Best way to clean leaves off the roof

[John and Debbie]

I couldn't find a thread on this topic, but is there an easy, effective way to get leaves off the roof?  I have the second awning also.  I am hesitant to take a blower up the ladder where I might blow leaf bits into the MaxxFan or A/C.  I have mostly vine maple leaves up there so they're small and haven't had time to decompose yet and make a big mess.  Maybe a garden hose aimed very carefully with a nozzle?  The trailer is out in the open and we plan to get the Calmark cover that OTT sells, but we don't have it yet.  Thanks.

John

[Katjo]

We use a leaf blower, haven’t had any issues using it, it does a fast and great job removing all the leaves. You can always close your vent and we put a cover on our A/C when we aren’t using it so nothing gets into those places. 

[topgun2]

Yep - 

Leaf blower or electric pressure washer should take care of those leaves.

Bill

[Patriot]

I would remove those leaves soonest. Some can leave discoloration or tea stains on your gelcoat that can require a lot of  elbow grease to remove if left to long. 
 

David 🇺🇸

[GAP]

I already had a Makita 18v drill with a couple of batteries.  My wife plays tennis and was looking for a way to clear standing water off courts and we stumbled on a nice, lightweight Makita blower which is small and light enough to climb ladders with and operate one handed.  I borrow it to blow leaves of roof of our E2.  Works great.

I agree with Patriot above.  Leaves left behind by long standing leaves, especially caught in channel behind the awning, are a real pain to remove.

 

[Mainiac]

Hook up and take a ride. A short trip at about 60 mph should clean off any debris?

[John and Debbie]

1 hour ago, Patriot said:

I would remove those leaves soonest. Some can leave discoloration or tea stains on your gelcoat that can require a lot of  elbow grease to remove if left to long. 
 

David 🇺🇸

David,

Quite right.  At this stage they're just dry leaves that haven't decomposed.  A leaf blower would be fast, but I'm not sure if blowing them off will get any leaf bits in the a/c.

John

[John and Debbie]

37 minutes ago, Mainiac said:

Hook up and take a ride. A short trip at about 60 mph should clean off any debris?

Not a bad idea.  Not sure if you're kidding or serious.  

John

[Mainiac]

30 minutes ago, John Welte said:

Not a bad idea.  Not sure if you're kidding or serious.  

John

Either way, it should work fine??

[Patriot]

I feel sure you will get it resolved John! 👍🏻👍🏻

[GAP]

23 hours ago, GAP said:

I already had a Makita 18v drill with a couple of batteries.  My wife plays tennis and was looking for a way to clear standing water off courts and we stumbled on a nice, lightweight Makita blower which is small and light enough to climb ladders with and operate one handed.  I borrow it to blow leaves of roof of our E2.  Works great.

I agree with Patriot above.  Leaves left behind by long standing leaves, especially caught in channel behind the awning, are a real pain to remove.

 

While on the subject, we also bought a Makita vacuum cleaner that operates on the same batteries.  Not expensive at all and it's become our travel vacuum.  Does a great job even with our black dog's hair.  My repair kit includes a drill which also runs on the same batteries.  I know, carrying a drill as part of a camp repair kit seems like overkill but the best way to assure you're going to need a particular tool is to leave it at home.

[John and Debbie]

On 12/2/2022 at 6:23 AM, GAP said:

I already had a Makita 18v drill with a couple of batteries.  My wife plays tennis and was looking for a way to clear standing water off courts and we stumbled on a nice, lightweight Makita blower which is small and light enough to climb ladders with and operate one handed.  I borrow it to blow leaves of roof of our E2.  Works great.

I agree with Patriot above.  Leaves left behind by long standing leaves, especially caught in channel behind the awning, are a real pain to remove.

 

I took our corded Toro leaf blower and it was very easy.  Cordless would have been nice.  I aimed the air parallel to the sides of vents and the a/c and I think I didn't blow any debris into the a/c.  The unit sits on top of a roof of a trailer that goes at freeway speeds so I think they have thought about how to keep some things out.  The key seems to be to just get them off before they decompose.  Mine were fresh fallen leaves that came out easily.

John