Slide topper recommendations?

[CedarCreekWoody]

We just traded up to a Wildwood 27RLSS. It has one slide, our first with a slide. Do you recommend adding a slide topper? The dealer indicated it was not common, but always looked like a good idea to me. My slide is 12 ft, would my Topper be the same length, or perhaps 13 ft? I didn't know if they should be the same width or a bit wider. I will be doing my own install. Any words of advice?

[lozki]

Slide toppers are a great idea, first they're going to help preventing rain coming on the top your slide box and acts like a second barrier for the rain protection, second it's also going to help with leaves twigs debris falling on top your slide box, third they're not very hard to install the only part you might have trouble with the sliding the awning on the awning rail sometimes takes two people most likely

[5picker]

Many opinions and prior discussions on this subject.

I've put slide toppers on several past units that we've owned and we ordered them installed at the factory on our current model.

You dealer is incorrect about them being uncommon.

[CedarCreekWoody]

Thanks guys. I see them as a positive too and was a bit taken aback by his comment. I thought I would if there is a downside that I'm not aware of.

[Scrapper]

I've got 3 put on my current TT. Each topper extends to the end of the outer wall flange on each slide. The are about 6 inches longer than the actual roof of the slide. 3 inch overhang on each side.

[CedarCreekWoody]

Originally Posted by Scrapper

I've got 3 put on my current TT. Each topper extends to the end of the outer wall flange on each slide. The are about 6 inches longer than the actual roof of the slide. 3 inch overhang on each side.

Thanks! I figured a bit of overlap was good.

[NMWildcat]

Yep lots of opinions on toppers. We really don't see that many in our area, even on new rigs. The sun eats them up just like awnings, so you have more to replace every few years. They are very noisy in the wind and you see some folks that use foam noodles and straps to keep them from flapping. You can only adjust the tension so much, and it didn't seem to help the flapping much anyway.

We had them on one rig and will never have them again. In a windy storm they don't keep debris off the slide, and then it's really fun to remove.

Just an opinion from the other side of the fence.

[CedarCreekWoody]

Interesting thoughts. Thanks for sharing your experiences. I'm not sure what I will do.

[llr]

One point I saw in another thread is if you do don't have enough wall over the slides for a decent slope it is not a good idea to use a topper.

[youroo]

Beside the Rain and hail benefit the Biggest is Sun shade and Air gap above the slides! In relation to Sun Damage I think all of us have the Same Sun! Youroo!!

[fella10]

Originally Posted by llr

One point I saw in another thread is if you do don't have enough wall over the slides for a decent slope it is not a good idea to use a topper.

I've seen factory installed slide toppers w/very little slope, practically flat, ... they still work, .... junk lays on the fabric and falls off as the slide is brought in and the fabric is rolled up on the roller, ... w/out a topper on the slide, you SHOULD(but of course you don't have to) check the slide roof and clean if necessary, every time before bringing in the slide(but of course you don't have to), .... anything up there(pine cones, pecans, acorns, sticks, pine straw, ect.) will be dragged thru your seal into the camper if not removed, ... but if you don't mind that happening, then don't add a slide topper and don't check/clean and just let nature run its course, ..........

[Scrapper]

Originally Posted by llr

One point I saw in another thread is if you do don't have enough wall over the slides for a decent slope it is not a good idea to use a topper.

The slope isn't much. We have one on the side next to the awning, I don't know why they didn't put in the same gutter channel the awning is in or put the topper channel right up under the one for the awning.
The other side where there is two slides has the whole length of the gutter channel clear but they have 2 shorter channels for the toppers.
All 3 topper channels the same as the gutter channels but are 1-1/2 to 2 inches below the gutter channels.
I'll get some pictures this weekend to show what I'm talking about.

[CedarCreekWoody]

Thanks to everyone for sharing. They sound like a good idea if wind billowing isn't a problem.

[Scrapper]

I haven't noticed billowing to be a problem. The problem I have is the water pooling on the two longest ones.