Another wind vs slide toppers thread

[DeWat]

Originally Posted by KennyGolub

I was just reading another thread about wind and slide toppers.


It hasn't happened often for me, but with my Tiffin, on an occasion when the wind is very high, I would bring in the slides to avoid stress on the slide toppers.


Entegra requires the coach be at ride height to extend or retract the slides.


My question for Entegra owners is: Do you bring the slides in ? If so, do you start the engine and bring it up to ride height ?





.

Very touchy subject for me Kenny. Concering airing up to bring the slides in, I do it because Entegra says I should do, and PJ does a very good job of explaining why. The rest only applies to coaches with Hadley active air: with that said, I used to air up via basement air compressor so I didn't have to start the engine just to bring the slides in, but if you have the Spartan technical bulletin performed, you can kiss that way of airing up goodbye! Once Spartan performs their technical service bulletin, the only way that you will be able to air up (or to operate the Hadley air panel at all) is by starting the engine.

[Gary.Jones]

Dewey

My guess, and it is only a guess at this point, is that the TSB has been implemented on all 2020 Spartan chassis and they dont have a choice either. Someone with a 20 is going to have to try it both ways and see what they discover, but my bet is they cant do anything until the Cummins is running.

So 2020 Cornerstone owner.... please figure it out and tell the rest of us.

Gary

[DeWat]

Originally Posted by Gary.Jones

Dewey

My guess, and it is only a guess at this point, is that the TSB has been implemented on all 2020 Spartan chassis and they dont have a choice either. Someone with a 20 is going to have to try it both ways and see what they discover, but my bet is they cant do anything until the Cummins is running.

So 2020 Cornerstone owner.... please figure it out and tell the rest of us.

Gary

True that Gary and thanks. I don't want to get away from the OP, but the point of Spartan's TSB might be moot for 2020. Aren't they switching from Hadley to Valid for 2020? And if so, who knows, maybe the Valid will work with the ignition in ACC.

[Johnontheroad]

In most weather we leave the slides out. But when it gets strong, maybe 25mph or more, I will put a rope over the slide topper. I have four pre-cut ropes with bungee cords I use for this. This prevents the topper from ballooning up and possibly tearing.

When really high winds are predicted I air up and pull in slides.

One exception: we had a surprise hurricane at 4 AM one morning in Michigan, and I pulled in slides without airing up. No damage was noted, but on my dinette slide topper the whole roller assembly was pulled out by the wind.Managed to get the spring rewound and the system put back together but we dodged a bullet with that one. BTW, there were three of us caught in that hurricane and we all were scared out of our minds. Not only were picnic tables tossed around but complete roofs were torn off of nearby buildings.

[DebbieMH]

Originally Posted by Johnontheroad

In most weather we leave the slides out. But when it gets strong, maybe 25mph or more, I will put a rope over the slide topper. I have four pre-cut ropes with bungee cords I use for this. This prevents the topper from ballooning up and possibly tearing.

When really high winds are predicted I air up and pull in slides.

One exception: we had a surprise hurricane at 4 AM one morning in Michigan, and I pulled in slides without airing up. No damage was noted, but on my dinette slide topper the whole roller assembly was pulled out by the wind.Managed to get the spring rewound and the system put back together but we dodged a bullet with that one. BTW, there were three of us caught in that hurricane and we all were scared out of our minds. Not only were picnic tables tossed around but complete roofs were torn off of nearby buildings.

In Michigan? Wow. Glad y’all were safe.

[MRUSA14]

Originally Posted by Johnontheroad

One exception: we had a surprise hurricane at 4 AM one morning in Michigan, and I pulled in slides without airing up. No damage was noted, but on my dinette slide topper the whole roller assembly was pulled out by the wind.Managed to get the spring rewound and the system put back together but we dodged a bullet with that one. BTW, there were three of us caught in that hurricane and we all were scared out of our minds. Not only were picnic tables tossed around but complete roofs were torn off of nearby buildings.

That sounds more like a tornado than a hurricane. Hurricanes arrive with plenty of advance warnings and days of predictions. Tornadoes can be just as devastating but cover a much smaller area and give almost no advance notice of where they will occur.

[eu430]

Well, I guess I’m the bad coach owner here. I almost never wait until at full ride height to bring the slides in. And I have never had any damage. BTW, I traded that coach in last month. Maybe I will attempt to be more patient with this new one.

[09 harley]

Originally Posted by Gary.Jones

Lynn

I meant gusts associated with a hurricane, not the eye wall. If hear the eye wall projection, I would be gone also. I meant like if I was 100-150 miles north of the coast (Hattiesburg) and andfall in Gulfport, and still decided to stay, I probably would have everything in.

Gary

For my interest in continuing education would you please explain to me why you would take the unit out of level to retract the slides. I’ve seen that mentioned before but I really don’t understand. I would think slides would function best when level. Maybe not on some units?

