Slide topper - what's wrong with this pix

[bruceisla]

This situation (water pooling on the topper) is usually a result of insufficient tension on the roller assembly (the spring isn't wound tight enough to overcome the initial start of pooling).

[palehorse89]

Originally Posted by bruceisla

This situation (water pooling on the topper) is usually a result of insufficient tension on the roller assembly (the spring isn't wound tight enough to overcome the initial start of pooling).

Along with the biggest factor of not having enough slope from the mounting point on the roof line to the awning tube.......

[bruceisla]

Originally Posted by palehorse89

Along with the biggest factor of not having enough slope from the mounting point on the roof line to the awning tube.......

Hence the beachball stuffed under the topper

[brobox]

Originally Posted by bruceisla

This situation (water pooling on the topper) is usually a result of insufficient tension on the roller assembly (the spring isn't wound tight enough to overcome the initial start of pooling).

Actually it's not. All of the Entegra awnings are like that. I don't know the brand, but that is why they have the support wheel others are talking about. I asked on my PDI about tightening the awning and I was informed, that's the way they are. If someone knows a trick to tightening them, that is one I would really like to know.

My previous MH had Carefree awning and the tension could be tightened. I could bounce a quarter off those slide toppers.

[bruceisla]

Originally Posted by brobox

Actually it's not. All of the Entegra awnings are like that. I don't know the brand, but that is why they have the support wheel others are talking about. I asked on my PDI about tightening the awning and I was informed, that's the way they are. If someone knows a trick to tightening them, that is one I would really like to know.

Mt previous MH had Carefree awning and the tension could be tightened. I could bounce a quarter off those slide toppers.

Ok ...

[Dr4Film]

You could have the spring tension as tight as a Banjo string but it will still NOT prevent water from pooling on top of a slide topper that has an insufficient slope to remove the water in the first place. In fact you risk damaging the roller tube and other components if the spring tension is too great.

When my large roadside slide is deployed which uses a Carefree Omega-I Slide Topper/Window Awning, water will pool on the topper because there is insufficient slope based on the position it was mounted. However, if I also deploy the window awning portion it creates a slightly tighter fabric which minimizes the water pooling on the topper. See first photo.

See the second photo below of a typical properly mounted Girard Slide Topper which has proper slope to prevent ANY water from pooling on the fabric.

Here is a thread where a member with the same coach as mine has made a fixture which he places on top of the slide under the fabric to prevent water from pooling on the topper.

Slide Topper Awning Support

Dr4Film ----- Richard

[brobox]

Richard, nice idea and thanks for sharing. I know for a fact I would not get up there to install drain devices unless I was parked somewhere for the entire season. I hope that tilting of the MH with the jacks puts enough slope to drain the water before retracting the slides. A week is normally the longest we stay in one area.

[Gary.Jones]

Richard

This topic just came up a couple of weeks ago at the factory. The slide toppers on the classics and the 2016 (I believe) are made by Colorado Carefree. I am told the 2017 are made by another manufacturer. The reason they shifted is that the slide topper problem that we are discussing is a pretty common one. Also, I was amazed to learn that the Colorado Carefree slide topper on my coach is made of Cotton Cloth..... Cotton? Not some fairly non-stretchable artificial fabric but cotton? You must be kidding? Cotton is going to stretch and deform quickly when put under load. I had this same problem a week after I picked up my coach when we had one of those freak snow/ice storms in the Dallas/Ft Worth area a week after I picked up the coach. Had to borrow the maintenance man's ladder at the RV park I was at as the basement was pretty empty and use one of my long pole SureHold brushes and rods to remove all the ice from each of the topper before I could bring them in. However, the ice load appears to have stretched the toppers so they cannot be adjusted and two of the four have to be replaced. When replaced the next time, it will be replaced with some fabric that is not cotton.

Gary

[Dr4Film]

When you guys with cotton fabric toppers decide to replace the fabric I would recommend that you contact Chris or Ingrid Throgmartin of Stone Vos, Inc for replacement toppers.

They have the best choice of fabrics, best fabric quality, best thread, best stitching and the best warranty in the industry.

They are located in Brooksville Fl.

Dr4Film ----- Richard

[brobox]

Gary, Carefree slide toppers have Sunbrella replacment tops available. I ordered the ones for the TS from an RV dealer in Dallas, which were 1/2 price of Cafrefree's web site. You just explained why our slide toppers have so much slack in them. I've never heard of cotton slide topper, cheap vinyl yes, but not cotton. Wow!

[rbr]

The springs in these awning rollers on the Entegra Classics have the potential to be tightened, but you can't do it on the long slides because the roller tube is not stiff enough and will bow in the middle under the increased tension producing the same effect as a water pool. The low mounting slope and the lack of stiffness in the roller tube are the root causes of the problem I share with the OP, imho.


_____________
Ron & Glenda (The Good Witch!)
2015 Entegra Anthem 42DEQ
2014 Grand Cherokee toad
(Posted via iOS App)

[hawgguy]

Originally Posted by Dr4Film

Can someone answer my earlier question as to the manufacturer of this slide topper?

Dr4Film ----- Richard

Pretty sure Carefree on mine (2015) thought not positive since I saw no markings, but from the internet diagrams I looked at, appears to be Carefree, 2016 and on may be a different company.

[Dr4Film]

Originally Posted by hawgguy

Pretty sure Carefree on mine (2015) thought not positive since I saw no markings, but from the internet diagrams I looked at, appears to be Carefree, 2016 and on may be a different company.

Thanks, Bob.

I believe that the slide-out toppers that are used on Entegra's are the Carefree SOK-III which if the slide is extra-long they use center cover support (part #'s 7 & 8) as shown in the breakdown list below.

SOK-III Parts Illustration Breakdown

Dr4Film ----- Richard

[hawgguy]

Originally Posted by Dr4Film

SOK-III Parts Illustration Breakdown

Dr4Film ----- Richard

Yes sir - that is it exactly. Why couldn't I find that diagram when I was searching.

On mine, the roller tuble jumped out in front of the Roller Support (7) but without too much fuss I was able to snap it back in after bringing in the slide a bit to remove tension..