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04-17-2010, 11:34 AM
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#1
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Hanover
Posts: 335
M.O.C. #9710
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Slide topper tear
We took the trailer out for at first time last weekend. After several attempts to park far enough away from the site on the off door side the rest of the weekend went well. Everything worked as expected.
The first evening was a little windy and the slide topper on the door side was flapping a good bit. The next morning I was looking at the topper and discovered a tear in the fabric near the wall where it slides into the channel. Unfortunately the edge of all the toppers are not folded and stitched to reinforce the ends so I suspect problems to continue. I sent pictures to the dealer in hopes they might warranty the damage.
Has anyone else had problems with the toppers installed from the factory?
http://i42.tinypic.com/1ibqza.jpg
(Photo exceeds MOC guidelines of 640x480 and 90k. Changed to link. TT)
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04-17-2010, 11:50 AM
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#2
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Grand Blanc
Posts: 2,508
M.O.C. #5965
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Without a photo I am not sure just where the tear is but ours tore along the seam near the wall. Used Eternabond and it has held great through Texas and Arizona winds. Look at these pix and see if that is like your problem. If it is, Eternabond is great for fixing it, as well as roof tears, etc - Jim
http://www.montanaowners.com/forums/...rms=eternabond
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04-17-2010, 01:45 PM
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#3
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Montana Master
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Englewood
Posts: 3,095
M.O.C. #164
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Ours lasted 6 years b4 they started to delaminate never a tear in all those years of wind off of lake Erie sounds like defective fabric. This is a warranty issue
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04-17-2010, 01:47 PM
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#4
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Montana Master
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Casa Grande
Posts: 5,369
M.O.C. #6333
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We have had them for three years and no problems so far (knock on wood)!
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04-17-2010, 03:29 PM
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#5
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Montana Master
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Apache Junction
Posts: 1,732
M.O.C. #7487
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We had the "Carefree of Colorado" slide toppers installed about 3 years ago and we have been in some very heavy winds with them. So far we have had no problems.
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04-17-2010, 05:23 PM
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#6
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Montana Master
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Belvidere
Posts: 1,834
M.O.C. #185
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A buddy repair his topper with clear duct tape. Looks great and if you didn't know it had tape on you would not even notice the repair.
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04-17-2010, 05:31 PM
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#7
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Montana Master
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Texas City
Posts: 5,736
M.O.C. #7673
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Yes! Had the problem. Topper was replaced because the tear was on the seem. Had it been just the material, and not on a seam, they would not have replaced it. I fixed my tear with Gorrila tape until I could turn it in for the repairs.
Good luck.
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04-18-2010, 04:02 PM
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#8
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Montana Master
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Oceanside
Posts: 20,028
M.O.C. #20
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About 4 years seems to be the normal life of these things before deterioration and/or tears does them in. Ours will be 4 years old in August and have a little eternabond tape on them now, trying to preserve their life. I think when we replace them someday I'm going to put a little eternabond on the edges where they connect to the body of the coach, as a preventative. I may get some clear duct tape, like Steve S suggested, and try that if it will stay stuck on like eternabond does. If the clear duct tape works I might even line the edges completely, again as a preventative.
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04-18-2010, 05:40 PM
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#9
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Green Valley
Posts: 1,618
M.O.C. #6022
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The topper on my big living room slide started to tear in the same spot as yours, and I got it replaced under warranty. When the replacement topper started to tear after my warranty had expired, I also used the Eternabond, and it's done a great job of stopping any further tearing so far, even in the heavy winds we had down in southern Arizona this past winter.
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04-18-2010, 11:30 PM
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#10
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Montana Master
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Waterford
Posts: 3,693
M.O.C. #7500
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by sreigle
About 4 years seems to be the normal life of these things before deterioration and/or tears does them in. Ours will be 4 years old in August and have a little eternabond tape on them now, trying to preserve their life. I think when we replace them someday I'm going to put a little eternabond on the edges where they connect to the body of the coach, as a preventative. I may get some clear duct tape, like Steve S suggested, and try that if it will stay stuck on like eternabond does. If the clear duct tape works I might even line the edges completely, again as a preventative.
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That seems like a lot of money for something that only lasts 4 years! After reading these posts, I'm glad I didn't get any toppers for our trailer when I was looking at them.
