Slide topper noise dampening

On rare occasions when we're expecting prolonged high winds I toss a small poly rope over the length of our super slide topper and secure it underneath with a bungee cord. As far as leaves, twigs, snow, etc., accumulating on the topper, I've never had a problem with it dropping off as the topper rolls up. No rooftop trips to clean the topper needed.

Lantley wrote:

fj12ryder wrote:

Lantley wrote:
...
I have yet to see the need.
If I will need beach balls and rope to tame the toppers why bother?

Never seen the need, nor the need to clean the tops of the slides when camping in the trees, or clean up the water that came in with a wet slide, or turn the fan on high because the heat generated by the sunshine on the slide is pretty darned warm, or cleaned up the water when the ice on the slide melted when the slide was brought in.

But did do all those things on the first trailer we had without slide toppers. Oops, forgot to list the problems with them...hmm, can't think of any. :)

FWIW, my dad used to say the same thing about indoor plumbing, but after he had it you couldn't have pried him out of it. He admitted it was the best thing since sliced bread, and he couldn't believe he waited so long.

There are plenty of people who use beach balls and
/or rope with their toppers. I did not just make that up.
As far as leaves and debris. if there bad bad which it seldom is I'll blow them off with a leaf blower. I may have lots of leaves on top once or twice a year, certainly not every trip.

Some people took their indoor plumbing a step further and added a bidet. We are fine with a regular old toilet.;)

I have never seen anyone using flappers or deviced on there slide toppers in 30 years of RVing. but I have been camping in the same sites as people who dont have them and in the morning when it was time to leave all I had to do it bring in the slides then have a coffee while they pulled out ladders and cleaned all the tree droppings off there slides....

Steve

fj12ryder wrote:

Lantley wrote:
...
I have yet to see the need.
If I will need beach balls and rope to tame the toppers why bother?

Never seen the need, nor the need to clean the tops of the slides when camping in the trees, or clean up the water that came in with a wet slide, or turn the fan on high because the heat generated by the sunshine on the slide is pretty darned warm, or cleaned up the water when the ice on the slide melted when the slide was brought in.

But did do all those things on the first trailer we had without slide toppers. Oops, forgot to list the problems with them...hmm, can't think of any. :)

FWIW, my dad used to say the same thing about indoor plumbing, but after he had it you couldn't have pried him out of it. He admitted it was the best thing since sliced bread, and he couldn't believe he waited so long.

There are plenty of people who use beach balls and
/or rope with their toppers. I did not just make that up.
As far as leaves and debris. if there bad bad which it seldom is I'll blow them off with a leaf blower. I may have lots of leaves on top once or twice a year, certainly not every trip.

Some people took their indoor plumbing a step further and added a bidet. We are fine with a regular old toilet.;)

They are a classic example of someone coming up with a solution to a problem that doesn't exist. They are just one more thing that costs money & need maintaining & repairing.

Our Cherokee 274vfk has a superslide with a slide topper. We've never had any wind noise from the topper.

Our first fiver did not have a topper, our motor home did and now our present fiver does. We stay on Hatteras Island about three months a year where the wind is almost constantly blowing. They are not an issue and yes, compared to our previous fiver they do keep the rain from pounding right over your head when you sleep. I would not want a slide without them. If your spring is tight flapping is a non issue.

Lantley wrote:
...
I have yet to see the need.
If I will need beach balls and rope to tame the toppers why bother?

Never seen the need, nor the need to clean the tops of the slides when camping in the trees, or clean up the water that came in with a wet slide, or turn the fan on high because the heat generated by the sunshine on the slide is pretty darned warm, or cleaned up the water when the ice on the slide melted when the slide was brought in.

But did do all those things on the first trailer we had without slide toppers. Oops, forgot to list the problems with them...hmm, can't think of any. :)

FWIW, my dad used to say the same thing about indoor plumbing, but after he had it you couldn't have pried him out of it. He admitted it was the best thing since sliced bread, and he couldn't believe he waited so long.

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.

12 years with them ,1 year without. But yes most naysayers have never had them, I get the same noise about the Andersen hitch ,its what they have read or heard ,never towed an inch with one :B

Back to the subject, not sure I have any desire to get the slide toppers put on the present fifth wheel we have now, haven't seen any need so far. As far as the noise of the rain ,as said can't see a difference ,but they are two different fifth wheels . My long term stay in Montana ,there is trees, so I got up on top to check them. Nothing there to worry about, so that in itself is something I didn't have to do before, but not that big of deal. Time will tell .

Lantley wrote:
My thought is slide toppers create as many problems as they solve.
I have yet to see the need.
If I will need beach balls and rope to tame the toppers why bother?

Never had the desire to tame them, also I guess we were not in enough strong winds to damage them in the 12 years we had them on our previous fifth wheel. My present fifth wheel does not have them, and so far I haven't missed them.

My thought is slide toppers create as many problems as they solve.
I have yet to see the need.
If I will need beach balls and rope to tame the toppers why bother?