Slide toppers

[richfaa]

We have the 3400 The slide topper awnings on the 3 slide side look fairly taunt and the rain water rolls off them..however the one on the main slide side droops a bit and holds water..Looked through all of our documentation and find nothing on the slide toppers..Is there an adjustment to tighten up the awning???

[richfaa]

I think I know the answer..Went outside and took a good look. The rail is not mounted high enough there just is not room to mount any higher,,so why did they not make that awning a bit shorter to maintain tautness?? Still is there any adjustment???

[Ormee and Ginette]

I don't believe there is any adjustment that would really tighten the slide topper... The main slide is too long and hence the slide is quite heavey for the retracting spring mechanism... As the toppers age there will all sage a bit... There is an after market product that I have seen that you insert after the slides are out which raises the toppers so the center of the topper is higher than the retyracting mechanism and also the attachment area... These must be removed prior to bringing in the slides... I have found that if water collects on the slide toppers just retract the slides very slowly about six inches at a time and allow the water to run off... Otherwise there is the possiblity that the watter will not run off fast enough and will run into the RV... This has been my experience...

[drhowell]

I haven't heard of any! Someone suggested they put a beach ball up between the slide roof and the topper if you want it to drain. Problem with that is if you forget and try to retract the slide, well you know.

Enjoy reading about your 3400 progress. Have learned so much from your experiences that will make our upgrade much easier in a couple years. Thanks

[ols1932]

Rich,
That is one reason we didn't have the slide topper awnings put on plus the fact that our dealer didn't recommend them. In high winds they can flop and tear. Last Tuesday we saw a rig going west on I-90 that had three slides and two of the slide toppers were up in the air and being whipped about. Not good.

Orv

[richfaa]

There are Positives and negatives as with everything.. The camper is in the driveway with the slides out.We have had some real gusty winds and heavy rain the last few days including last night.. They did Ok execpt for the main slide awning collecting some water..Think we will use the beach ball approach..We have observed what can collect on top of the slides without the toppers and I could not see ole lazy me climing up there everytime we retracted the slides to clean them off.They were an expensive option but if it makes life and camping easier..the checkbook is out.. Thanks everyone for the info...

[adelmoll]

We wouldn't be without our slide toppers, but we do have a small tear starting on the large one from the wind. So far white duct tape has kept it from going further but will probably replace it when we get back from Alaska.

Helen

[Montana Sky]

I do not have them, but after talking to anyone and everyone that has them and does not have them, I have decided the next coach will have them. They really seem to help keep the inside of the coach cooler, the 2nd a/c solved that problem for me.

[steves]

I was always of the opinion I didn't toppers until I spent last winter in Florida under oak trees. After getting back home, I made a appointment to have them installed at Pocono RV in Wind Gap Pa. The service manger was adamant about installing the toppers higher than most other RV places to ensure good water run off. He installed them with a 5" pitch. Well, after being in NH for the recent MOC rally and experiencing several days of heavy rains, I agree with his actions. None of my toppers including the large slide collected or pooled any water. Many of the other toppers I saw on other units did pool up with water especially on the large slide. Additionally, the A & E toppers now have a billow / locking device to prevent them from unwinding while you are traveling. FYI - just my observation and experience with my slide toppers.

[tcorbitt]

Like many others, we did not have them on our previous rig. On the new Mountianeer we have the dealer install them. Seem to work OK, and like others I like not worrying about when may have collected on the slide before closing them. We also have the water collection problem on the big slide. I ether close slowly, or use my awning rod to pull down one side to empty the topper to empty the water (yes, I have soaked myself . I guess there is not perfect solution. The beach ball sound like it may be worth a try. Maybe tie a string onto it so it can be pulled down before closing the slide without have to climb back up. Tie a ribbon to the end in hopes of decreasing the number of times I hear POP!

Tim

[dsprik]

At least it would be the beach ball... not the slide that goes "POP!". I hear those are cheaper to repair... I have seen the braces, but I will try the "expendable material" solution first. I too thought of the string.

[Montana_1240]

Our 2004 3380 didn’t have them. And I had to climb up to see whether any debris was on any slide, before breaking camp.

