Slide out topper should I install or not

[West_Beachhouse]

Good day,

Thank you for your responses. We have one slide and we are thinking of having a slide topper installed (for protection of the top of the slide). Just wondering the pros and cons for those of you who have installed after market a slide topper.

Again, thank you for your responses.

West Beachhouse

[christopherglen]

If it snows much, the top of the slide will collect it, and it can damage the top lip on the slide when you retract it if not cleaned off first. I have never been able to get all the ice off without risking either a gravity experiment or damage to the slide roof. I ended up packing the roof inside with towels once retracted. Now that I have the toppers, I have noticed less heat radiating down through the slide roof, little to no morning frost, rain, snow etc. If in a hot humid climate, the AC still makes the slide roof sweat overnight, but the slide seal takes care of that. There IS puddleing on top of the slide topper, and it does make a mess down the side of the slide when closing it. Some snow sticks as it is rolled up - on occasion, not very often. Ice either breaks up into fragments, or comes off in slabs onto the ground. I added them after owning the trailer for a few years, and believe they were a good investment, I will have them on all future units as well.

[Calicajun]

How well do slide toppers hold up in the wind? Can the slide be put out but the slide topper left in during high winds?

[sayoung]

I will not have another rv without slide topper or auto level.

[ScottG]

I installed one not to keep the roof clean but to keep the heat off the top of the slide. It made quite a difference in the heat load.

[Nicholsfamily05]

We had two previous trailers that didn't have them and I thought what's the big deal.
Found out that well depending on where we camped it would have been nice to have.

One camp ground had lots of pine needles that landed on top of the slide and I had to go up and sweep them off.
Same when we went on a late fall trip and the camp ground had huge oak trees. Well the leaves landed right on top and again had to sweep off.

I didn't find the rain issue to bad as the seals helped push it off before coming in. Yup there was still some that came in but not enough to hurt anything.

Our new trailer has them and we love them. I went to check on them a few times and nothing was under them. So nice to beable to just close the slides and be done

[Muddydogs]

I don't have a slide so I have no reason for a topper but from what I saw with my buddies trailer last fall I would think there a good idea. My buddy put in his slide after we had a night of freezing rain and light snow, the snow came off the slide top but the frozen rain didn't and the rubber around the slide couldn't clean it off so needless to say once the ice melted he had water in the trailer. I would think a topper would have at least lessened the amount of frozen water on the slide, the edges might have still gotten wet but the bulk of the top would have stayed dry or maybe not have been frozen due to the extra layer of material above the slide top?

[ford_truck_guy]

You will find many opinions on this... Usually the ones that have them love them , and the ones that don't , say they are not needed. .

I am in the yes camp, have had them on my last several trailers , after not having them on my first several . .I , myself see a difference and would not go without them . .

pros -
They keep the top of the slides free of debris , and some say they keep the inside cooler... Some also say they keep the roof dry, when retracting the slides, they lessen the chance of water in the camper... I don't see this , IF your trailers slide wipers are there and working , you should not get any water

Cons -
Some report flapping in the wind , and making noise
Another item to clean and maintain
The cost of doing them

[Trackrig]

I just installed one on the TT we bought. After having them on the MH, I wouldn't be without them.

Yesterday's discussion on toppers.

Bill