2706ws slide topper

[beernut74]

Hello all, I'm a new owner of this camper and a new member of this forum. My wife and I picked up our new rv in November. I've been reading g and following some of the other forum posts. My question is have any of you installed slide toppers to thier slide outs? Do any of you have opinions... Pros or cons of using them? That KS in advance...

[stephndudb]

We added them to our last two rigs. They make it easier to bring in the slides without worrying as much about a branch or pinecone getting pulled into your seals. They also help avoid leaks around the slide in heavy rain. Some think they keep the rig cooler in hot weather. OTOH, they can be noisy of it's windy, and they are one more thing to maintain. I think the pros outweigh the cons.

[Scrapper]

Originally Posted by stephndudb

We added them to our last two rigs. They make it easier to bring in the slides without worrying as much about a branch or pinecone getting pulled into your seals. They also help avoid leaks around the slide in heavy rain. Some think they keep the rig cooler in hot weather. OTOH, they can be noisy of it's windy, and they are one more thing to maintain. I think the pros outweigh the cons.

I have toppers on 3 slides. They do make the slideouts cooler and maintenance is minimal other than the same cleaning you would do to your awning material. Have never noticed any extra noise when it's windy.

[allenb12]

I have had both. Much prefer with the toppers. I think it helps prevents leaks from a bad seal and you do not end up with debris inside.

[SlfMdeFam]

Did mine myself. Cost me about $600. As long as you have a friend to help it’ll take about a hour for each.

I’ve always had toppers on my RVs. They hold their weight in gold.

I’ve never found and cons to having them.

[bikendan]

Wouldn't have a RV without one.
Get them installed at the factory. Much cheaper than an aftermarket install.

[67L48]

If you search here, you'll find that it's a polarizing topic.

Pros:

• Keeps debris off the top of your slider. This eliminates the need to sweep the top before retracting the slide.
• Keeps sap, UV light, and other things that add to wear and tear of your slide out.
• Keeps rain and water from pooling on the top of your slide out, potentially defeating the seals in place.
• Adds some sun protection, keeping it cooler inside.

Cons:

• Debris still blows in from the side and ends up on the top of your slide. But it's now harder to remove because the topper makes it hard to sweep it out.
• Can get caught up in wind. Unlike your awning, you can't retract your topper. Therefore, it will/might get destroyed by wind ... and may cause damage to the trailer at the connecting points.
• Makes noise in wind. So, even if you're not worried about damage, it will be noisy and bothersome.
• One more maintenance item to fail and require replacement at some point in the future.

Generally, it depends on the type of camping you do. If you're in wooded forests, then maybe it works better. If you camp out in the open, then maybe the cons begin to swing the debate.

I don't have one, but would have added the option if I would have ordered a trailer. With that said, I have no experience with a topper. I just tend to camp in forests more often than not.

Good luck.

[andymil]

We had one on our first tt. Ordered them from the factory for our second tt.
We’ll be getting a 5er that doesn’t have them. I plan on installing them myself.

When you have to close up and leave when it’s raining (and you will), you’ll be glad you have them.

[Martsing]

We have toppers on all three slides. We have had the camper for 2 years and so far we love them. It is really nice when it snows since when you pull in the slide the snow/ice just rolls right off the end. I have experienced the noise issue ONCE but it was not terrible. The only downside is that it requires some gymnastics to get spray onto the rubber seals for maintenance.

Marty

[daniel13]

Wouldn't have a trailer without them.

[Scrapper]

Cons:

• Debris still blows in from the side and ends up on the top of your slide. But it's now harder to remove because the topper makes it hard to sweep it out.

I've had our toppers for 3 years. All I get is some dust and sometimes a leaf or two. The leaves are never stuck down and I use an electric leafblower to clean it out at the end of the season.

I have noticed that a lot of weekenders use cordless leafblowers to clean the slides off whether they have toppers or not.

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by Martsing

I have experienced the noise issue ONCE but it was not terrible.

Marty

The older I get the less noise seems to bother me. As long as the noise isn't too much for me to get a good night's sleep


I just put a topper on my 10' slide. Unit came from factory without but I wasn't going to pay the ridiculous price the Dealer wanted to install one. Cost me less than $300 and took my Son in Law and I less than an hour.

[Johnfort]

What brands does everyone like?

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by Johnfort

What brands does everyone like?

I just put on the one made by Lippert (ordered from Camping World). That way it looked just like the awning on the other side of the trailer, fabric and hardware alike. CW had a pretty good price too.

[Johnfort]

Tx Mike. I've almost locked in on that one.