[KennyGolub]

Originally Posted by 09 harley

For my interest in continuing education would you please explain to me why you would take the unit out of level to retract the slides. I’ve seen that mentioned before but I really don’t understand. I would think slides would function best when level. Maybe not on some units?

Entegra recommends they be extended or retracted only when aired up. They say that the slides are installed and centered while the coach is aired up, so that is why we should do it too.


Just before we traded our Tiffin in on our Aspire, I heard this, and thought it made enough sense to try that on the Tiffin as we were packing up to go pick up the Aspire. Previously, I did it like Tiffin recommended, level first, then extend, then retract while still level on the jacks. Trying it with the Entegra (air up and then bring the slides in) method was a big mistake for the Tiffin. I aired up the Tiffin and then brought in the slides. Two of them "cocked" and got stuck with about 8 to 12 inches still out. I had to drive it like that from Ocala to Tampa, where our new Aspire was waiting for us. (Yes, I know....my bad for not watching them closely enough. I made shame shame in the corner for 20 minutes after that).
I decided from that point on, I will always go with manufacturers advice.


.

[MRUSA14]

Different coaches are constructed differently and have different procedures. The slides on Entegra DP’s are constructed with smaller tolerances between the framed opening and the slideout room. Therefore, the twist in the chassis often induced by the leveling jacks can cause the moving parts to bind. Thus the instruction to always operate slides at ride hight where frame twist is not an issue.

Coaches like Newmar and Tiffin have greater space between the opening and the moving slide. This is why unlike Entegra, they have a wide frame on the outside of the slide, to cover up this gap. The larger gap gives more latitude when encountering frame twist cause by levelers.

[Craneboy302]

We have a 2015 Entegra & was at my cousin place on the Columbia river in eastern WA. The wind was at least 40mph. I put the engine to the wind, just like a horse. Pull the slides in & was waiting out the storm. My cousin opened the door & the wind took it right out of his hand. It got bend back & now if you just slowly close it there is about 4” of gap. You have to slam it to close it. I figure when I get time I will replace the hinges one at a time.

[GeezerViz]

Here is what happened to my slide topper after a windy night. I was asleep so didn't notice how windy it was but this is what I found in the morning.

[Smitty77]

Always enjoy reading and learning how SOB's procedures differ on many subjects!

We are a X's 2 on the rope over the topper, using the large rubberized twistie's instead of a bungee cord to add some taught ness.

We have a dawg that is very nervous by wind noise, and the noise of either the window awning and or topper - really gets her pacing. On our two slides coach, we have the combo Carefree Omega II " ? " armed topper/awnings.

When we are in 20-25 MPH winds, we use the rope over the topper. Add Bungee's to the arms to help hold the awnings taught.

When we are in 25-35 MPH winds, we put the awnings in, and keep the rope over the topper.

When we get above 35 MPH winds, we bring the big, and deeper, slide in. Rear less deep smaller bedroom slide, we've left out in 40 MPH with the rope over it - BUT ONLY IF, we have the coach positioned with the wind coming from the other side.

Sustaining winds are usually easy to decide what to do. But at places where we have sporadic gusts (Think Oregon Coast! We have a site at Pacific Shores, and when winds are 'sustaining' at say 20-25 MPH, we can get gusts of up to 35 MPH.). So we try to factor the area we're in, our experience with the wind patterns in that micro region, and then make a decision.

When in doubt, we bring out slides in.

And while not the subject, we always no the County we're in. (If our travel plans take us thru expected rough weather, who ever the navigator is that day, keeps track of the County we're in too.). We have Weather Alerts on our phone, and if in a region with expected problems, we pull out our Emergency Weather Alert Radio too. We were above the Missouri River just South of Bismark North Dakota, three years ago. Forecast was for some strong Thunderstorm activity. We elected to unhook and pull in our electrical cord before the storm. Watched the lightning show come towards us from the West. Our radar maps on Forecast, showed a strong nasty dark RED patch heading our way. So we brought both of our slides in. It turned into a Micro Cell, knocked over trees and a few trailers and fivers. We rocked, we rolled, we heard the LOUD CLAP of thunder, hail too - but thankfully not too big. That 10-15 minutes seemed like two hours! We've been in some weather before while we've traveled, dodge tornadoes, rode out warnings in buildings, had some good size hail (no damage) and strong winds... But this Micro Cell burst made us a believer in being 'cautious as possible'. (If we had known this Red Cell was going to be a Micro Cell touchdown - we'd had gone to the brick restroom!).

Yep, went on! Our Carefree fabric on the Topper/Awning's were were placed with Stone Vos(SP?) fabric. Which is more robust then the OEM fabric, so that helps.

Best to all, travel safe, have fun,
Smitty