HELP! Canvas cover frozen to rubber roof!

[begete]

We are supposed to head South next weekend and no thaw in sight. For two days now, we have run the engine heater in our motorhome, and the canvas cover has loosened a bit, but there is solid ice under a 5x5 foot area in the back, and we cannot get it off! The interior heat was at 87 degrees, but living in the Northern part of the country, we bought an "arctic" model and it is really well insulated.

Any ideas on how to get the rest of the cover off without destroying the rubber roof? It is parked in our driveway far from any electric supply.

Thanx is advance for any advice.

[mwwade]

So you said thanks for any advice, so here goes. If you are running the engine on the rv try using a flex pipe. Attach one end to the exhaust, and the other on your ice problem covered with a tarp to hold the heat in.

[macantic]

just run a water hose on it,it will come right off with no damage.

[brobox]

Connect a garden hose to the drain of your S&B hot water heater and hit the MH cover with the hot water.

[FunGus]

If hot water isn't a viable option, what about using LOTS of rock salt to perforate the ice mass and make it something that can be broken up easily without damaging the roof?

.

[JohnHenry]

Can you run the generator and use a heat gun / blow dryer? The hose trick should work also but all that water is going to freeze again.

[Bruce C]

Originally Posted by macantic

just run a water hose on it,it will come right off with no damage.

[Lifemember]

NO rock salt, if going this option use calcium chloride.

[spritz]

It's Sunday go out, fire her up, turn up the Heat and watch football. After get someone that is "SOBER" go up and take it off. I think my roof starts to melt with in 1/2 Hour of having the furnace going.
JS, Tim

[LETMGROW]

Hot water would be my ONLY choice. Engine exhaust is deadly or at the least can make you very sick. No salt or calcium chloride. Imagine the white stains you would have after this dries up.
I would be very careful walking around on a RV roof when it is cold and frozen. Who knows what damage will result with a brittle roof. Say nothing about being 10' in the air on a skating rink.
I would place a ladder against the side of the RV with someone holding it securely. You could wrap towels around the ladder so you don't scratch the RV. Spray hot or warm water on the frozen spots then carefully peel the cover off.
See if you can find a repair shop or a building nearby where you could park the RV overnight to warm and dry off and maybe even stretch the cover out to dry thoroughly overnight before folding it up for storage.
Would it be possible to tie the loose parts of the cover to the ladder on the rear enough to drive the RV to a warm building? Just some ideas.
Good Luck,
Lynn

[begete]

Thanx for the suggestions. Our Class C Motorhome is a Bigfoot Class C Arctic model. Incredibly well insulated.

Has been sitting in the sun with the heat on for 3 days. The interior temperature reached 94 degrees.

This afternoon, it was still like an ice hockey rink up there. We attached a hose to our hot water heater and emptied it onto the ice rink. We gained at most another inch.😁

It would laugh at a hair blow dryer. And it is so wet up there, whoever held it would probably be electrocuted.

My husband wants to just cut it off around the ice rink and drive with the ice on the roof. My fear is that it would go flying off and cause an accident.

Any other idea not involving potential electrocution or suffication?

[dpinvidic]

Here goes....

With the tarp completely sread out, run a rope from the bottom frame of the RV up and over the roof. Tie it to the frame on the other side. The rope should be at the front of the frozen section.

Then fold the front section back over the rope and tie it down along with the rear section.

Do this in such a way that when it thaws, it is still secured to the rv.

You should tie some rags around the rope in places that might get scratched by the rope. Then drive to warmer weather.

Good Luck

Dan

[SkiSmuggs]

I had similar problems the ONLY time I used a trailer cover. Then the squirrels chewed it up while it was in storage over the summer and I never had to deal with it again.

[Ray,IN]

Originally Posted by macantic

just run a water hose on it,it will come right off with no damage.

You win! That is the best solution.
Of course the neighbors might think him odd for washing the RV right then.