Slide Topper Question

This question may have been addressed but being my memory is 30 feet or 30 seconds which ever comes first I beg your indulgence. As I travel thru out the great West Coast I see slide toppers that are full of water. Either they drain them in the future or they let the sun dry them out. Looks like of couple of gallons of water on them. Mine does the same thing so I drain mine when I have a chance. My question is does all that extra weight from the standing water do anything to the slide and/or trailer(like shorten its life, hard on hyds, hard on frames, ect ect ect)?

The water will stretch the material over time, I'm sure the added weight has an effect of some sort. A lot of people just pull the slide in a little and drain it.

Thats why I built the pvc frame to go under mine. Keeps the cover nice and tight. All the water drains every time.

I agree with Phillip, it will stretch the material over time. I lower the landing gear, but i hide under the bedroom first.

Mine as already is stretched already in the middle. Not able to use PVC frame unless I can adapt to sky light SO I was kind of curious as to what info I might gather since I see alot of water ponds.

Tom - I never thought of that one. Hide under the bedroom.

I would not have a slide out without a topper. I have never swept off the slide out roof because I have never had to do so with my topper. I can extend the slide in the rain to eat lunch and not worry about retracting water back into the Wildcat. I don't have to worry about pine cones or leaves or pine needles on the top when I retract the slide. I have don't have to worry about frozen rain or snow on the slideout roof. The ice breaks and falls as the fabric rolls up and I may have swept the snow off with a broom as my son retrieved the slide.

Once you have a topper, you will never go without one again. That has simply been my experience.

Had them since 2001 and would never buy without them. As bdaniel said never sweep again. As it rains I just bring the slide in a little dump the water if it pools and then right back out. JMHO Jack

Our Cat didn't come with slide covers, but we had them installed soon after we bought it. Since getting the covers, we don't have to remove leaves, pinecones or nuts from the slide roofs. Those pinecones and nuts make quite a racket when they fall in the middle of the night - the slide stops them from hitting. We've retracted the slides and had ice come off the covers and were glad it wasn't on the roof. I think shading the slides helps keep the trailer cooler in the summer heat. Accumulated water can stretch them, but when they dry out they go back into shape.

Mopar_Earl wrote:May I ask you guys why you have them? I really don't know what benefits they give. I know they don't like rain or snow. They make it harder to clean the slide out roof. Can they handle high winds? They can't keep rain off the slide if it's wind driven rain. Also they won't keep the sides dry either. I see them on lots of trailers but I just don't know why people want them. Can you help me see the light?


Earl

I agree with the rest. They help keep that top free of crap and water. Also I put one one because I have skylights. After I got it I got educated on them about leaks and heat.

bdaniel wrote:I would not have a slide out without a topper. I have never swept off the slide out roof because I have never had to do so with my topper. I can extend the slide in the rain to eat lunch and not worry about retracting water back into the Wildcat. I don't have to worry about pine cones or leaves or pine needles on the top when I retract the slide. I have don't have to worry about frozen rain or snow on the slideout roof. The ice breaks and falls as the fabric rolls up and I may have swept the snow off with a broom as my son retrieved the slide.

Once you have a topper, you will never go without one again. That has simply been my experience.

Same here.

Never had to yet. Sun damage is far less. If you have to U remove the screw on the end bracket on the trailer and slide the topper off.