Slide Topper Opinions

[StevieWonder]

Toppers are worth their weight in gold in hot, intense sun environments. The shade they offer for the slideouts makes a big difference in interior temperatures.

Also, they are extremely effective in keeping the slideouts clear of water as well as leaves and other "trash" that WILL accumulate on top of the slides without them.

In short ... they are money well spent.

 

[jpmorgan37]

I've had slide toppers for 10 years and I can count on my fingers the number of times that I've been bothered by the wind making noise with them. It is so seldom that, for me, it's a non issue. As StevieWonder said, they are worth their weight in gold, but I will go a step farther and say in winter and summer.

John

 

[katkens]

Gary, Sorry if you mis-understood. We don't have slide toppers. The folks I know that have them have solved the problem in a couple of different ways. 1 is to make a pvc bar that would act like a tent frame and they slide it under the topper once they're set up. the other is a series of 2 or 3 balls large enough to fit under the topper and raise it up enough to eliminate the slack. Some have their balls (don't laugh) attached to a line and tie it off so they don't come out the ends.

Sorry... Ray... had to laugh and still am....bet it hurts also...Ken

 

[GaryB]

Slide Toppers vs. Mildew

Hi: I'm about ready to order my new 5er with slide awnings after reading how convenient they are for keeping debris off the slide roof, and providing insulation against sun/noise. However, I just another thread here about how awnings can mildew if retracted when wet. John suggested to clean off the awnings with a mild Clorox mix before storage and then let them dry completely before retracting. Since I'll be a part-timer who will be taking it in/out of storage frequently, this seems like a pain to me.

Will these awnings be more trouble than they are worth to me? Also, what happens if I return home while it's raining? I won't be able to keep them extended while in the storage lot (it's covered with marked parking spaces), and so it'll be difficult to let them dry there. I would probably need to make a special trip home with the 5er to wash/dry them. Of course, I'll have this problem with the patio awning in any case, but don't want to add three more slides to the problem.

Thanks!

 

[slmayor]

Gary, we had them on our motorhome and wish to heck we had them on the Bighorn. They will be our first add-on.
We never had an issue with mold or mildew on the toppers, and not much of an issue on the regular awning. We just rolled them out ocasionally and washed them off. We did store the MH with the slides out about 50% of the time same as we do the trailer.

 

[jpmorgan37]

Gary;
This is a "Florida" problem. Shoes, Pocket Books, Leather belts and just about everything else mildews, if it is not kept in an air conditioned environment. Quit worrying about your slide toppers unless you are going to store your RV in Florida with the slides in during the summer.
John

 

[GaryB]

Gary;
This is a "Florida" problem. Shoes, Pocket Books, Leather belts and just about everything else mildews, if it is not kept in an air conditioned environment. Quit worrying about your slide toppers unless you are going to store your RV in Florida with the slides in during the summer.
John

John

Thanks for clearing this up! SW Indiana is hot and humid (90-100 with high humidity) in the summer, but probably not as bad as Florida.

Gary

 

[trdeal]

Gary, We are partimers too,and we would not be without our slide toppers. Have never had a problem with mold or mildew to my knowledge. Just clean any debris off the toppers before you pull the slides in.You will love them.

 

[ct0218]

I agree with Terry, go for them. They do help and the advantages greatly outweigh the disadvantages.