Slideout Topper Awning

[Chris T]

(Mod Edited Quote)

I wanted to make sure that everyone understands that all Stone Vos products are manufactured in Florida. We do not out source any work. I felt it was unfair to make it sound as if we manufactured products in Mexico or China or outside the USA. We just opened a new manufacturing facility in Brooksville, FL where every single product is made and every product is tagged with a " Proudly Made In America " label.

In regards to the edges of topper fabric. Every topper manufacturer in the world folds and stitches the edges of acrylic slide toppers. Acrylic is a woven fabric and would unravel if the edges were not folded and seamed. Furthermore, Acrylic fabric HAS to be cut with a hot knife to melt the fibers and seal the inside edge before being folded and stitched.

Our vinyl toppers do have raw edges because it has rip stop capabilities. Because it is the heaviest vinyl topper fabric on the market there is no need to fold the seams and stitch them.

Vinyl and acrylic are two different fabrics and require two different methods of sewing so comparing the two different manufacturing techniques is like comparing apples to oranges.

In regards to Omega awnings and vinyl, we do not and will not ever use vinyl for these assemblies. There is a huge difference in weight of vinyl and acrylic fabrics and Carefree designed and engineered the Omega awnings for acrylic. Using vinyl can compromise the arm and spring assemblies and because of this we will not make fabric replacements for Omega's out of vinyl. You can get away with using vinyl on Omega's if it is a cheap lightweight laminated vinyl. Acrylic fabric weighs approximately 7 ounces while our Migliore vinyl weighs 19 ounces. That is a great deal of extra weight for an Omega styled awning assembly.

Hope this helps better explain the differences.

Chris T

[MSHappyCampers]

We appreciate your input Chris!

[Dr4Film]

(Mod Edited Quote)

First off as I had explained in a previous post that the photo you had referenced was my own OLD awning/topper that was made by Carefree and installed by Shade-Pro while I was still in California. I have not taken any photos of my new Stone Vos Topper/Awnings but I will just to show people the quality that Chris Throgmartin produces for ALL of his customers. And trust me they aren't sagging and have been double stitched along the edges.[/FONT]

I will contact Chris at Stone Vos to see exactly when you had purchased products from him because when you compare Stone Vos versus Tough Tops, it’s like a night and day difference. Why is it that you didn't contact Chris directly with your concern? I am sure that he would have attempted to make things right.

Tyler is so FAR off base with that statement in regards to NOT stitching the side of the awnings or toppers. When you cut ANY fabric no matter what the quality is, if you don’t bind it the fabric WILL ravel. C’mon, that’s just plain common sense.

Based on what you are saying I wouldn’t let Tough Tops make anything for me!

(Mod Edited Quote)

I can guarantee you that ALL of Stone Vos products are made/assembled right in Florida. They purchase high quality products from other countries like the Sattler acrylic fabric that comes from Austria. Even the Migliore Vinyl comes from someplace in Europe. Not sure where but possibly Chris will chime in here.

As mentioned earlier by Lisa, the Sattler Acrylic fabric is guaranteed for 10 years. The thread that they use is a LIFETIME thread. Can Tough Tops match that guarantee with their Chinese products?

Can you tell me where Tough Tops gets all of their materials to assemble their products? Do you even know?

Plus I noticed that you have avoided answering my question on what type of guaranty you had received from Tough Tops on the products you received from them. Most likely it doesn’t even come close to what Stone Vos gives to their customers.

After perusing the Tough Tops web site on the Internet I could not find their warranty, maybe there’s a reason for that. Stone Vos is proud of their Gold Standard warranty which is by FAR the best in the industry and the longest.

Dr4Film ----- Richard

[Philliec]

This has become the "topper thread" of all threads thanks to everyone's input. I never thought about the flex of the aluminum rod as Chris T explained. Great point. Good reason for sag in the middle. I think my slides are small enough that this is not an issue, but is definitely a design issue for full slides. Using the factory built spring tension and Stone Vos toppers, I now have great toppers that look as flat as can be and should last for many, many years.

[-Gramps-]

Tough Top awnings are not stitched on the sides because they are made out of vinyl not acrylic, Stone Vos does not hem stitch their vinyl toppers either...that information is in Chris's post.

