Do your slide topper awnings flap in the wind?

[mdordahl]

I'm preparing to order a 2017 Eagle 317 RLOK and am tired of the debris on the top of my current slides. When asking a dealer about slide toppers he said "You want them on the bedroom slide to?". When asked why, he said people complain that they flap in the wind. Have those of you that have them found this to be true?

[dalebra]

Good Question!

I'll be monitoring this thread for comments.

[Grumpy]

No problem on our PINNACLE. If they are properly installed they shouldn't flap.

[Rustysocket]

I can't say that I've specifically heard noise from my slide toppers. The benefits outweigh any negatives as far as I am concerned. Wouldn't own slides without them.

[hoppers4]

All the slide toppers I've seen, including two different brands I've had on my MHs, have a lock that prevent deployment (and flapping) when the slide is closed.

As for flapping in high winds, you'll want to bring in the slides if it's too breezy as the toppers could potentially get damaged. I would say any wind over 30 or 40 MPH would be sufficient to get me concerned enough to bring in the slides. That being said, I've never brought my slides due to high winds and I've camped in some pretty windy areas.

[edatlanta]

I hear mine occasionally, but rarely and when I do I just ignore it. Kind of like the trailer movement when my Splendide is washing clothes. You just don't pay attention to it after a while.

Now if a high wind storm I would probably pull my slides in, but I have never gotten close to that is 6 years of full time.

[norty1]

In many years of camping it has been a problem only once when a high wind came up one night that was blowing from the from to rear of the camper. It woke us up and we brought then slides in for a little while. Other than that, I would not be without them.

[vivusCraig]

We just recently got back from camping in Northern Ontario. We were camping right on the French River. There were a few days when the wind got pretty strong.

We pulled in our awnings but never pulled in our slides. Yes, I did get concerned with the toppers. They did blow some. Not enough for me to bring in the slides but enough to get my attention.

[shadester]

My last unit was a class A and I know what you mean about the bedroom slide flap noise. It didn't really bother me much, but the wife was complaining about it a lot. When we replaced our material we went with this outfit The Very Best RV Slide Topper Replacement Fabric Available! . Don't know if it's because it was heavier material or what, but if we heard anything it was very minimal. Our new unit is currently getting all 5 slides done, so can't really comment on the 5th wheel topper untill it is out of the shop....

[Dustdevil]

I have some recent experience with this on the Seneca. The slide toppers were flapping a bit in the wind on a trip we took about two months ago. It was a bit annoying, but it didn't seem to be enough to damage them. Lo and behold, after arriving home, I discovered the topper on the bedroom slide out was pulled out of the slot. The threading let go at the edge, and the fabric pulled around the rod and the middle 2-3 ft pulled right out of the slot. I bought new fabric from Tough Top, and replaced that particular one. AFter following directions, and a mod done to my roller by the previous owner, I was able to wrestle the new fabric into the slots and replace it successfully. It works great so far, but haven't been in wind to see if it still flaps. I suspect it will a bit, just not as much as the old fabric.

My suspicion is that they all do to a point, unless they are wrapped extremely tight. If that is the case, your topper fabric will tear out much sooner, and you will be replacing them more often. If you wrap them too loose, they will flap in very light winds, and may not roll up properly. In reality, the wrap tension will likely have to be somewhere in the middle to get good life and sturdy deployment from them.

I will have to replace my main awning fabric soon, but I'm waiting until it's really really shot. I have been known to wear tee shirts for work around the house as long as they have fewer than a dozen holes in them. So, I figure I've got THAT going for me.

[TCNashville]

We have 2 slides [bedroom & main] and have never experienced the flapping noise. However our main slide does pool water in a heavy rain.

[3'senough]

This was the single reason I did not get them on my first unit. Second unit I ordered them and could not be happier I did. I have camped on the water with 25MPH sustained winds and flapping was not an issue.

[Cosmik Debris]

We only have a slide in the living room and if aligned with the wind just right, it can flap some. Bedroom is on the other end so never been bothered by it. I've often wondered about a small inflatable kids swim ring to stuff under it, and stored deflated, just to minimize the flap.
I'd say get the cover, far better than the debris that you get without one.

[John7349]

I ordered the factory toppers for my 2017 321RSTS. No problems so far. Glad I got them.

[SouthCo]

We've camped during a couple storms and I've never heard mine flap. Not saying it doesn't but I've never noticed it...