My Cardinal has them (3 slides) they do there job but after 9 years look bad and have for a few years. I've had to use awning tape in spots on all 3. So I just bought a new 5er with 5 slides and no toppers. I told my wife awhile back I wouldn't do toppers again and I don't mind sweeping them off, no big deal. I've read all the pros and cons, many love them many hate them.... I guess my question is if the dealers thought you would leak w/o they would all have them?? If I'm good w/o I don't want them. Seems to me they might block some heat and keep debris off the slide but if that's it I'll pass. What do ya'll think??

I have 3 slides with them but like you age has taken its toll on them, 2 of mine that were always in the sun have failed and I do notice a heat difference when camping with them not there as far as leaks I dont think not having them will make a difference. I see a lot of them without slide toppers. I wish they would sell them with the weather shield like awnings have because that is where mine failed is the last 5-6 inches not protected by the outer shield. When I can afford to replace mine I think Iwill use the eternabond tape like others have use to protect the exposed area when they are closed. Love when there working hate them when it comes time to replace them.

We had and have them on our trailers. It is not too expensive to replace the fabric. That is what we have done. I am too old to sweep the trash off the slides and I never was fast enough to sweep the heat off. So yes we like the slide toppers.

Keep in mind there are different grades of awning fabrics and if you get a topper that's entry level it's only got about 4-5 years in frequent exposure before the UV and ozone begin to deteriorate it. Personally, I will absolutely never got without toppers on my slides because of all the pros of shedding water, protecting the roofing and top seal on the slide, and providing the thermal break. If you get a quality topper that is properly hung (that's key) you won't have to fuss with bellying, flapping, or it holding water. With regard to properly hanging it, if it doesn't come direct from the factory installed, I install it myself. I have yet to find a single dealer service department install one properly so that it has proper tension across the whole face because they nearly all make the same exact installation mistake - following a body line versus making absolutely certain to parallel the slide-out.

We've been using toppers for 19 years and for us being fulltimers, we wouldn't be without them. There is no insulation in the top of the slides so having the topper will help keep you cooler in the summer as the heat will hit the topper 1st shading the top of the slides a bit. Reverse in cold weather as it acts like a shield keeping the cold from directly going into the top of the slide. We too replaced the toppers and all of our awnings when we had our 5th wheel updated in 2010. This is what works for us. Hugs, Di

Trailer Life has an article on replacing the topper fabric this month.

Slide Topper Question | Good Sam Community

19 Replies

rmalik1
Explorer
Feb 22, 2015
NC Hauler wrote:
rmalik1 wrote:
abc40kids wrote:
My Cardinal has them (3 slides) they do there job but after 9 years look bad and have for a few years. I've had to use awning tape in spots on all 3. So I just bought a new 5er with 5 slides and no toppers. I told my wife awhile back I wouldn't do toppers again and I don't mind sweeping them off, no big deal.

I've read all the pros and cons, many love them many hate them.... I guess my question is if the dealers thought you would leak w/o they would all have them?? If I'm good w/o I don't want them. Seems to me they might block some heat and keep debris off the slide but if that's it I'll pass. What do ya'll think??

don't like them. just another hole put in the skin on ur trailer!

I've had slide toppers on every 5er I've owned since 01' and never gotten a hole in one, never had an issue..alway's keeps the top of the slide clean...and really don't cost that much for what they do...work great for us, do a lot of camping with trees around....wouldn't have a unit with out them

the hole is where it's attached to your trailer, may never have trouble, but I had trouble w/ my old TT where topper was attached to skin of trailer & developed a very small space an water slowly entered the trailer. I looked for possible entry points which caused my Jayco to delam and by time I found were vibration increase hole size a fraction, damage was already done.
NC_Hauler
Explorer
Feb 21, 2015
C-Bears wrote:
abc40kids, I think that is a pretty smart decision to start with. I know some folks talk a lot about camping under or around trees and it causes issues with stuff dropping on their RV's. We have the roof mounted Direct TV travler dish so we almost always camp in sites that have a clear sky view. Maybe that is another reason I have never seen much benefit in toppers.

If we camped in COE sites, or a lot of State parks then I may feel differently about them.

