I agree with Carl on the board, 12 months of UV + the ice & snow seem to be bad for them (I'm comparing ones that I take in to ones I don't that are ~ the same age). However, fully removing the stand can have adverse effects too, unless you take preventitive steps. The bolts need to be protected by graphite paste or waterproof grease, otherwise they will rust so badly that you no longer have the choice of removing them. Just a little helpful tip