Slide topper noise dampening

For me the flapping noise is also a concern for the awning to rip. We have pulled our slide in on occasion during severe winds and one time the next day noticed a few destroyed slide toppers...eek it happens. This was in Laughlin Nevada..

TUCQUALA wrote:
Flapping noise, flapping noise!! So many make such a big deal about toppers and wind noise. Yes it can happen, mostly on very large slides. Big deal!! No damage, just a bit of noise!! If it's that windy, you'll be hearing the wind and other sounds outside of the rv anyway!! Our main slide topper is 169" long, and, yes, it does "flap" occasionally. Doesn't bother us, and it sure doesn't bother the woodland creatures!! So many noise "police" out there in their rvs!

Sorry for the rant, but had to let off steam!! Any slide topper topic always has the NOISE'rs come out of their shells.

I think someone needs a Snickers.

We had slide toppers before they rotted away. After a few years of not having them i noticed more pros to cons in staying toppless. No flapping in wind and easy access to the slide seals and the top of the slide itself were the pros. Haven't noticed any cons yet.

fj12ryder wrote:
And IME, many of the posters who comment on the flapping issue of slide toppers, don't even have them, they just have read or heard about it.

I wouldn't be without them, and I've never noticed the wind being an issue.

X-2

My last RV had 4 slides, 3 came with toppers. The one without topper was where the "watch TV from here" chair was. Any significant rain made it very difficult to watch TV.....so I purchased a topper for that slide. Made a huge and immediately noticeable difference in the noise level...even it a hard rain, turned the "rat-a-tat-tat" to a sort of low level hum.

Carried 3 inflatable beach balls with light rope glued to them: when wind was expected, blow up the beach ball, toss the rope under the topper and pull the inflated beach ball under the topper....created enough tension to stop the flap.

Didnt mean to cause anyone an anxiety attack with the mention of slide topper flapping noise. Its just that it would be a very simple solution to the flapping noise if you dont have slide toppers and you are already sensitive to rain noise, to simply not get them.

roaminaround wrote:
Question for those who have slide toppers. Rain, especially heavy rain is extremely loud on the roof of our slides. Much more so than our previous rig. Keeps us awake on rainy nights. How much will slide toppers dampen rain noise?

If the rain is bothering you , then I don't think toppers will help. Here's my take , my previous fifth wheel had slide toppers 12 years with that fifth wheel , and they were a bit noisy in the wind, never bothered us, knew what is was , and let them flap . As far as rain ,now we have a fifth wheel without toppers, I see no difference its pretty loud just like the previous fifth wheel with the rain beating on the roof ,and the slide outs .

I don't see the difference between having them ,and not . The noise IMO is the nature of the beast ,and has not bothered us. Actually the strong winds where we live here in Utah bother us more at night in our house then the fifth wheel . Of course the gusts have reached 100 mph. coming out of canyons .

Back to the OP's question of noise dampening of rain. I would say it does help though I've only had them. Here's my anecdotal evidence...

Our first fifth wheel had us sleeping in a bedroom slide out, so the roof was only 2-3' above our heads. We were camping with friends who had the same kind of bed setup. They complained one morning of the rain keeping them awake and asked how we faired. We knew it was raining but didn't notice the sound. I always assumed it was the slide toppers.

And IME, many of the posters who comment on the flapping issue of slide toppers, don't even have them, they just have read or heard about it.

I wouldn't be without them, and I've never noticed the wind being an issue.

Motel?