Community Forums

Frankie · 03-10-2007, 04:25 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by rotts4u:
I do better than that Wizzard, I have kept my entire RV covered when not in use and it is still falling apart. Since I work full time I am lucky to have mine exposed to the sun more than 4-5 weeks total a year. And a lot of that is in the woods where it is shady.

But it is still delaminating. I am still looking for someone else that makes topper fabric if anyone has any tips

Thanks </div></BLOCKQUOTE> Have you tried calling Dometic and asking them why this is happening,assuming the awnings are only a few years old?

YosemiteBobR · 03-10-2007, 05:02 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Frankie:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">

But it is still delaminating. I am still looking for someone else that makes topper fabric if anyone has any tips

Thanks

</div></BLOCKQUOTE> Have you tried calling Dometic and asking them why this is happening,assuming the awnings are only a few years old? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Try calling Dometic they have been very helpful in the past. Other than that, there are several different qualities of boat cover fabric that you could use, but since they are not normally used in a roll up type of situation, you would be on your own - make that call, it can't hurt.

Tenn.Vol. · 03-10-2007, 06:23 AM

Just had my slide awning replace on the 02 Adventure. Replace by Eric RV in Va. Beach,Va.
At my request he ordered the toppers from STAG PARK.
I do NOT recommend them because the edges are rolled over and hemmed, in efffect strenthing
both edges, and the living room slide awning will hold at least 3 gal. of water when it rains!
Two days of rain while in Fl., I had to bring in the LR slide each day to dump the water.
Wish I had have known before -----Now you know!!!!!TENN

rotts4u · 03-16-2007, 08:45 AM

I called Dometic yesterday and after holding for about 22 minutes I finally got to talk to someone. In fact it was an American. She was very polite but did not have any good news for me. They warranty the tops for 1 year and since I am over that time frame they would only refer me to a dealer. They even tried to suggest that it may be installed incorrectly. Anything I guess to blame it on somone else.

I mentioned that there were several pages of threads on this topic on several motorhome pages and they wanted to act like it was a fairly issolated problem.

I found a dealer in Florida that sells Carefree material at fairly decent prices so I guess I will jsut have to order it from them.

Lou & Dianne · 03-17-2007, 09:02 PM

We just bought our 2002 Winn Adv and noticed the edge tearing. Does anyone know what it costs to replace at CW?? We can't do it ourselves.

Wizard · 03-22-2007, 11:08 AM

Common problem as soon as the warrenty runs out

rvcrazy · 03-22-2007, 12:36 PM

Just had ours toppers replaced on our 2003 Gulf Stream Sun Voyager in Donna, TX, due to frayed edges and some deterioration where the topper fastens to the motorhome. I thought it was due to the Texas sun and our high winds, but with my new toppers that have the "exposed edges seamed", I am hopeful the fraying and deterioration due to excessive topper movement will lengthen the time between replacements.

Before replacement the toppers flapped like crazy in moderate winds. However, since installation we have been in high wind and have never heard the toppers flap...which we hope is a good sign.

Freddy · 03-26-2007, 12:39 AM

My slide toppers deteoriated in a little over 2 yrs. Although out warranty, A&E not only replaced them free of charge, they also paid for the labor.

I contended that between about 2002 and 2004 their supplier fabricated some very poor material. In my discussion with A&E I reasoned that many coaches older than mine still had original toppers that were in good condition with no signs of delamination.

Further, I advised them of the many complaints of topper failures that I had read about here, and on other RV forums.

Long story short, I got my new toppers at no charge.

rotts4u · 04-05-2007, 10:37 AM

After getting nowhere with Dometic I called my coach manufacturer who quoted me almost $480 for the two awning fabrics. Then called Camping world and it was almost as much. This is for a total of about 8 square yards of a 10 ounce vinyl coated fabric. So I took one of mine out and took it to a local awning shop. They had what appears to be the exact material in stock and the piping material that allows it to hold into the tracks.

They are going to make me one for each of my two slides. A 132 and a 152" topper for a total of $100 including fabrication and of course no shipping costs.

Clearly this is the way to go if you can find a good awning shop near you. Most of them make custom stuff anyway and they will jsut use your old one as a pattern.

This is a great way to save some money and even if it lasts half as long which I doubt I save a lot of money. Its pretty simple to remove the fabric from the slide anyway.

Don

2Snobrdz · 04-07-2007, 01:15 PM

I have a 2004 SeaBreeze LX. The fabric from my A&E slide toppers began to split apart after less than 1 1/2 years. Dometic told me that they would not help be as my warranty of 1 year was expired.
I just had them replaced for $248 (I think that was really cheap)but I'm not telling the RV dealer who replaced them.

GaryKD · 04-07-2007, 03:21 PM

All of my toppers (3) are being replaced (under warranty) later this month. The problems that led to replacement are:
1. delamination along edges
2. severe saging at one end
3. black lines along the entire length that can not be cleaned.

Fossilhog · 04-10-2007, 12:19 PM

I finally got around to changing mine today. Went just like you guys said and I didn't even have to put pins in the roller, I just stuck a phillips screwdriver in and it locked it for me against the mount. Now let me say this..the replacement fabric, OEM was the cheapest stuff and I can see why it's only good for a year or 2. I'm just glad I could do it myself and not spent big bucks for a stealer to do it.

rotts4u · 04-12-2007, 03:11 AM

I also picked up my new slide topper from the local awning shop this week and installed it. The material looks exactly like what I had before. I even laid it on top of the old one and they are cut the exact size too.

Mine was 132" wide and the local shop charged me $75 for it. Camping world wanted 2X of that and Tiffen wanted 3X of that price.

Now I am going to get the other slide done as well even though it is not in as bad of shape.