Community Forums

rbleau6885 · 12-23-2015, 08:23 PM

Would never run without one most trailers don't come with them a lot have just the rails most new motor homes I see them installed.. Just my opinion but my rv didn't have the rail installed so when I ordered my dometic toper they wanted the box measurements but I gave them flange to flange which gave a lot more of an over hang then most. There worth the cost just gets expensive when u have a number of slides

Mr_Fixit · 12-23-2015, 08:29 PM

Flange-to-flange is the proper way to measure and you are right, a lot of RV come with the toppers trimmed too short from my vantage point.

Cummins12V98 · 12-23-2015, 09:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr_Fixit

Why not? Can you expand?

Steve

Sure. The fact is if you are in wet weather you better be able to extend your slides where you store your RV after camping. Also if you have needles of leaves on the toppers you need to get on the roof and sweep them off before bringing in the slide no different than without toppers. Some say toppers are noisy I have not experienced that.

When it rains the collect water. Some shove balls in-between topper and top slide. They do the same to keep them flapping in the wind.

If you camp in windy areas like Palm Springs for example you will always be bringing in your slides so the toppers don't tear. You are not always around when the wind comes up.

"Keeps your slide outs cooler", maybe but if you are that close to being able to properly cool your rig you need another/better AC units.

Had them don't miss them at all!

I was convinced they were the thing to have until the next RV did not have them and I started thinking about it and decided they IMHO are a waste of money!

rbleau6885 · 12-23-2015, 11:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr_Fixit

Flange-to-flange is the proper way to measure and you are right, a lot of RV come with the toppers trimmed too short from my vantage point.

That's what I thought but they said box then fabric would be even with flange. I gave them flange to flange measurements and my fabric hangs over about an inch past flange on both sides which like mentioned about about water run off the water spills over the sides missing the side of slide by a foot ball field long as its not a driven rain the slide will stay dry with the over hang

Mr_Fixit · 12-24-2015, 01:51 AM

It sounds like toppers are something folks either love or hate!

Steve

Triker56 · 12-24-2015, 06:56 AM

If you are going to Full Time it will be a waste of money to buy them with the metal wrap. Not needed.

Rob_Fla · 12-30-2015, 09:09 PM

We have slide toppers on our 5th Wheel and like them.
I installed them with more angle / slope than most, in a year and 1/2 of fulltiming, never had a problem with water pooling.

caissiel · 01-01-2016, 06:17 AM

Full timing for 11 years and owning trailers for 23 years and never had them. Never needed them. Don't miss them.
It's an other cheap thing on the RV to worry about.
A leaf blower cleans our tops when we are parked for a long time.

schrod · 01-01-2016, 08:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by caissiel

Full timing for 11 years and owning trailers for 23 years and never had them. Never needed them. Don't miss them.
It's an other cheap thing on the RV to worry about.
A leaf blower cleans our tops when we are parked for a long time.

You don't know what you have been missing. Keeps the slides much cooler when it is hot. If you get a heavy rain storm you don't hear the rain hitting the slide-out tops.

Everyone has their priorities. I have always had them on all four trailers and never been an issue and I will not go without them. My new trailer coming any day now will have them factory installed on 4 slides.

Us out West · 01-01-2016, 09:17 AM

Well they work for us;

Of course with that kind of snow you have to do this;

After I got all the snow off the toppers sprang back to their normal position (amazed after all that weight on them).

Of course the toppers work for the light debris like leaves, pine needles sap and the like. Nice thing is you don't have to get up on a ladder to get the stuff off.

Scout1947 · 01-03-2016, 10:31 AM

Putting a couple of balls under them is fine but how to get them out?

I use a couple of 1 gallon milk jugs half full of water, tie one to each end of 50' of yellow polyprop line and shove them part way down under each topper with your deck broom. Leave part of the yellow cord in plainly visible location as a reminder.

Put a sticky note on the slideout controller reminding you and also of possible pool noodles on edges of slideouts