This 3475 came with them. (I would have ordered them, had the dealer not insisted on having them on all the rigs he sells.) Yes. They do collect water, and get dirty from the pooling water that remains days after the rain. (Large traces of dust, dirt, and pollen are left.) You can be “baptized” when you leave the Monty, as the water dumps above the doorway. And they could, I suppose, unwind, and furl while driving along. But all in all, I wouldn’t be without them. All I have to do is wash them off, (top and bottom,) with a long-handled brush occasionally, and I never have to grab a ladder and broom to wipe of junk from the slide before we leave camp.

There is probably a way to add more tension to the spring. Like you can with the main awnings. Though I don’t know either process at all. But adding tension could do what some have said, and precipitate a tear.

I’m deaf enough to where I have to wait for Kim to tell me when the main awning needs to be put up in a windy storm. I have, a little bit, heard the flapping over the slides during said storms. So has Kim, of course. But so far, there’s been no damage, and I have yet to worry about a pinecone or tree branches getting stuck between the trailer and the slide when they’re coming in.

Over the past 18 months, even with all the winter and spring storms southern Alabama’s thrown at us, I have yet to stuff a beach ball under the main slide. But the idea is a good one that gets the lone hassle taken care of with little cost or effort. We might just do it if we hang around a wet zone for any length of time, again.

Steve

[MIMF2]

Folks, I can't speak completely from experience because I don't have the toppers. But I have heard about the beachball trick. If you forget to pull the beachball out before you bring the room in, what is the worst that could happen? You are going to loose a $1.00 beachball to "complete and rapid deflation"! And, as I understand, it will not damage any seals.

If I had toppers, I would try the beachball trick.

[campbud]

We too always get the most water on the large slide. If we are camping and the water pools I take my broom and put up under the topper (gently) and that gets the water off. We will have to get a beach ball and stuff it up there when in heavy rains. All in all I would never be without the toppers!

[richfaa]

Ok..Ok..how big of a beach ball????

[awaywego]

richfaa'
The length of the bar on the slide is so long that it bows in the middle and lets water puddle on the top.
After a rain, I have a squee-gee on a handle and I slide it between the awning tube and the slide and pull the bow out and the water runs off the end.
The water on the top helps keep it from flopping in the storm.
Next time you have water on the top look at the bar and see if it is bowed.

[indy roadrunner]

I had toppers on my previous Class A and after a few trips with the Monty I am ready to make the investment. Last Sunday I had to get up on top and sweep all kinds of debris off the slides in the rain and after that, I was not a happy camper. We were parked under a bunch of trees when in Florida and man it was a major operation to get all the junk cleaned off. I think the critters had a field day in the trees over our unit. I could handle the water pooling situation on the large slide compared to what I have already experienced.
I think I am going to invest in some A&E's so go buy some stock in the company before the end of the camping season.

[Charlie]

My LR and kitchen slides both retain water on the slide covers when it rains. My solution to removing the water....when ready to break camp and I suspect there is water up there, before attaching the Monty to the TV, lift the front of the trailer a couple inches higher than I need for hookup, let the water run off the back, roll in the slides, attach to the TV and away we go.

[sreigle]

Rich, they adjust the same way as the patio awning. That procedure is in the patio awning manual, I think. They recommend two people doing the adjustment. Screw it up and let it get loose and you could break an arm, so I understand.

I've never adjusted ours. The long one does pool water but it is just pulling more material off the roller. It has endured heavy rains with enough water to make the topper touch the top of the slide. 12 inches of snow, heavy ice, etc.

Ours will be four years old next month with over 3 years of nearly constant deployment in all kinds of weather. The material is showing some serious wear and I'm contemplating replacing them when we're in the Goshen area and close to the Elkhart CW.

They do flap a little in the wind but it's not bad and we are used to it. To me the positives far, far outweigh the negatives and we will not be without them. I LIKE not going on the roof to sweep off the slides before retracting them. Just my opinion of course. This is one of those personal preference items.

[richfaa]

Steve.. I did read all the manuals and they do adjust like the rest of them but after careful consideration paying particular attention to "work and effort involved" I said...Let them sag..will use the beachball approach. It is amazing what is in all those manuals and instruction books.