16DBS TV Dish/Dome

[sheepcreek]

Hello all, 

Fall is here and we are getting ready to winterize our 16DBS. It will be the first time 

Winter dishes out 2 feet of snow and we do not have a storage building for the TT
We are considering covering with a tarp.
To ensure circulation between the rooftop and the tarp, we will use spacers.
(have read a few threads where people have used spacers)

However, the factory-installed TV dome/dish sits close to the roof edge and is very wobbly.
There is a recessed screw.
 Is this dome easily removed and has anyone on the forum done this before?

Karen

[david]

I have kept our 16TBS outdoors without a tarp or other covering for the last two winters where we get at least that much snow. Our roof is pretty leak free. I check it after a hard rain and don't see any interior leakage. Snow might allow snow melt to pool and get into places that rain water wouldn't go. But so far I haven't seen any effects of snow melt.

Isn't that why we buy aluminum/Azdel campers, to deal with a little water getting inside?

I think I would spend my efforts on making sure that the roof caulking was sound.

David

[sheepcreek]

Two winters without any leakage, that sounds encouraging, David.
Like you said, we get the aluminum campers because it is easier to deal with water leaks, but
why would I take the risk? Same reason why we will put in antifreeze even though all the water
is drained from and blown out of the pipes and they shouldn't freeze/crack.
At the moment, all roof caulking is sound and perhaps covering the trailer is overkill,
but when it gets down to -20 Celcius here I worry about finding leaks in the spring.
For the same preventative reason, I don't like the idea of that wobbly TV dome getting
crushed under a tarp with snow load. Anywho, thank you for the feedback. It helps to know that
getting through the winter without a tarp and no leaks is possible. 

[daplumbr]

Our 16TBS has "survived" 2 winters outside uncovered, one of which was epic with way more than 2 feet of snow. No problems at all with leakage or snow load, or ice, or anything else. If you have a leak to begin with, you'll have problems, but the winter itself won't cause issues. We even used ours last winter in below 0 temperatures (F) as a "kennel" for our dogs while we hosted a wedding reception at our house. I worried a bit that heating the camper to comfortable temps for a day and then letting it re-freeze would cause problems, but nothing happened. There is more of an issue with sun effects on the plastics and tires. Wax all the plastics with 303 Protectant, take care of the tires, winterize the plumbing, and relax until next spring. (Or do what I do and mess with it all winter working on mods). There may be other good reasons to cover an aluminum roof Camplite, but I think protection from rain/snow/ice is not one of them. 

The circular antenna is not removable if it's like mine. The installation instructions on mine specifically note that the mount will have to be completely replaced if it removed. If yours is real wobbly, I wonder if it was installed correctly? 

[sheepcreek]

Thanks guys for the feedback! Maybe I worry too much and the trailer will be fine without a cover. I'll climb up the ladder tomorrow morning and check on that antenna again.
Nice idea to use the trailer as a 'kennel', lol. Will keep that option in mind, once our puppy gets past the 'chewing everything in sight' stage.

Karen

[pinstriper]

Clearly the problem here is simply that you live in a terrible place, and must move. Two feet of snow, forsooth !

You might look for an inner-tube style float that, when inflated and placed over the antenna, will hold a smallish tarp off the roof and above the antenna, without being such a...well, contraption is the word that comes to mind with these tarp structures. I figure if the weather is bad enough to need them, it is also too severe for them to survive without damage.

David is right - the primary line of defense is the seals at the seams. Any shelter's function is to keep the sun off those seams so they don't dry out/crack.