Slide out toppers

[richfaa]

We have the factory installed slide toppers and see no problem. I am not sure I understand???

[exav8tr]

up2nogood, Perhaps you could post pics of how yours are mounted on the kitchen slide of your 3400. I always say a picture is worth a thousand words. I do not know what the Manufacturers installation instructions say, I was just showing how Camping World did mine. No engineer here just an RVer travelling and seeing the country.

[up2nogood]

quote:Originally posted by richfaa

We have the factory installed slide toppers and see no problem. I am not sure I understand???

The topper in guestion is the kitchen slide , there contention is there is no structure to screw to if you raise the bracket to clear the vent, not true there is plenty. That top fiberglass flange extends down 1*3/4 inches onto the slide framework which makes sense it has to be attached to something thus giving some structure to screw into.Simply looking at the back side of the kitchen slide when the slide is out will tell you all you need to know.

If yours is the same as my factory toppers then you will see the kitchen slide topper is installed on the lower part of the flange,higher on the slide, where as the other three are installed directly below that upper slide flange. The only consideration for installing it lower where the other three are is that it gives the topper less of a gap between it and the slide ,and less chance for debri to blow under the topper. If that would even come into play.

My whole concern was some of the replies mislead and gave the op incorrect info about getting a kitchen slide installed, there is absoulety no reason not to install that bracket higher up on the lower part of the flange.You have to put the bracket flush with the bottom of the flange.If you don't you CAN get it high enough to where you are screwing into just thin fiberglass, and yes it will not hold at all.

What this whole thread tells me is one whoever installed the op"s toppers had no idea what they were doing ,and leaving off the kitchen topper confirms that.

After seeing and LOOKING at what has been written and been done on the actual slider in guestion you can mount that topper without chopping anything up. Besides it looks very tacky to do so.

[up2nogood]

quote:Originally posted by exav8tr

up2nogood, Perhaps you could post pics of how yours are mounted on the kitchen slide of your 3400. I always say a picture is worth a thousand words. I do not know what the Manufacturers installation instructions say, I was just showing how Camping World did mine. No engineer here just an RVer travelling and seeing the country.

I don't think anymore pictures are necessary, yours shows everthing one needs to know. It really makes no sense to chop up that bracket to get it lower down.Regardless of some of the sarcasm Keystone does know some of the things necessary to build a fifth wheel,and appartently they think the installation where it is at will work, and I agree with them, and if anyone would just take the time and look at the installation instead of assuming it was wrong or a problem most of this topic would of been unnecessary

If I was the op I would look at the factory mounts and tell the installer thats how I want it installed and forget all the other nonsense.

The brackets on yours are identical to mine with 5 screws securing each bracket, with of course the exception of the modified bracket of yours which has eight.

I am sure there is some caution on the part of the manufacturer when installing these toppers, and without reading it I would think the caution is do not get it too high where there is nothing but thin fiberglass to screw to in the flange, but in this case if kept on the lower portion of the flange there is plenty of structure to install the screws.

[exav8tr]

up2nogood, your reasoning makes sense. I wish I had had the opportunity to hear your explanation before mine were installed. I do admit it looks somewhat tacky, but I am in this for the long run and will have to live with it now. CW did my install and I was not conferred with when they did it. You know, drop it off and come back at closing and we will have it done. Also, which is a very good point I believe, is that ALL Keystone dealers should request folks to join this forum so they can get information like this prior to us newbees doing something. I had never had an RV before this one and had it about 3 1/2 weeks before this work was done.

[up2nogood]

quote:Originally posted by exav8tr

up2nogood, your reasoning makes sense. I wish I had had the opportunity to hear your explanation before mine were installed. I do admit it looks somewhat tacky, but I am in this for the long run and will have to live with it now. CW did my install and I was not conferred with when they did it. You know, drop it off and come back at closing and we will have it done. Also, which is a very good point I believe, is that ALL Keystone dealers should request folks to join this forum so they can get information like this prior to us newbees doing something. I had never had an RV before this one and had it about 3 1/2 weeks before this work was done.

I just hate the thoughts of having someone do these things,but sometimes we have no choice.

I just went thru a six week ordeal with the local Montana dealer. My 3400 was off warranty this month.So just after labor day I took it in for a couple cosmetic things on warranty, one of the lower aluminum panels on one of the slides was pretty wavy.They took a picture sent it to Keystone they said replace it. The first time around it was worse then when I started and the wrong panel so they spliced it. It looked terrible.Second time around after a little disscusion and to there credit it was repaired like new.

Kind of like these toppers no one involved that knew what they were doing. The second time around I got the service manager involved and insisted on having it done right. I told them is was theres until it was done right

[sreigle]

Ours are A&E. We ordered them factory installed but it was delivered to our dealer without them. So our dealer ordered and installed them. He didn't say anything about modifications. It doesn't look to be mounted any higher than the other toppers.

[sreigle]

quote:Originally posted by Delaine and Lindy

Also water pooling on the long one was a pain to deal with.

Just wondering what you do to deal with the pooling? I've never done anything with ours (had toppers since July 2003) and they've been fine. The pooling doesn't stretch them, it just pulls more material off the roller. There is some stress on the pull from the corners but it's never caused us a problem with the toppers. Have I just been lucky?