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Old 11-17-2019, 12:01 PM   #1
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Red face Shrink-wrapping FF roof only as snow shield?

Hi! I'm about to pay a pro to shrink-wrap just the roof of my 2011 FF X 244RBS to protect it from the ravages of winter in northern New Hampshire. I've heard of shrink-wrapping RVs for winter storage, but haven't heard of shrink wrapping the roof only while the camper is still in use. I will be living in it for the winter and this was suggested as an option for me. The wrap goes over a frame of 2×4s that will prevent snow and ice from piling up and damaging my camper roof and slideout. The shrink-wrap will be vented to prevent moisture buildup under the plastic. Does anyone have experience with this while winter camping? What are the pros & cons? Thanks!
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Old 11-17-2019, 12:21 PM   #2
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Hi, My first thought was all the vents on the roof. Black water, grey water and especially the shower power vent. Will your venting of the shrink wrap accommodate all the roof vent locations? Second thought was heat buildup between roof and shrink wrap. Shower will put a lot of warm, wet air up there. Snow could melt on surface and refreeze as ice, getting heavier, perhaps? If you are building a frame anyway, what about metal roofing at a high pitch for snow to slide off? Seems to work in Alaska. Good luck.
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Old 11-17-2019, 06:10 PM   #3
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Funny you should mention metal--I was thinking exactly the same thing. The frame was built by the shrinkwrap guy. What I may do is see about attaching metal to the frame next season. Re vents: because the wrap extends over my slideout, leaving good-sized triangular openings on the sides, there is lots of room for airflow and moisture to clear out. That was a worry I had. But as my camper is already wearing it's new "pointed hat", all I can do now is wait and see how well it works. Now my bigger concern is brittle branches and icicles snapping off the pine trees above us and piercing the plastic... but it does seem really sturdy. I'll let you know how it goes!
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Old 11-18-2019, 01:45 PM   #4
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Default FF with shrink-wrap "hat" to keep the snow off...

Here's a pic of my little FF in her new winter hat:
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Old 11-18-2019, 03:56 PM   #5
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Old 11-18-2019, 04:30 PM   #6
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I don't know the details of where you park it but if you lease/own the land, seems like a simple carport would work...also last more than one season ?? but maybe just thinking out loud.
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Old 11-24-2019, 06:55 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Brenda923 View Post
Re vents: because the wrap extends over my slideout, leaving good-sized triangular openings on the sides, there is lots of room for airflow and moisture to clear out.
Keep an eye on the underside of the plastic and on the FF roof itself. Your openings may have enough area to ventilate but I think it will be iffy. The air flow you want through through your "attic" space is called the stack effect. "Buoyancy" in the air mass occurs when there is a difference in indoor-to-outdoor air density, iow when the temp and amount of moisture in the air are different. For it to operate in your "attic" you need a difference in elevation from the eaves to the peak.

Your vents will definitely add to the moisture and temp load inside that plastic cover.

At any rate, watch for water running down the roof or the inside of the plastic. Depending on the outside temp and the heat loss through the FF roof, I would expect it to freeze sooner than later. Anyway, if you see water or ice up there, the solution may be as simple as adding a couple of vent holes at the peak of the plastic.
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covering roof, shrink-wrapping ff, snow-proofing, winter camping

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