Replacing slide toppers

[prstlk]

Full time since June, noticed two of my slide toppers are starting to tear. I'm fairly handy and willing to try to replace them. Will be Yuma Dec. 1 for a while. Anyone try this? Any thing to worry about or look four?
07 HR ambassador 4 slides (probably do all four.

Thanks as always JW

[Crespro]

We did four toppers from tough top. The new toppers fit fine. It was a two persons with ladders job, and I had to open the ends of the tracks just a bit to install the new toppers. Take your time and carefully pull the toppers into position. Yes, the screw driver to hold the tension was important.

Removing the old toppers was a challenge -- two of the screws were rusted and broke. We had to drill them out and install new ones.

[RayChez]

I also replaced my slide topper awning with Tough Top Awning. I replaced the long living room slide awning about six months ago. Mine has the medal jacket around it and for me it was easier doing it my way instead of the film. I removed the medal jacket after I had pinned the roller and then done all the work by laying it down on my front yard lawn. The old awning come off the medal jacket pretty easy sliding it out, but it was not that easy coming off the awning tube. I had to really pull on that thing hard to break it lose and finally it broke lose to slide it out.

I used some silicone spray to slide the bead into the spool or tube and blocked the end with a screw which was there from the factory.

Then with the help of my wife holding one end using two ladders I slid the medal jacket into the channel. I then put the rest of the screws in.

The most important thing is pinning the long tube. I believe I had the slide out while doing this.

Yesterday I ordered a topper for the bedroom slide which is much smaller. So that should be a piece of cake. I ordered the heavy duty material #18. Not expensive at all. I can not remember how much I paid for the material only, but I would guess both awnings probably around three hundred dollars.

[TempatureContro]

Another vote for Tough Top Awnings; I believe they are out of Mesa,Az-not that it matters. I ordered 2 toppers after measuring per their instructions. New ones arrived promptly. Installed one myself with 8' ladder. Other I needed another person for 5 min to help slide new one on.

[smlranger]

Stonevos.com. Best toppers made to your measurements. High quality material, heavy double stitching, great service, reasonable price. Talk to Chris.

[Dale_Traveling]

I had to remove my toppers a few years ago when I replaced the awning rails with gutters. Easy job. Depending on the brand you can lock them in the extended position with a cotter pin or even a finishing nail. Once locked you can unbolt the hardware from the slide and then remove the other end out of the gutter/awning rail. Your best source of the procedures is You Tube.

If the wear is at the coach end there might be enough excess material on the roller end that can be unrolled and the reused. My slides are a bit shallow and there is probably enough material to effect repairs rather than replacing the material.

If you intend to replace the topper material rather than the high cost of going back to the OEM check with local boat cover shops or stick and brick patio awning manufactures. Using the original as a pattern getting replacements custom made locally can save you lots.

[CloudDriver]

Post with pictures describing replacement of the fabric in my A&E slide topper.

Clicky

[bigwheelsturnin]

Even we had 3 large ones material and labor done $1300.
Those things are a booger to get rolled tight enough.
Good luck.

[Pass42]

I too ordered from Tough Top.. excellent pricing, good service, easy instructions...2 person job with at least one ladder, better with two... Just be careful of the spring tension in the rollers...we found the larger slide topper roller to be hard to roll & lock ... the tension actually bent the screwdriver inserted to hold it in place.... the awnings ended up looking great!

[old_guy]

it is a two person job and you can go to utubeRVgeeks and they show you two ways to do it. you decide which is easiest for you and your helper. you can go to tough top awning and check their prices. I bought awning for mine and I got both for less money than I would have gotten it from a RV dealer.