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04-19-2010, 05:13 AM
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#11
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Montana Master
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: merced
Posts: 983
M.O.C. #6171
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A couple of us talked about this problem in Q-site this last Jan. It seemed that the Carefree toppers are folded back and seamed on the edges and that they held up better.
A cople of years ago I took off my father-in-law's and had the cover shorten about 6", at the local upholstery shop, and save it for another day.
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04-23-2010, 02:27 PM
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#12
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New Member
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Spokane
Posts: 6
M.O.C. #10240
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After 42 years sailing boats from the Pacific Northwest, Tropics, South Seas and back, we're now sailing the land yacht here and there. Interesting, eh?
However, many repairs as well as boat parts are interchangeable. We've found "sail repair tape" a good fix for exactly what you are experiencing, save a new top or sewing on a chunk of new fabric. We've found it sticks better than the "awning repair tape" and is heavier, provided you get the heavier tape. It's easy to apply, just takes a bit of prep.
The tape comes in several widths and can be purchased from sail sellers such as North Sales, Ulmer, etc (see Internet). Sheets are available in numerous sizes greater than the 2" stuff as you see in many boating stores, as are many colors. Other repair tapes are available from stores such as West Marine too, but they don’t generally sell sheet repair. Spinnaker tape is available which is a lighter fabric made of nylon, is sticky backed, and is also in different colors.
As always, clean thoroughly, we use soap and water, then 90+% isopropyl alcohol-- taking care not to abrade the awning anymore than necessary.
Press on both sides, this works best for us, then use the flat of your thumb nail or a dull object to smooth. So far, ours lasts and lasts, blends with the color we have.
Good luck
Mike
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04-26-2010, 03:31 PM
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#13
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Seasoned Camper
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Union
Posts: 63
M.O.C. #9798
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I think this has been discussed before, but I just got back from a tarp shop(where they make 18 wheeler tarps) and I replaced all three toppers on our '05 for about $125.00 doing the work myself. The replacement fabric at the dealer was about $900.00 I think. This stuff is a lot thicker and looks like it will last longer. The ones I had on my flatbed truck lasted 7 years and they were used daily, dragged across gravel lots, run over by forklift operators, you name it and they had to take it, so they should last forever just turning back a few rain drops.
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04-27-2010, 04:21 AM
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#14
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Hanover
Posts: 335
M.O.C. #9710
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My dealership just emailed that they are going to warranty the torn fabric. I offered to install it myself to avoid the 6 hour trip to get there. If they don't agree I guess we could find a nice camp ground up near the finger lakes or lake erie to spend a couple of days then drop it off on the way home to PA.
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04-29-2010, 12:01 PM
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#15
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Montana Master
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Oceanside
Posts: 20,028
M.O.C. #20
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by Tom S.
That seems like a lot of money for something that only lasts 4 years! After reading these posts, I'm glad I didn't get any toppers for our trailer when I was looking at them.
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You're right, Tom, it is a lot of money for just four years. But the advantages are worth it to me. For one, I don't have to get up and sweep leaves, twigs, walnuts, etc., off the slides so I can retract them. With my luck it would always be raining.
Also, when we leave the KC area for the winter there is usually snow and/or ice on the rig. I don't know how I'd chip ice off the tops of the slides so we could retract them. No ladder lets me reach very far across the slide. And ice or snow on the roof would keep me from going up there to access the slide roof. With the toppers we just retract the slides and the ice and snow just roll off. Unless, of course, one has put foam boards on top of the slides (another story, another mistake!)
Bottom line is we all have to weighs the pros and cons and make the decision that is best for us. For me, the toppers are worth the cost. For others, not so much.
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04-29-2010, 02:39 PM
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#16
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Seasoned Camper
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Panama City
Posts: 76
M.O.C. #10337
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Is it possible to get just the canvas replaced?
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04-29-2010, 05:30 PM
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#17
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Montana Master
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Montgomery
Posts: 502
M.O.C. #7196
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I've replaced all three slide topper fabrics on my 05 in the last year. One still had some life in it but the mobile RV Repairman made me deal to replace two at once. He said Dometic/A&E don't last long as the edges are just cut not sewn or welded and sagging stresses lead to delamination and failure versus more expensive/higher quality Carefree.
He suggested putting a beach ball or similar under the toppers to keep water from collecting and stretching the toppers. (Hmm, wouldn't the ball also stretch them?)
After watching the repair and taking notes, along with online instructions, I will replace them myself next time...
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