Slide-out awnings

[McIver]

As we scribble I am having awnings put on my monty. Any advise / cautions / care instructions?

[Bill-N-Donna]

Enjoy them!
Nice to have, wouldn't want to be without them after not having them & now having them on our current Monty.

[woodtic]

I'm hoping to have some installed next summer. Wish I had them now but, a 2nd AC unit and tires kind of overruled the slide covers for now.

[DQDick]

We're getting them put on right after the Rally, at Tiara.

[grayghost03]

Loved em when the wind wasn't blowing, hated em when the wind got up. See your NM, you know how the wind can blow, 3 months out of the year 30 mph is calm. Back east they were great, out here in the spring and early summer alot of flap noise, but just do a search and you will find many ways around the flap. Keep em clean and treated with a good treatment and they will last you forever.

[racerjoe]

good leak preventer, no maintenance, some have used blowup swim tubes to put between slide and awning to help with wind flap when parked for long term

[CATCRAW]

We love having them on our Montana. Our first trip out with the new Montana last year was to the coast and the wind was howling. After awhile when I was sure we weren't going to blow over - it was just getting used to the noise. Have not had that experience since and it is so nice to not worry about all the pine needles and water coming into the unit. I do think it helps with the heat issue a bit when the hot sun is overhead.

[1retired06]

Would not be without them.

[Ski Doo]

This is our first set and we also enjoy them. No problem with the flapping yet, but we do have to dump the water off the dining slide if it rains wicked hard.

[bigskyjimmy]

We love ours until the wind blows, sometimes down at the ocean the winds get pretty bad they get so loud when they are flapping you think they are going to tear off!! we will have to look into a fix to keep them quiet when the wind gets bad

[pineranch]

Awnings work great especially when in big pines. Big awning water problem is fixed by putting beach ball (or other small dia. ball) in the middle. Hail can be a problem. Severe wind can rip material on RV side. We bring slides in when wind speeds exceed 35 knots.
Mike

[Mudchief]

We enjoy ours.

[DonandBonnie]

Just because of reading similar stories in earlier posts like this, we did not hesitate to order the slide topper awnings on our Big Sky. Haven't got the beach balls yet, but you can be sure we will have them before we take delivery.

[1retired06]

Be careful using beachballs or PVC supports; oversize supports will stretch the awning material. Support should just touch and and not push up.

[bigskyjimmy]

Yea, you are right Mike I have had to pull my slides in about halfway sometimes when the wind gets really bad for fear of them ripping off

[McIver]

Thank you everyone for the input. I will get my beach ball and the large strap for the large slide (keeping in mind your cautions) tomorrow. Does anyone know where to find a beach ball here in Albuquerque ... all beach IS amazing (hehehehe) as am I in my speedo (gravity is winning).
Thanks

[TLightning]

Didn't order them and still don't have them. It seems to me the good vs bad is about half and half.

[dieselguy]

I'm sorta with Tom ... the concept is good ... I had them on my first two fivers. With the constant WIND here in Kansas I opted not to go with them on my 3150. Granted a nerf ball or bungee strap supposedly helps keep the constant flapping to a minimum, but that is just another item to be delt with upon setup or tear down at the campsite. Although a "Swiffer Mop" works pretty well cleaning the underside of the slide toppers and the top of your slides ... it is a chore to get rid of the brown and or mildew after a few months use especially on the main slide. I can hear crickets chirping in the background hiding the disbelief from you about cleaning under the toppers ... Ha! One cannot hold pride in ones Montana with dingy slide toppers!

[snfexpress]

We have had them on two rigs for the last 6 years and wouldn't be without them. With snow, pine needles and rain, we know that when we pull in the slides that junk won't come into our 5er. And, yes, we have been in high winds and don't do anything special...we just use them as designed and have never had an inside leak.

[Art]

It is actually quite simple...if you like climbing the ladder with a broom each time you retract your slides and brooming off the tops of your slides (so no debris tears your slide gaskets), then I would NOT get them. Getting older, that ladder keeps getting higher and higher (especially with something in your hands. I don't know why any owner of any trailer with slides would not invest in them. They are well worth the minimal (compared to the cost of the rig) cost.