Let's not get too carried away with our criticism here....I happen to be very happy with my Tough Top replacement 15oz vinyl topper awnings which have been on my coach with no problems at all for almost three years now. I have no reason to not believe that Stone Vos is as good as everyone says, but there is also no reason to suspect that Tough Tops is not also a good company with a good product as well.

Tough Top provides a two year warranty on their products...this is also posted on their website.

There is a hint on the Tough Top website about applying 3m insulation tape around the center of a sagging roller, this will tighten the topper, which explains that large piece of insulation tape that Carefree attached to the middle of my patio awning.

[Dr4Film]

Originally Posted by -Gramps-

Tough Top awnings are not stitched on the sides because they are made out of vinyl not acrylic, Stone Vos does not hem stitch their vinyl toppers either...that information is in Chris's post.

Tough Top provides a two year warranty on their products...this is also posted on their website.

Gramps,

You are correct about not stitching any of the VINYL toppers or awnings as they are not a woven fabric like what I have on all my awnings and toppers. I wasn't considering a vinyl as a fabric but I can see how it could add to the confusion.

Tough Tops only sells VINYL so that's why they don't stitch the sides. Plus I now see they are offering a 2 year warranty on their 18 oz vinyl but I don't see any warranty published on their 15 oz vinyl.

I am glad that you are pleased with your products from Tough Tops.

(Mod Edit).

I wonder what Tough Tops warranty claim rate has been for the past 10 years that they have been in business.

Dr4Film ----- Richard

[-Gramps-]

I could not tell you about the warranty claim rate. I have the 15oz heavy duty toppers and they also have a 2 year warranty.

[Atom Ant]

Originally Posted by Dr4Film

However, what perturbs me the most is when people like hhooves1977 (with only a couple of posts to their name & appears to have "no clue" & is totally misinformed) gets on the forum and starts spouting false information about an excellent company who has been in business for over 10 years and during that time has had less than a 1% warranty claim rate.

I wonder what Tough Tops warranty claim rate has been for the past 10 years that they have been in business.

Dr4Film ----- Richard

Oh heaven forbid that ANYONE make a negative comment about a product endorsed by Dr4Film! Even if it was kind of an inert couple of comments. 2 pages of slapback from the ol Dr!

[MSHappyCampers]

(Mod edit quote)


Brad, that certainly was not my intention to single you out! We've all made comments that we regret! Before I knew about IRV2 I used to spend a lot of time "over there". There were some good folks there, but there were a large number of folks who seemed to delight in stabbing others in the back and making them look bad. I can't tell you how happy I was to find IRV2! No, we're not perfect, but it's nothing like the other one!

Please accept my apology if I offended you. I would never intentionally do that! I do think that the suggestion I made would be good for all of us!

[Atom Ant]

No problem Joe, I maybe deserve some of it but there are some here that make it clear they are in bed with some of the aftermarket companies, or they just have so much blind loyalty they can't sit still while a unsatisfactory comment is made about a product they endorse - and they get near hostile to a new guy.

Don't believe me, say something negative about Tyron Rings and wait for the thunder and black clouds swarm in.

[Chris T]

I am a member of this forum for one purpose and that is education. I learn a lot by reading posts but also enjoy providing information to others. I do not come on here and peddle our products as it is 1.) forbidden by this site and 2.) I also feel it is unprofessional and unethical.

In regards to Tough Tops or Tyler, I have never met or talked to the man before so have nothing to say in that regard. I do know their product as we are customers of theirs. We buy a topper from them from time to time through third parties and then ship it off to Germany to a fabric lab for analysis. It is good business practice to stay on top of your competitors product offerings and trust me when I say other companies buy our products as well. We do not single out Tough Tops as we also do the same thing with Carefree, Shade Pro, Girard, Zip Dee and others. We buy their products and have our consultants analyze their fabrics right down to their stitching methods and thread types. We know who is using what, where the fabric is coming from and the quality and longevity. Some companies try and keep it a secret from the public but it is something you cannot hide from the industry experts. We have also been known to install a competitors topper on our own coach as Florida is one of the best test beds in the country for fabric and thread analysis.

