Discovery: Damaged slide topper

[CoRTeX]

So...a tree branch fell and hit the full wall slide topper at the rear end of the slide. About a foot from the end of the topper.

It bent the topper cylinder and ripped the rivets off the end cap off. It pulled the rivet heads off. The topper vinyl material is ok as is the slide.

I've got the topper brackets etc disassembled.

The dent in the aluminum tube is about fifty percent of the diameter.

Can I remove the dent/straighten the topper tube? Use a dent puller, pipe expander with heat or get a second job to buy a replacement?

Thanks for your help!

2015 Fleetwood discovery 40g.

[Tha_Rooster]

Insurance replace the whole thing.

[computerguy]

Not sure you'll be able to fix it and use the topper reliably going forward. At least on my '16 Bounder that tube needes to be straight. If there is any bend in it it will hit the lip on the slide. If it hits the lip you are asking for more trouble like ripping the mount right out of the slide. That's what happened to mine. And mine was not damaged. It just needed a brace in the middle so it would not sag. But in the end the sag in the middle allowed the tube and topper material to rub the slide lip and stopped it from turning. If the tube stops turning when the slide is moving out? It RIPS the mount out of the slide. First hand experience.
Thanks Fleetwood for not installing a middle brace on a 19' slide topper! Another "quality" design "feature" by Fleetwood/REV

[CoRTeX]

Originally Posted by computerguy

Not sure you'll be able to fix it and use the topper reliably going forward. At least on my '16 Bounder that tube needes to be straight. If there is any bend in it it will hit the lip on the slide. If it hits the lip you are asking for more trouble like ripping the mount right out of the slide. That's what happened to mine. And mine was not damaged. It just needed a brace in the middle so it would not sag. But in the end the sag in the middle allowed the tube and topper material to rub the slide lip and stopped it from turning. If the tube stops turning when the slide is moving out? It RIPS the mount out of the slide. First hand experience.
Thanks Fleetwood for not installing a middle brace on a 19' slide topper! Another "quality" design "feature" by Fleetwood/REV

I feel your pain.

I took the old tube down and replaced it with a new one. Thanks for the input.

On the negative side. When the full wall slide is retracted and the topper is completely off the RV the thing leaks like crazy in the rain. Water just runs right in. Rubber looks ok.

Maybe the slide is not aligned well?

Any suggestions?

[16bounder]

Originally Posted by computerguy

Not sure you'll be able to fix it and use the topper reliably going forward. At least on my '16 Bounder that tube needes to be straight. If there is any bend in it it will hit the lip on the slide. If it hits the lip you are asking for more trouble like ripping the mount right out of the slide. That's what happened to mine. And mine was not damaged. It just needed a brace in the middle so it would not sag. But in the end the sag in the middle allowed the tube and topper material to rub the slide lip and stopped it from turning. If the tube stops turning when the slide is moving out? It RIPS the mount out of the slide. First hand experience.
Thanks Fleetwood for not installing a middle brace on a 19' slide topper! Another "quality" design "feature" by Fleetwood/REV

I can relate..3 months into our ownership of our '16 Bounder 35K, after a torrential rain we retracted the slide (as we were told by salesman to get ANY water off the topper), well it held so much water that it 'backlashed'-due to weight of water-into the coach. Upon trying to extend again....well....we all know what a backlash on a reel does. Yep!, no extending....slide was literally non working. Long story, we had to replace the topper as the old one had to be cut off Ever since, I sweep the topper before retracting. Seems the weight of the water causes the tube to sag/bend towards the slide wall-not stout enough(??)