he said not to do it!

[nephi007]

Howdy. Manager of a dealer said to not bother with an $800.00 slide topper if I buy a trailer from him cuz topper puts additional stress on the slide out motor. He seemed sincere and said he could recommend it to us and make the money but felt obliged to speak the truth. Your thoughts?

[CA_Traveler]

...from him cuz topper puts additional stress on the slide out motor...

Translation: The slide motor is inadequate - run don't walk from this rig.

[pennysmom09]

We had our toppers added and don't regret it. I don't want my DH up on a ladder cleaning off the tops of the slides! Granted, plenty of people don't want them, but we will always have them.

[Farm_Camp]

Hi. I don't have a topper now. Don't have a plan to get one for either of my slides for the time being. BUT. I don't imagine that a properly installed and adjusted topper would hurt anything.

I've had to climb the ladder on a couple of trips to clean mine off before heading home. But for now I'm just gonna go with it. I might add though in addition to keeping water and debris off the top of your slide it should also help some at a really hot/sunny campsite by blocking direct sunlight from the roof of the slide itself.

So. Other opinions may vary. I don't have one (a topper). But if I ever did decide to get one I would not be worried about my slide motor.

[dave17352]

I find that hard to believe. It takes a good deal of force to push the slide out for sure but not much to pull out a 3 foot awning. JMHO I agree with the fella that said the guy just wanted to get the sale done. Who wants to wait for a topper to come in.

[downtheroad]

Gosh...must be a lot of rig out there with damaged slide motors.
Ridiculous.

[tvman44]

1st time I hear that one, I love our topper.

[newman_fulltime]

Wow a dealer that cares what you buy and doesnt care about a upsale

[6_7_tow_rig]

Never had one in 10 years and never had a problem. I do clean the slide with a stream of water prior to packing up but thats it. I dont know how tightly those things are wound but I guess if its anything like an awning I could see it putting some stress on the motor. Probably no more than having cabinets or shelves loaded inside the slideout itself.

[wmoses]

nephi007 wrote:
Howdy. Manager of a dealer said to not bother with an $800.00 slide topper if I buy a trailer from him cuz topper puts additional stress on the slide out motor. He seemed sincere and said he could recommend it to us and make the money but felt obliged to speak the truth. Your thoughts?

He just wants to sell his stock RV which I bet does not have a topper, and is just spouting nonsense.

The drag on the slide out motor caused by a side topper is much less than the effect that added weight of items stored in the slide out.

On the other hard the benefits of a topper cannot be overstated.

As for the cost - $ 800 is a rip off. Don't know how long of a slide you have but Camping World has an installation special now - anything for $40. Club Price is $151.99 - $423.99 right now, depending on size and configuration. Check it out.

[enblethen]

I would go to the rig's website and see if it listed as an option.
Yes, some slides may not like the extra tension some put on the mechanism. This should only be an adjustment issue of the topper.
I would insure that the slide is properly adjusted prior to installing an awning.

[Javi1]

mlts22 wrote:
He should ask if the topper is worth it when he is having to get back into town, has to get a ladder out when it is raining to pry out a pine cone wedged on the top when trying to bring the slide in.

I'd take the slide topper any day. It might add a little bit more stress, but the potential water damage it protects against will cost a LOT more to deal with than a fixing a slide motor.

As a compromise, I'd ask him about a Solera slide boot/slide sleeve. It does not use a spring, nor has spring tension, and does the same job as a slide awning. The complete boot even protects the bottom, making a very good barrier against water intrusion.

X2

[mlts22]

He should ask if the topper is worth it when he is having to get back into town, has to get a ladder out when it is raining to pry out a pine cone wedged on the top when trying to bring the slide in.

I'd take the slide topper any day. It might add a little bit more stress, but the potential water damage it protects against will cost a LOT more to deal with than a fixing a slide motor.

As a compromise, I'd ask him about a Solera slide boot/slide sleeve. It does not use a spring, nor has spring tension, and does the same job as a slide awning. The complete boot even protects the bottom, making a very good barrier against water intrusion.