Slide Awning Toppers - Page 2 - Montana Owners Club

sreigle · 02-19-2005, 11:06 AM

I missed the question earlier asking about possible wind damage. We also have been in very strong, gusty winds in the midwest, have had up to 10 inches of snow on the toppers, torrential rains, and no damage to them at all. In gusty winds they do flap and make a little noise although not enough to keep us from sleeping. One of our members reported having trouble sleeping because of the wind flapping theirs. I don't know if there's a difference in installation or something that would cause that much difference or not. These toppers are 2 1/2 years old and have spent the majority of their lives extended, open to the elements, and are doing just fine.

w4nfr · 03-29-2005, 04:28 AM

[img]We seem to camp in rainy and windy areas! I have a solution to the Flapping Slide Topper Awning problem. Measure the length of your slide topper. Cut some 1/2" PVC pipe to this length plus add about an inch. Run a rope through the PVC and tie off both ends underneath the slide. I use a bungy on one end to keep tention on the rope. On longer slides, I use some couplings to join several shorter pieces of PVC. This way it will all come apart and I can store in my underneath storage for traveling.

For Photos Check Out My Website Under Improvements:
http://www.moneysmith.com/w4nfrweb.html

Charlie · 03-29-2005, 04:56 AM

Bill-
Sounds like a very good idea, had thought about stringing rope across, but the PVC adds a little weight.

jrgwdenner · 03-29-2005, 06:44 AM

Has anyone had trouble with mildew on the slide toppers and/or awning? Any tricks for getting it off? We're in warm, humid middle Alabama. J.

w4nfr · 03-29-2005, 07:25 AM

I use the same stuff that gets black streaks off the sides of the rig.
Just squirt the stuff on a sponge mop with a long handle and wipe on. Carefully rinse with a hose or damp mop to remove excess. The black crap will disolve. I think Camping World sells it and it is called Black Streak Remover and comes in a squirt bottle.

Montana_354 · 03-30-2005, 05:37 AM

Hey Steve,
Do you remember the name of that campground in Stratton by any chance? We were at one on the north side of I-70, but don't remember the name now. It's been about 8 years ago. A nice campground with a separate (stand alone) gift shop and a really nice B&B to the west. We had a tour of it and they offer cooking classes and it's really nice.

Are those moths the same as Miller Moths? Big hummers that love the lights and our dogs love to eat them. lol
Kalamity

sreigle · 04-08-2005, 02:38 PM

Kalamity, Vicki just checked her log. It's Trails End RV Park. The sites were rather tight and we were just there overnight. It was on the North side of I-70. The office was in a gas station. It wasn't a bad place, just not really well setup for big rigs but was ok for a day or two or three. As for the moths, I don't know if they're the same as what we called Millers when I was a kid. Could be. This year we had an infestation of ladybugs but they didn't come in on the slides. We're finally rid of them!

Bill, w4nf4, how does your pvc/rope solution work in the rain? Does the water run off at the low point where the pvc pipe crosses the topper? Or does it pool up at the low point? I know on a naked topper it will pool in the middle so am wondering if this fixes that, too. I'm very interested in this. I always worry about the health of the toppers in the wind even though we've had no problem with them in nearly three years.

w4nfr · 04-08-2005, 05:34 PM

The modification allows the water to run off and pooling is minimal. I had the same problem with water staying on top of the awning. Much better now. Just having the awnings quiet in the wind is reason enough to do the mod!

sreigle · 04-09-2005, 12:36 PM

Thanks. I'm going to have to get serious about this one.

w4nfr · 04-09-2005, 02:26 PM

I took photos of a slide with the modification in place and they are displayed on my website. You will see the deflaper in place and how the rain drains off. It is important to use a bungee to maintain tension on the rope.
http://www.moneysmith.com/w4nfrweb.html

sreigle · 04-09-2005, 04:24 PM

Thanks. I saved one of the pictures (hope you don't mind) to show Vicki.

Montana_3730 · 09-14-2005, 01:12 AM

Anyone encounter any problems with leaving the slides with toppers open for extended periods in the snow and ice? Should they be removed or is it ok to let it pile up?
Clark

Garin1 · 09-14-2005, 03:00 AM

Had the toppers on my Couger,,,stayed the summer in Arizona(135-f)and the winter in Maine(-12f). Had no trouble with them at all.I know that seasonseems backwards but I go where the work takes me.Can't wait to get a new tv and start traveling with the new Monty

sreigle · 09-14-2005, 04:28 AM

We spend November and December in Kansas City with slides open. We've had 10 inches of snow on the toppers without problem. And ice, too. It does cause the toppers to bottom out on top of the slide if you get enough weight up there but it didn't hurt anything. It just pulls more material off the roller. When we were ready to leave in January we just retracted the slides and the awnings rolled up as the slides retracted. The snow and ice just rolled off the sides, down the sides of the slides. So long as there is tension in the roller it works just fine. On ours anyhow.

Montana_4342 · 09-30-2005, 08:46 AM

We don't have the toppers. In thinking about the possibilities of the types of problems one could have (with or without the toppers), I feel safer without them. One could just as easily retract a hornets nest, etc. into the interior. Not knowing what is underneath the slide-out when retracting them seems more terrifying than getting on top and sweeping everything off.

mobilrvn · 10-06-2005, 07:54 PM

Hard read this thread earlier and it made us go to CampingWorld and get topped. The thought that did the trick was the "de-flapper", now I need to construct them. It will be interesting to find out if we stay cooler next summer. Already like the way it helps muffle the rain.

Question to the person who was afraid of dragging in a hornets' nest, do you check the top of your slideouts before you retract them? I admit that I am too lazy to do it. Has this been a problem that we have been lucky in missing over all these year? Is there certain locales that hornets are a problem--just curious. Have had a few ants and a couple of mice. A mud dobber clogged up the
BBQ once.

Rudi and Ellen · 10-08-2005, 02:21 AM

No, I have personally not had a problem with dragging a hornets nest into the unit with the slide-outs. sreigle mentioned that he dragged in a bunch of moths and they were swatting them for 3 days. I was just thinking that if you stay at a site for an extended period of time, that could just as easily have been a hornets nest. Yes, I do go up onto the roof and clean the slides off each time before I retract them. I was thinking that it would be difficult to see what's on top of the slides with the toppers on.

You may also like: