slide topper replacement ACE 30.1 2016

[k6ncx]

Anybody have experience with replacing the slide toppers?

It is past time to replace our bedroom slide topper. The fabric is disintegrating. Duct tape helped for a while...) I assume that the livingroom slide topper must be about due as well. I watched several YouTube videos and it seemed DIY doable. So I ordered replacement fabric from Toogh Tops. Looks great.

First issue: I've now watched six different how-to videos. All of them say to turn the roller unwrapping all the fabric until the channel (that the fabric edge slides into) is at the top (except one that says bottom) and then put cotter pn or screwdriver or awl through the hole to keep the spring from rewinding. On mine the is no hole to stick anything through. (The sixth video actually says, after saying stick it through the hole, that tehirs didn't have a hole so the drilled their own. I don't think I'm confident enough about what I would be drilling through to do that.)

One video gives an alternate method, removing the roller and letting the topper hang down the side, then sliding the roller off the fabric. Although that will be more complicated and more effort, I'd do it except that the topper won't hang down very far. It will mean manuvering the 7 foot long roller over my head while sliding it off, or having more than two people up ladders to slide it off. I think that method works better for toppers for slides that go out more than 18"!

Second issue: All the videos say to slide the old fabric out and new fabric in, and show the end of the channel in the roller being clear of the endcap/bracket but it is not on mine. There is less than an inch clearance from the end of the channel to the endcap. I have ordered a small rachet driver with short heads that I hope will allow me to remove the screw in the end of the channel. (See note on further complication below.) Even if I get the screw out, I'm concerned about etting the new fabric around the bend and into the channel.

Third (lesser) issue: All of the videos refer to and/or show the screws (locking the fabric in place in the channel on the side of the coach, and closing off the end of the channel in the rioller) as either being a Phillips head or taking a hex key. Mine need a square drive.

I have only tried the bedroom lide topper but it certainly appears that all the same issues will apply to the livingroom slide topper - and be harder to surmount.

[larry_cad]

Just changed out the topper on my 14 ft slideout, by myself, in less than an hour. It's not really a hard job unless you make it harder than it is.

[k6ncx]

Thanks for your replies. The linked video is one of the six I had watched. The end cap blocks access to the end of the channel in the roller.

[jdc1]

I don't know what all that stuff is any of you are gabbing about. It my grandson and I 30 minutes to remove the old material and install the new stuff. Yea....use a lubricant to ease the removal and installation. Yea...use a pair of vicegrips to hold the tube in place.

[tropical36]

tropical36 wrote:
I found a way for making it a simple one man job and have done two of mine so far.
Put the slide about half way out where you have some room to work. Then, take up a little slack and C clamp or other, on the opposite side of where you'll be removing it. Then use a drill for widening the slot towards the end of the roller on the other end. Spray the whole slot with some slickum, like silicon and after removing the track anchors on the coach body, slide the thing out, little by little. Clickity....

Can't seem to fix this thing with it saying that I used invalid formatting.
Let's try the uTube link again ... https://www.google.com/search?q=how+to+replace+a+carefree+slide+topper&oq=how+to+replace+a+carefree+...

[tropical36]

I found a way for making it a simple one man job and have done two of mine so far.
Put the slide about half way out where you have some room to work. Then, take up a little slack and C clamp or other, on the opposite side of where you'll be removing it. Then use a drill for widening the slot towards the end of the roller on the other end. Spray the whole slot with some slickum, like silicon and after removing the track anchors on the coach body, slide the thing out, little by little. Clickity....