierra 6.0 gas dually 4x4. Our Oliver journey: Steph and Dud B's RV Screed Where we've been RVing since 1999:
VBistro Posted October 26, 2021 Posted October 26, 2021 Interesting topic. We don't often have big snows here on the front range, but when we do they can be whoppers. And heavy. And wet. I have a snow broom that I use to clear off the solar panels on our current sprinter van. I hadn't thought about the implications with two awnings. I'll have to get creative... MaryBeth Boulder, CO 2022 Elite II #953 TV: 2021 Ford Expedition Max Platinum, Max Tow Package
wolfdds Posted October 26, 2021 Posted October 26, 2021 I live in Massachusetts. I'm having a Solar Panel on the roof added as we speak. In the past I have always covered my trailer in the winter, wondering if anyone covers the trailer in a way that allows the solar panel sticks out for winter battery maintenance? 2019 Elite II Hull 435, 2022 Toyota Tundra
John E Davies Posted October 26, 2021 Posted October 26, 2021 2 hours ago, Steph and Dud B said: That's pretty cool. Those look bigger than the stock solar panels. Thanks, they may seem to be a little bigger, that is just a result of the iPhone lens distortion. John Davies Spokane WA SOLD 07/23 "Mouse": 2017 Legacy Elite II Two Beds, Hull Number 218, See my HOW TO threads: Tow Vehicle: 2013 Land Cruiser 200, 32” LT tires, airbags, Safari snorkel, Maggiolina Grand Tour 360 Carbon RTT.
Steph and Dud B Posted October 27, 2021 Author Posted October 27, 2021 3 hours ago, VBistro said: I hadn't thought about the implications with two awnings. I'll have to get creative... I was thinking about a foam snow rake to clear the panels and then some kind of angled broom or car snow brush to clear the buildup behind the awnings by pushing it fore/aft and off the hull. 1 Stephanie and Dudley from CT. 2022 LE2, Hull #1150: Eggcelsior. Tow vehicle: 2016 GMC Sierra 6.0 gas dually 4x4. Our Oliver journey: Steph and Dud B's RV Screed Where we've been RVing since 1999:
Islandgrl Posted October 28, 2021 Posted October 28, 2021 Aloha, We are going to be storing our Oliver Elite II outside next year and covering it in VA. With a cover over the Oliver Elite II is the weight of the snow still a big concern? We will have solar on top and never considered the weight of snow in the winter. We're thinking we may have to invest in a covered way to store it as well. Thank you in advance for any words of wisdom. Hawaii / 2021RAM 2500 Power Wagon 6.4L / Elite II ~Delivery May 2022
Moderators topgun2 Posted October 28, 2021 Moderators Posted October 28, 2021 Unless you are planning on living in a VERY unusual place in VA, I would not be concerned with any of the normal amounts of snow that generally are received in the State. Since I store my Elite II at a storage facility that does not have covered spaces, I use a CalMark fabric cover to help keep the sun and dirt off the camper during storage. Certainly most places in VA get more snow than we do even though I live in the mountains of western NC. In six years there has never been enough snow (largest was about 12 inches) that I've even thought about it. And, what snow we get is gone within a day or so. Bill 2023 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5EB FX4 Max Towing, Max Payload, 2016 Oliver Elite II - Hull #117 "Twist" Near Asheville, NC
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