Install a Slide Out Topper - Yes or No???

TheTraveller · Feb 19, 2010

Hi:

We have ordered a North Trail 31BDSS TT. We will be leaving the trailer at a seasonal site, so will not be towing it.

I am trying to decide if a Slide Out Topper is nescessary.

What are peopls opinions on Slide Out Toppers?

Thanks in advance.

boatto5er · Feb 19, 2010

I don't currently have them but wish I did. When we camp in heavily wooded areas it can be a PIA to clean off the top of the slide before retracting it. The toppers help keep the pine cones and small limbs off the top of the slide. The one caution is too avoid what I saw on a couple of rigs in the recent heavy snow we had in our area. The slides had been left out and two feet of snow was putting a lot of pressure on the slide topper.

DMitch · Feb 19, 2010

We have them on our BH 3580 and like them. The one draw back is that they are a little noisey in the wind.

JohnDar · Feb 19, 2010

We had them installed on all four slides when we bought our 3670. We leave ours on a seasonal site for the summer, also, with the slides left out whether we're there or not. They keep tree debris off the top of the slide and prevent water puddling on them, as well. No doubt, either, that they keep the tops of the slides cooler by shading them from the sun. I can't say I've noticed any objectionable noise during windy days from them. They are well worth the cost.

Zonian · Feb 19, 2010

I had one put on before I picked up the camper. I've done this on my last two. The one before that, I didn't and reretted not doing so as I was always having to clean the slider top prior to closing it...I forgot to once and had some debris on the floor when I arrived at my next destination. Guess the seal didn't "sweep" the top clean as it closed.

westxsrt10 · Feb 19, 2010

We had one on our older unit and decided against one on our Heartland. I think a topper gives you a false sence of keeping the slide-out roof clean as debris still gets under it and needs to be cleaned off. It's importaint to keep the slide roof clean so the seals don't get torn up from usage.

caokgafamily · Feb 19, 2010

I wish we had them. If you are off level they will help stop leaks.

jbeletti · Feb 19, 2010

I've had them on all 3 5th wheels I have had. They have their pros and cons and I'm experiencing the cons here in Texas. That said, I feel the pros outweigh the cons and I don't regret having them.

At just the right angle to the wind, they will flap. And that flapping can be annoying. Various user solutions have been devised to minimize the flapping and I think they work to varying degrees. I have not made up anything to minimize it. I generally don't even notice it.

I'd get them again.

Jim

Jellystone · Feb 19, 2010

My advise is for you to get them. We had our dealer install ours before we ever picked up the unit. They keep a great deal of debris and rainwater off of your slides. Remember, water is your enemy on an RV. The $$$ spent on the toppers could save you $$$$ later on.

Boca_Shuffles · Feb 20, 2010

Out toppers kept us from having leaks. We had no problems with water on the sliders. I only found out that all three of my sliders needed to be resealed where the horizontal top meets the outside vertical side, when I got up on a ladder. If we didn't have the slider toppers, we would have had serious water problems.

2010Augusta came up with a neat solution for pooling water on the toppers: Attach a rope to the arm that is used to keep the topper from unrolling while traveling. By pulling down on the rope, the topper loosens and lets the water run off. Our toppers are quiet when they are dry and taunt.

bigbird272 · Feb 20, 2010

I had a slide leak in another trailer I had. This would not have happened if I had toppers. My 3580 Bighorn has toppers and I love them.

Rick

JohnDar · Feb 20, 2010

With ours, only the main living room slide topper pooled water. I made a PVC pipe support for it (copied from another gent on the forums) and problem solved. The other three toppers are smaller and did not pool. Others have shoved beach balls under them to solve the pooling problem.

rvn4fun · Feb 20, 2010

I think it depends on where you camp at. Up in the Dakotas it is so windy that the flapping is so bothersome that some put in there slides just to keep the wind from tearing them apart and the flapping noise. Between the wind flapping them and blowing leaves, sticks, snow , sand ect, under them we decided we wouldn't have them. I am sure they would be great in high rain areas ect.

PSF513 · Feb 20, 2010

I would strongly recommend slide toppers. You sure don't want to damage the slide seals when you pull them in. But, if it will stay set up all season, you might want to take JohnDar's suggestion about a support

JohnDar · Feb 20, 2010

While we're at it, I'll repeat a couple of things about the seals, too. I went around all four slides with an awning rod and made sure the exterior seals were fully deployed, even under the toppers. Need an extension ladder for that, though. Then later in the season, I sprayed them all, including the inner seals I could get at with silicone spray, both sides.

What other folks have done is to put sections of self-adhesive automotive trim on the top (and sides, too, I think) to force the seals to fully flex with the movement of the slides, either in or out. Might give that a shot next season.

John T Bettencourt · Feb 20, 2010

If you are going to be on a seasonal site I would do like I did. Get ahold of a canvas man and have him make custom toppers for the slides. All they do is put up a track that the canvas slides in and then they snap over the leading edge of the slide. They stay tite do not flap,works great. It is much cheaper than putting on conventional roll out slide toppers.

Irishman · Feb 20, 2010

To go topper or not? Based on my experience of having 3 5th wheels, 2 without toppers and my current Big Horn with toppers I would suggest to go with the toppers. As mentioned in the preceding Threads they help in keeping the slides cooler, debris of the top off the slides, Water of the top of the slides. I keep the Big Horn on a permanent site leaving the slides out all the time, but we do pull the Horn out 3 or 4 times during the season.
Hope this helps

TheTraveller · Feb 21, 2010

Thanks for all the replies and opinions.

It looks like I will be ordering one for our North Trai.

JohnDar: Can you point me to some directions for this PVC Topper Awning Support

Thanks

cookie · Feb 21, 2010

Ross, a little search found THIS.

Peace
Dave

JohnDar · Feb 21, 2010

Yep, that the basic idea I followed. One inch PVC pipe is all you need. I changed it slighltly by extending the feet a bit with some short pipe sections and end caps. For the main slide (the only one I did), you should have three upright supports and two lengths of pipe to span the slide. Assemble and slide it under the topper from one side. The only parts I glued together were the upright supports. The pipe between them is just pressed in for disassembly and storage.

Install a Slide Out Topper - Yes or No???

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