This is What I did with Slide Topper coming off

Rodbuster

Well-known member
Good morning...A couple of nights ago we were just west of Memphis, right on the banks of the Mississippi. We experienced some pretty nasty weather.

The topper is coming apart from the RV. To put it another way, the bead that slides into the rail that is attached to the RV is starting to come off. The wind was so severe that it made the topper material flop around pretty violently. It pulled the bead out of the rail about 8 or 10 inches on one end.

I haven't been up there to look at it yet, thought I'd post this to see if anybody has any ideas or tips. I know that when you have to slide this bead of material into the rail, that it's a pretty snug fit. With that being said, I have my doubts that I will be able to push or pop the 8 or 10 inches back into the rail.

Any thoughts?
Dick
 

Rodbuster

Well-known member
This Is What I Did

A couple of nights ago my wife and I were camping in West Memphis. The Mississippi River was about 60 feet from our RV...nice area and great experience. Anyways, about 3 AM Monday morning the wind woke us both up. There was a little movement, but the RV seemed pretty solid. The wind was making the toppers on the slides flap around quite a bit. I decided to bring in all the slides. My reasoning was to provide the least amount of sail or area for the wind to grab a hold of. This seemed to help quite a bit. It certainly did a lot of good as far as the toppers flapping around and settled down the RV as well.

This is what I decided to do. Any other thoughts or ideas that might help others in the future would surely be welcomed.

I did suffer one little topper issue. It seems that the wind was strong enough to pull the bead of the topper out of the rail about 8inches. I'm hoping that I can pop the bead back in this morning.

I was talking to a few people the following morning and a few said that a micro- tornado went through. Ther were several trees down in the campground.

Dick
 

Sandpirate69

Well-known member
Re: Topper Coming Off

If its the slide topper or awning, it usually has a screw in each end. If you have one end that came out, then probably it ripped or it wasn't drilled through the round plastic insert. But, it should be too hard. You will need a couple of people to help you.

Good luck
 

krhyde

Kentucky Chapter Leaders-retired
Re: This Is What I Did

A couple of nights ago my wife and I were camping in West Memphis. The Mississippi River was about 60 feet from our RV...nice area and great experience. Anyways, about 3 AM Monday morning the wind woke us both up. There was a little movement, but the RV seemed pretty solid. The wind was making the toppers on the slides flap around quite a bit. I decided to bring in all the slides. My reasoning was to provide the least amount of sail or area for the wind to grab a hold of. This seemed to help quite a bit. It certainly did a lot of good as far as the toppers flapping around and settled down the RV as well.

This is what I decided to do. Any other thoughts or ideas that might help others in the future would surely be welcomed.

I did suffer one little topper issue. It seems that the wind was strong enough to pull the bead of the topper out of the rail about 8inches. I'm hoping that I can pop the bead back in this morning.

I was talking to a few people the following morning and a few said that a micro- tornado went through. Ther were several trees down in the campground.

Dick

Sorry to hear about your problem. Hope this is the only mishap you encounter in your adventure. Bringing the slides in was a good idea, did Fran come up with that? Ken
 

Rodbuster

Well-known member
Re: This Is What I Did

Sorry to hear about your problem. Hope this is the only mishap you encounter in your adventure. Bringing the slides in was a good idea, did Fran come up with that? Ken

Ken, with remarks like that, you are certainly not advancing yourself on my Christmas list.
Dick
 

brianharrison

Well-known member
Re: This Is What I Did

I have done the same with the slides in strong winds. BTW, I always bring in the power patio awning every night.

Regarding the topper awning - I have sucessfully reinstalled the anchor chord in the drip rail slot by removing the fabric anchor screw (one end or the other to hold the awning material in the drip rail) and sliding the awning partially off and feeding the anchor chord back into the slot (you may need to pry apart the drip rail slot slightly with screw driver to assist in this process).

