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Old 02-26-2016, 07:11 PM   #1
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Slide toppers

Hi all,

The new TT I'm getting in April will have a slide and I think I would like to get a topper for it. Any advise on the need for one, reliable brand, or anything else I might want to know would be appreciated.

Dale
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Old 02-26-2016, 08:34 PM   #2
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Dale
Never had a topper on any of my RV's that had slides. Carefree has some nice ones though.
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Old 02-26-2016, 09:11 PM   #3
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I too am looking for slide toppers for our 5'r... Our awnings are Carefree so I'm sticking to them... Looking at the enclosed ones for a little more protection from tree limbs, seeing as our Voltage is so tall.
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Old 02-26-2016, 10:20 PM   #4
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Some people swear by them, others swear at them. I prefer them to having to get the crap off the top of the slide in poor weather. Added bonus; in somewhere like AZ they help keep the excess heat generated by the sun off the tops of the slide. As far as brand, I would go with whatever brand your main awning is.

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Old 02-26-2016, 10:31 PM   #5
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As Aaron stated you will get mixed reviews here. Most of the negatives are from the guys in the desert that don't have a lot of branches and leaves falling on them, and deal with high winds on a regular basis. But for me, living in Missouri, I wont have a trailer without them. I have the Dometic Deluxe slide toppers. I am very pleased with mine and they have been "Carefree" since I got them. Here is a pic of what mine looks like.
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Old 02-26-2016, 10:44 PM   #6
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I had them on one TT, but they didn't last but about 3 years because of water accumulating on them. I had my last TT for 10 years without toppers and never had a problem. Didn't put them on my current TT either. I built a special broom to quickly wipe the slide tops when camping under trees. I'm not bashing them, but they are not for me.
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Old 02-26-2016, 10:54 PM   #7
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Quote:
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I had them on one TT, but they didn't last but about 3 years because of water accumulating on them. I had my last TT for 10 years without toppers and never had a problem. Didn't put them on my current TT either. I built a special broom to quickly wipe the slide tops when camping under trees. I'm not bashing them, but they are not for me.
How big of a ladder did you need to broom off the slide? Also, how did you modify the broom so it worked for you?

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Old 02-26-2016, 11:09 PM   #8
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I don't need a ladder. I bought a collapsible broom and used pvc to extend and add a 'U' at the top. (Think street light). I just stand on the ground and sweep the slide tops.
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How big of a ladder did you need to broom off the slide? Also, how did you modify the broom so it worked for you?

Dale
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Old 02-27-2016, 12:27 AM   #9
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I put slide toppers on all three slides. Before we did, we had a motor failure on our bedroom Schwintek slide due to moisture and corrosion. Our local service center recommended them to help protect the motors. Added benefits are not having to get up on the roof before pulling the slides in to sweep them off. We spend 5 weeks at a time in FL, they do help with the sun beating down on the slides, and heating things up. One negative is the largest one will collect some water. Pulling the slide in and putting it back out empties the water. Not an issue on the two smaller slides.

I'm happy with them, after a year of use. Our's are CareFree brand. At some point, I'm sure we'll have to replace the fabric.
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Old 02-27-2016, 12:33 AM   #10
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Your service center took you to the cleaners. There is no way that a topper will prevent a slide motor failure. I live in south Florida and my AC has no problem keeping up with no toppers.

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Originally Posted by pdonoghu View Post
I put slide toppers on all three slides. Before we did, we had a motor failure on our bedroom Schwintek slide due to moisture and corrosion. Our local service center recommended them to help protect the motors. Added benefits are not having to get up on the roof before pulling the slides in to sweep them off. We spend 5 weeks at a time in FL, they do help with the sun beating down on the slides, and heating things up. One negative is the largest one will collect some water. Pulling the slide in and putting it back out empties the water. Not an issue on the two smaller slides.

I'm happy with them, after a year of use. Our's are CareFree brand. At some point, I'm sure we'll have to replace the fabric.
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Old 02-27-2016, 02:22 AM   #11
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I don't have toppers and never felt the need until we got ready to leave the campground in Savannah yesterday. The area had a pretty good blow for a couple of days and all kinds of junk fell from the trees and wound up on top of my slides. Glad I climbed on the roof to sweep it off as it was a mess with small pine cones and such.
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Old 02-27-2016, 09:29 AM   #12
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How do toppers hold up with snow? These are on my listif items to possibly get.
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Old 02-27-2016, 09:40 AM   #13
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They all sag with rain and snow, and on heavy wind days, they can flap and make some noise, but I like them for keeping debris off as well as helping reduce water standing. I have Carefree for a year now. No problem.
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Old 02-27-2016, 03:04 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Handyman View Post
I don't need a ladder. I bought a collapsible broom and used pvc to extend and add a 'U' at the top. (Think street light). I just stand on the ground and sweep the slide tops.
sounds like what I need, pictures of the broom would be great if you have any
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Old 02-27-2016, 04:28 PM   #15
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Quote:
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Your service center took you to the cleaners. There is no way that a topper will prevent a slide motor failure. I live in south Florida and my AC has no problem keeping up with no toppers.
Well, it sure can't do anything but help shade the top of the slide from pulling in dirt, dust, and other debris into the areas behind the seals.

And as to the shading for AC... I've done south Florida, and I've done southern AZ. The latter last summer when it was routinely 117 during the day. Trust me when I tell you that the toppers helped in that situation. A laser thermometer routinely showed that the sides of the slide were warmer than the ceiling. Thankfully, there was only direct sunlight on the side of the slide for about 3 hours of the day. I'd have hated to see the temps on the ceiling with the direct sunlight on them all day.

Bottom line... as Aaron said earlier: some people love 'em, some people hate 'em. I'm one of the guys that love 'em. Yeah, they make some noise in the 30mph+ winds we have here nearly everyday out here in AZ, but so what? They do what they were made to do. Your mileage may vary...
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Old 02-27-2016, 04:43 PM   #16
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Can the toppers be manually retracted if the wind gets blowing too hard?
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Old 02-27-2016, 05:19 PM   #17
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I've seen many a slideout with toppers that still get junk blown underneath them, my dealer actually talked me out of one. I keep a small ladder in the camper, it only takes a minute to sweep it off. I guess it depends on the area you camp the most in.
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Old 02-27-2016, 05:21 PM   #18
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Quote:
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Can the toppers be manually retracted if the wind gets blowing too hard?
Not that I have seen. There are ways to reduce the noise in high winds. You can slip a piece of pipe insulation on the edge of the slide under the awning, some people use a split pool noodle, the best idea I have seen so far was to glue some exterior grade felt on ride edge.

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