We are very blessed to have some of the worlds best fabric and thread experts as friends and consultants. But the one thing we do NOT do is reveal the test results to the consumers for competitive purposes or to debunk their claims. Even when customers call us we will not trash talk Tough Tops or any other companies product. We could cause a lot of problems for a few companies by revealing what we have found but we remain ethical and keep quiet.

If a company has to talk bad about a competitors product then you can pretty much know what kind of ethical business they run. Any company that has to talk down a competitors product to make a sale is not worth dealing with and speaks volumes on their own product offerings.

I like this forum as well as a few others and have had many RV'ers help me with complex electrical or structural issues with our own coach and it is my way of paying back to the RV community by helping others with issues and providing contacts that we have so they can get expert advice.

In as far as Dr. Film is concerned, I have had him attend my seminars before and I have had the pleasure of meeting him. If any of you sat across the table from him and had a cup of coffee you would find he is very friendly, soft spoken and would be the first to help you work on your coach. While he is a customer of ours, I can tell you that if we did something wrong he would be the first to call me out on it and hold my feet to the fire. He is an extremely honest person and demands the very best from the companies he does business with and rightly so.

In the end we all have to remember that we are all owners of RV's. We are all fortunate to afford this lifestyle and while owning an RV can be very frustrating at times, it is made easier when fellow RV'ers assist one another. That truly is the spirit of RV'ing and I believe one of the reasons these forums were created in the first place.

Chris T

[Lisablue85]

Originally Posted by Chris T

I am a member of this forum for one purpose and that is education. I learn a lot by reading posts but also enjoy providing information to others. I do not come on here and peddle our products as it is 1.) forbidden by this site and 2.) I also feel it is unprofessional and unethical.

In regards to Tough Tops or Tyler, I have never met or talked to the man before so have nothing to say in that regard. I do know their product as we are customers of theirs. We buy a topper from them from time to time through third parties and then ship it off to Germany to a fabric lab for analysis. It is good business practice to stay on top of your competitors product offerings and trust me when I say other companies buy our products as well. We do not single out Tough Tops as we also do the same thing with Carefree, Shade Pro, Girard, Zip Dee and others. We buy their products and have our consultants analyze their fabrics right down to their stitching methods and thread types. We know who is using what, where the fabric is coming from and the quality and longevity. Some companies try and keep it a secret from the public but it is something you cannot hide from the industry experts. We have also been known to install a competitors topper on our own coach as Florida is one of the best test beds in the country for fabric and thread analysis.

We are very blessed to have some of the worlds best fabric and thread experts as friends and consultants. But the one thing we do NOT do is reveal the test results to the consumers for competitive purposes or to debunk their claims. Even when customers call us we will not trash talk Tough Tops or any other companies product. We could cause a lot of problems for a few companies by revealing what we have found but we remain ethical and keep quiet.

If a company has to talk bad about a competitors product then you can pretty much know what kind of ethical business they run. Any company that has to talk down a competitors product to make a sale is not worth dealing with and speaks volumes on their own product offerings.

I like this forum as well as a few others and have had many RV'ers help me with complex electrical or structural issues with our own coach and it is my way of paying back to the RV community by helping others with issues and providing contacts that we have so they can get expert advice.

In as far as Dr. Film is concerned, I have had him attend my seminars before and I have had the pleasure of meeting him. If any of you sat across the table from him and had a cup of coffee you would find he is very friendly, soft spoken and would be the first to help you work on your coach. While he is a customer of ours, I can tell you that if we did something wrong he would be the first to call me out on it and hold my feet to the fire. He is an extremely honest person and demands the very best from the companies he does business with and rightly so.

In the end we all have to remember that we are all owners of RV's. We are all fortunate to afford this lifestyle and while owning an RV can be very frustrating at times, it is made easier when fellow RV'ers assist one another. That truly is the spirit of RV'ing and I believe one of the reasons these forums were created in the first place.

Chris T

Bravo Chris! You are truly a class act!

[smlranger]

I just think it is great that we still have companies that offer American made products and provide great customer service. From what I have read on these forums and others, and from my own experience with Chris, both of these companies offer great products and excellent customer service.

Thanks to you both.

[Dr4Film]

If it wasn't for me on this forum, Brad wouldn't have anyone to complain or rant about.



I don't mind be the horse, someone has to do it!





Dr4Film ----- Richard