Slide Toppers

UNDRPSI

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 5, 2012
Posts
368
Location
USA
How many of you have the slide awnings? Are they worth getting? There might be a possibility that we have to winter it in New England at some point but we're really hoping to head south for the winters. It all depends on my work and where they send me. Is there a way to unhook them in the winter time so snow won't tear them? Do they help keep the water off the slides which help keep your slides from leaking?
Thanks for any help!
 
They have their good and bad. They do help keep the sun off the slide top and debris. The biggest thing I have found is to be sure and check under the awning before rolling in the slide (especially if you have had it out for a while) because mud-dobbers love building their nests under there. I forgot to check once and had a room full of angry wasps. I had mine for 5 years and had no trouble with them except for some minor sun cracking, of course I kept them clean.
 
We've had them on the Monty since new and now have them on our 36RL except for the Living Room slide, no topper if you order the second awning.
 
They have their advantages (noise and heat reduction) and disadvantages (debris can get under them, they can flap in the wind, hold rain).... I guess it's just a matter of preference.
We had them on our last trailer and they helped keep the slide out ceiling cool and cut down the noise when it rained so we liked that about them.
Edited by: TravelinAnderson
 
The black color may increase the roof temperature of your slide outs they do reduce the rain noise (I myself enjoy the pitter patter of rain on the roof) depending on how you are parked they can trap debris the biggest draw back is that in high wind such as storms they can cause some damage to your slide out and main roof plus in the winter when it snows the snow melts and turns to ice on the topper making it net to impossible to run the slides in if you have to pack up and leave and if you try to get the ice off the fabric you will damage it all in all they are nice but for us we prefer not have them.
 
We presently have a large slide awning and winter camp. It may be a hassel but we put it in and out during a big storm or shovel it off right after with no problem -26 degrees. It seems to work. Heavy rain can catch you off guard so you have to be alert. If you are going to be there for awhile like we will (seasonal) I will use a beach ball under the middle of the kitchen awning. Have to see how much room there is. We had a NUWA next to us last year and they held up the big slide awning with a ball. We too will not have an awning on the living room slide because of the second awning. We live outside and the more coverage the better. This will give us an opportunity to see if they are worth it. (Two with and one without).
 
Well after reading everyones comment I think we are going to go with out the toppers. We like the sound of the rain hitting the roof and slide roofs. I also need to be able to pull in my slides in the winter if we are still in NH this winter. You never know when I might get a call to go south to work. I hate to think that the snow could tear the toppers. To bad they dont make it so it is easy to unhook them for winter use.
 
Dealer mentioned to us that that he orders all his trailers without the slide-top awnings. Not everyone wants them ... and they are easy to add later on if you change your mind!
 
This was a tough decision for my wife and I but we ended up going without the toppers. Money really wasn't the issue as much as maintenance and noise. I've talked with lots of folks that end up putting beach balls and such under them so they don't gather water and others that had said that it was hard to clean out from under them.

I'm still able to walk on the roof without a problem, so until I can't get up there I'll go without the toppers. Besides if they're like the awnings they'll will have to be replaces every 8-10 years if you're lucky.
 

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