Hope this helps.
Brian
 

Nabo

Southeast Region Director-Retired
Re: This Is What I Did

WOW Dick - what an experience. We got caught a couple of years ago on the coast of SC in a tropical storm and did the same thing - closed the slides and rocked it out. Glad ya'll are safe. Let us know the rest of your trip and how it goes.
 

krhyde

Kentucky Chapter Leaders-retired
Re: This Is What I Did

Ken, with remarks like that, you are certainly not advancing yourself on my Christmas list.
Dick

It don't matter, if you keep buying all the new safety stuff, you'll be broke anyway. Today I installed my 50amp hard wired surge protector and my new LED motion sensing porch light. Also got a 16 foot flag pole and light. Going to install the glass tile back splash tomorrow. Ain't RV'ing fun? Ken
 

Nabo

Southeast Region Director-Retired
Re: This Is What I Did

Gosh guys - glad those safety issues have been taken care of. Glad I could help (haha).
 

boatto5er

Founding VA Chap Ldr (Ret)
Re: This Is What I Did

It don't matter, if you keep buying all the new safety stuff, you'll be broke anyway. Today I installed my 50amp hard wired surge protector and my new LED motion sensing porch light. Also got a 16 foot flag pole and light. Going to install the glass tile back splash tomorrow. Ain't RV'ing fun? Ken

Dang! I'm falling behind. Got to get the LED Motion Sensing Porch Light and the Flagpole Light.
 

JohnDar

Prolifically Gabby Member
If you're talking "blinding brightness," not so. Yes, they're brighter than the basic orange OEM porch light, but not overly so.
 

TXBobcat

Fulltime
I had a LED Motion Sensing Porch Light installed also and it sure helps when you are trying to unlock the door at night. But it also is good for our neighbor. The light goes out after a few minutes with no motion. That is better than when I forgot that the scare light was on and left it on all night. And sometimes all day also..

BC
 

Rodbuster

Well-known member
Went out early this morning because the damaged area was in the shade. Couldn't get to it before today because "one of us" wanted to do things around Branson. Nice area and alot of shows and other things to do...no problem keeping busy.

Anyways, this morning I got the ladder out and went up to take a look at what needed to be done. I think I made the right decision when I decided to pull the slides in. I only wish that I had pulled them in a little sooner. The "bead", as I call it, had only pulled out about 8 inches. I noticed that the rail or anchor was in two pieces (made that way). This was going to work out great. Took a knife and cut along the top edge of the rail...enough to penetrate the sealing compound then took a screw driver and removed the 2 screws holding that piece on. I had to push about 1 inch of the bead into the part of the rail on the coach. I took the remainding part of the bead (about 6 or 7 inches) and slid it into the rail that I just took off. I put silicone in the screw holes as well as on the screw threads. Screwed the screws back in and....Whoopee, were back in business.

Thank you for your replies
Dick
 

krhyde

Kentucky Chapter Leaders-retired
Re: This Is What I Did

Thanks to Nathan and Dick, my wife decided we need a stained glass window in our door. So I just ordered one with the light house picture. The nice thing about this is that I wanted one but hadn't ordered it yet. Now I can pretend that it was her idea and I'm just ordering it for her because I'm such a great guy. Ain't RVing fun. Ken
 

jimtoo

Moderator
Re: This Is What I Did

Let's see Ken.... I have someone's secret address that you do not know about...:) So how much fun can I have at your expense??

Jim M

Thanks to Nathan and Dick, my wife decided we need a stained glass window in our door. So I just ordered one with the light house picture. The nice thing about this is that I wanted one but hadn't ordered it yet. Now I can pretend that it was her idea and I'm just ordering it for her because I'm such a great guy. Ain't RVing fun. Ken
 

krhyde

Kentucky Chapter Leaders-retired
Re: This Is What I Did

Let's see Ken.... I have someone's secret address that you do not know about...:) So how much fun can I have at your expense??

Jim M

If your "fun" is in direct proportion to my "funds", then you're not going have much. I told my wife we were broke but she says, "We still have checks in the checkbook so we must have money left". Ain't RVing fun? Ken
 
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