Slide Out Toppers ???

Lantley wrote:

The water stretches the fabric and makes the toppers loose and floppy.

I was worried about this especially through our winters, but the fabric comes right back at least with mine. In fact you can practically see it bounce back as the water/snow melts off. I think the give is intentional. However, mine doesn't stay floppy, so if others do that wouldn't be good.

I'm with GMandJM: I really don't care if they're a bit floppy, not that mine seem to be. I guess we'll find out in a couple weeks when we're at the Outer Banks if they get flappy in the wind.

fj12ryder wrote:
Could someone please explain to me why water pooling on a slide topper is such a horrible thing. I completely fail to see the problem. The water will go away when you bring the slide in prior to moving. I suppose if you're parked in one place for a few weeks/months it could be an issue for mosquito breeding, but other than that I just don't see it.

The water stretches the fabric and makes the toppers loose and floppy.

SoundGuy wrote:
Our current trailer is the first one we've owned with a slide and it's a shallow sofa slide so I chose to not install a topper. :E

I think this is a good point. I have a very deep slide (43") and the topper is nice for that. I think a shallow slide wouldn't be as helpful for the cost.

Mine dont hold water and it dont flap in the wind. Will alway have one on mine.

Water pooling caused the toppers to sag. When the water is gone, the toppers are floppy and flap when it's windy.

It doesn't really bother us noise wise, even with a floppy topper right over the head of the bed.

We did ask our tech in Red Bay if they could somehow be made more taut. Apparently not.

Haven't tried the beach ball thing, but, like FJ, sloppy/floppy/flappy toppers don't seem like such a big deal to me so far.

Could someone please explain to me why water pooling on a slide topper is such a horrible thing. I completely fail to see the problem. The water will go away when you bring the slide in prior to moving. I suppose if you're parked in one place for a few weeks/months it could be an issue for mosquito breeding, but other than that I just don't see it.

Our current trailer is the first one we've owned with a slide and it's a shallow sofa slide so I chose to not install a topper. A short 3-step ladder travels easily in the back of the truck yet is readily available anytime I might want to check the top of the slide before retracting it. Perhaps if we owned a larger rig with multiple deep slides I might change my tune but I doubt it as the ladder was but a fraction of the cost of several slide toppers. Hey, I'm cautious as it is about having my power awning deployed in windy / rainy conditions, I sure don't want to add slide toppers that can't be retracted without also retracting the slide(s) to my list of concerns. :E

Our current trailer is the first one we've owned with a slide and it's a shallow sofa slide so I chose to not install a topper. A short 3-step ladder travels easily in the back of the truck yet is readily available anytime I might want to check the top of the slide before retracting it. Perhaps if we owned a larger rig with multiple deep slides I might change my tune but I doubt it as the ladder was but a fraction of the cost of several slide toppers. :E

While they do keep the sun and debris off the slide. They also flap in the wind, a pool water in the rain.
You can add beach balls to control the flapping and pooling but in the end toppers create as many issues as they resolve.
For the cost I prefer not to have them.