Slide out toppers

[Coug60]

I have a 2019 Montana 3121RL


I'm thinking about pulling the trigger on putting slide out toppers on my rig.
Has anybody done this and what are your thoughts...


Also if you did what brand did you use and did you put them on or have them professional mounted?

[jeffba]

they are required to be part of the purchase. Dealer installed

[Mikendebbie]

Do a search on YouTube “installing slide toppers on an RV” and you will find hundreds of instructional videos on the subject. I think it would be a 2 man job for me.

Your next search might be “the pros and cons of slide toppers”.

[mlh]

You can do it. Just be careful ordering. We had our dealer measure because another dealer told us measuring was tricky and sure enough our dealer ordered the wrong size.
Lynwood

[Our3231CK]

We had toppers on our old unit and had them installed on the new one. Absolutely love them, they keep me from having to climb up and clean the slides prior to closing up. The pine needles, leaves and branches don't tear up the rubber seals. You don't get water inside when your leaving the morning it decides to pour with rain.
Also when were in the south the sun doesn't overheat the slide out.
We got ours installed at Tiarra RV following the national rally, they do great work

[scottz]

I put them on all three slides myself. I used Lippert Solera toppers. The local RV dealer said it could not be done on my kitchen slide because of the way the awning was mounted. Wrong! it just took a little planning to figure it out. All I had to do was drill a couple extra holes in the mounting plates to find solid backing. The install will take two people. They have been on my unit for several years and work perfectly. They keep water, leaves, etc off the top or your slides and from the inside of your RV when the slides are brought in. I recommend them.

These guys had a good price; this is just an example, you will have to take measurements to find the correct toppers. Looks like prices have tripled since 2018.

https://www.rvautoparts.com/products...ide-out-awning

[Gonefishing]

Have them on mine n love it

[seasure1]

They should come as standard equipment. Bit the bullet and had the dealership install mine. I agree with everyone else from cooler inside temps to having to clean leaves etc before bringing the slides in

[Daryles]

Make sure they are wide enough to overlap the sides by an inch or two.
Make sure you mount the wall rail high enough on the wall so it sheds the rain outboard and won't accumulate and pool up on the topper.
Ours pool water when it rains because they didn't mount the wall rail high enough.

[mtheo]

Did myself on last two trailers, wouldn’t be without them.

[DutchmenSport]

Before installing, watch this video first. It may save you some aggravation later if you understand what's going on before you start.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmWP_nKE-0c

[Foldbak]

Originally Posted by DutchmenSport

Before installing, watch this video first. It may save you some aggravation later if you understand what's going on before you start.

Thanks Dutch, now I'm all screwed up. Which doesn't take much. My rig is at the dealer now and I'm considering having toppers installed. After watching the vid, I'm not sure. We camp in the foothills where there are lots of trees dropping crap. And we camp at the beach where there is lots of wind. What to do?

[77cruiser]

I wish you luck if you are having them delivered to your home.
Tired it a couple years ago, they were all smashed, 3 of them 2 on one order 1 on the other.

[Pathfinder75]

Slides are a must in my book. Not impressed with the Video.
only 3 real points to consider on it.
1. He cautions about trailer design. Such as slide to high so awning attaches low on wall. I've also seen a few trailers with pitched roof slides versus typical flat roof slides so expect pitch roof is a NO go.
2. Wind blows fabric. Yes it can. I have used the beach ball method years ago to silence this and help from rain pooling. worked well but its was not that big of an issue so quite messing with it. MAYBE some people sensitive to winds at night flapping so yes some type inflatable would help with this or even a rope thrown over it to dampen it flapping in a storm. I have never felt the need and have camped in some real midwest storms waiting for tornado warnings to activate so we could run to shelter.
3. Protects slide and tree droppings, cones, needles, small limb sticks, also snow is self removing from slides with awning but must be go onto roof an remove if you have none.
Had slide awnings installed prior to delivery. Dometic Awnings.

[RetiredandRollin]

Video or not, the benefits far far out weigh the bad. Just my humble opinion. I have toppers and boy I love them.

[kroskes]

We have a 2020 3790RD - and no ours was not a part of the package. Wouldn't trust our dealership to install them or do anything additional to our Montana. We did however find a local RV shop in a town close by. Purchased from them and had them install. For the life of me I don't recall the brand name. But they did a great job on installation. Also - with the recent hail storm we had here in Michigan, our toppers needed to be replaced. AAA is our insurance company and approved for complete replacement. We love having them. I no longer have to climb on a ladder and sweep them off before bringing the slides in. Best. Investment. Ever

[mleeder]

Originally Posted by jeffba

they are required to be part of the purchase. Dealer installed

This is not true, they can be an aftermarket add on.

[VagabondLove]

Originally Posted by Daryles

Make sure they are wide enough to overlap the sides by an inch or two.
Make sure you mount the wall rail high enough on the wall so it sheds the rain outboard and won't accumulate and pool up on the topper.
Ours pool water when it rains because they didn't mount the wall rail high enough.

Agreed, especially for the wide ones. I would mount them much higher than standard.

[DutchmenSport]

Please note, I did not disagree or agree with the concept of having or adding slide toppers to anyone's camper by pointing out the video above. I was simply wanting the poster to be aware of some of the issues involved when making a decision as such.

Namely, as other pointed out following, the slope of the topper can make or break a good experience. Also, where it actually attaches to the camper (both on the slide itself and the wall of the camper) is the most crucial element to consider.

In considering the logistics of installing, is that lip on the front top of the camper strong enough to support the end of the topper? And, if you put screws through that raised lip, will those screws come completely through that very thin lip and hit the rubber seals or scar up, or worse, punch holes into the outside wall of the trailer when the slides are retracted?

The logistics of the camper itself is the most important factor. And then, if anyone decides to go this route, can they logistically be installed on all the slides or just specific ones.

On my Montana, slide toppers would work fine on the front slides (front living room), but would not work for the rear bed-room. The back half of the camper roof slopes downward. There's not enough clearance to install a roller, making it high enough to add a topper. Add to that, that upper lip on the top of the slide extends almost 4 inches above the roof of the slide. If installing the topper, it would have to be attached so high on the slide outside end would be higher than the attached end to the trailer wall. Everything would flow backwards.

I think that is the take away I was hoping the OP would pick-up on. Logistically, can it actually be attached. And the roller part that is attached to the outside wall of the trailer, is there enough stuff in the wall that's solid enough to screw into to attach the roller.

That is take away from the video I was hoping everyone would catch.

[Foldbak]

Mine is at the dealer right now getting measured for fitment. I haven't gotten the estimate yet. The price for the toppers will be comparable to self purchasing. It's the labor that's going to be expensive. I would rather pay the labor and have it done correctly. DW would rather I do it. It's going to be a hard sell