slide topper not tight after replacement???

The plain fact is, your aftermarket material is too heavy/thick for a good taut install. FYI. I never use aftermarket material because, if this type issue comes up, then the customer will expect ME to fix the issue. When the only fix is to install Carefree/Dometic OEM material. Doug

Chris Bryant wrote:
The heavier vinyl is more weight, requiring more tension. Add the extra weight of water....
If it is a long slide, and an A&E "standard" topper, they have a cradle kit that will hold the tube straight-



On edit, to be clear, the cradle only fixes sagging roller tubes- if the tube is bowed in, and material pounding in the middle.

Thats a nice system, but it wont help me on this. The bar is not bending, the vinyl is sagging in the middle even with no water on it. The two ends are as tight as can be, but when the rain comes it collects in the sag and the weight of the water then unrolls the awning more.

The heavier vinyl is more weight, requiring more tension. Add the extra weight of water....
If it is a long slide, and an A&E "standard" topper, they have a cradle kit that will hold the tube straight-



On edit, to be clear, the cradle only fixes sagging roller tubes- if the tube is bowed in, and material pounding in the middle.

I put on two more, one of them pretty large and gave the tube a few extra turns. They sag too! but only in the middle then it fills up and starts to trickle over the side, then it runs down the underside of the awning topper until it hits a low spot and drain directly on the middle of the slide out roof. So effectively my new slide topper are doing a worse ob then the ones I replaced.

You might try winding the roller one or two more turns. Make sure you have enough spring left that full extension of the slide doesn't pull it too tight. I've seen something written about the number of turns the manufacturer recommends if you are winding it from scratch but don't know where that was.

I added a turn more to my slide topper, a Carefree. It's not too hard to do as it has a spring on only one end. If you have two springs you'll have to do both ends. I ran the slide out, then pulled the material out until the lock pin hole made a full revolution more than it normally does, then put a cotter pin back in. With the cotter pin in, I removed the end bracket and rolled the loose material snug on the roller tube and then re-mounted the end bracket and pull the cotter pin.

It does a fairly good job at draining water now unless there a large down pour. Even when it does hold water, it doesn't reach the top of the slide, it's doing the job it was installed for. I just put the slide in slowly and it will dump off one end or the other.

All slide toppers will sag in the rain! Doug