I too have the Direct TV HD travler satellite on top of my 5er, and am out in the open to some extent, but when the wind blows, tree leafs can also end up on top of 5er though I'm not sitting directly beneath a tree,,,I know this when I climb up on the roof to clean it and see tree leafs and other debris on the roof and slide toppers. .Also keeps the slide roof almost completely dry in rain, so when I retract my slides, the top of the slide is almost, if not completely dry....That's handy.
C-Bears
Explorer
Feb 21, 2015
abc40kids, I think that is a pretty smart decision to start with. I know some folks talk a lot about camping under or around trees and it causes issues with stuff dropping on their RV's. We have the roof mounted Direct TV travler dish so we almost always camp in sites that have a clear sky view. Maybe that is another reason I have never seen much benefit in toppers.

If we camped in COE sites, or a lot of State parks then I may feel differently about them.
abc40kids
Explorer
Feb 21, 2015
Thanks for all the replies, really appreciate it. I'm gonna do without and down the road I can always add them. I own a shop that does car and truck aftermarket accessories and about two years ago one of my vendors picked up the complete RV line of accessories. My point is, I can order the slide toppers and see what's involved in the install, not something my guys normally do.

For now I'm fine without, just used to seeing toppers on mine makes the new look like its missing something. Thanks again !
NC_Hauler
Explorer
Feb 20, 2015
rmalik1 wrote:
abc40kids wrote:
My Cardinal has them (3 slides) they do there job but after 9 years look bad and have for a few years. I've had to use awning tape in spots on all 3. So I just bought a new 5er with 5 slides and no toppers. I told my wife awhile back I wouldn't do toppers again and I don't mind sweeping them off, no big deal.

I've read all the pros and cons, many love them many hate them.... I guess my question is if the dealers thought you would leak w/o they would all have them?? If I'm good w/o I don't want them. Seems to me they might block some heat and keep debris off the slide but if that's it I'll pass. What do ya'll think??

don't like them. just another hole put in the skin on ur trailer!

I've had slide toppers on every 5er I've owned since 01' and never gotten a hole in one, never had an issue..alway's keeps the top of the slide clean...and really don't cost that much for what they do...work great for us, do a lot of camping with trees around....wouldn't have a unit with out them
Poppy_s_5th_Whe
Explorer
Feb 20, 2015
I had them on my last 2 5th wheels and loved them. I don't have them on my new rig because with the addition of a curb side slide now it adds too much width to my trailer to get in and out of my side yard. My situation is very specific and wouldn't normally be a problem for most people.

To resolve the issue of debris on the slide roofs I now travel with a cordless leaf blower. Before closing up I climb my ladder and blow off the slide tops. Takes all of 2 minutes.

I think if it wasn't for my specific issues I would probably have them again but I'm not all that disappointed that I don't have them this time.
shadows4
Nomad
Feb 20, 2015
abc40kids wrote:
My Cardinal has them (3 slides) they do there job but after 9 years look bad and have for a few years. I've had to use awning tape in spots on all 3. So I just bought a new 5er with 5 slides and no toppers. I told my wife awhile back I wouldn't do toppers again and I don't mind sweeping them off, no big deal.

I've read all the pros and cons, many love them many hate them.... I guess my question is if the dealers thought you would leak w/o they would all have them?? If I'm good w/o I don't want them. Seems to me they might block some heat and keep debris off the slide but if that's it I'll pass. What do ya'll think??

I think it's a personal decision. I have had just two RV's with slides. The first one didn't have a topper, current one has.

If you don't want to spend the money because you don't see enough of a benefit then don't get them. I like the one I have now. I will probably have to replace the fabric in another year but I am ok with that.

I think if you got 9 years out of your old one you did good. Mine will be 11 years old this year. Fingers crossed. LOL
Allworth
Explorer II
Feb 20, 2015
We will never be without them.
Lantley
Nomad
Feb 20, 2015
dbbls wrote:
The decision should yours. If you don't mind climbing up and sweeping them off, go without them. I don't like doing it so I have the toppers.

Depending on where you camp sometimes stuff needs sweeping off,
However sometimes slides are debris free.
For me there are only a few times a year that sweeping is required.
For instance there are no leaves/stuff at the beach.
dbbls
Explorer
Feb 20, 2015
The decision should yours. If you don't mind climbing up and sweeping them off, go without them. I don't like doing it so I have the toppers.