Need Slide Topper Reviews

[BuddyRay]

Now that I've camped in my 5th wheel for a few weekends in the fall, I've decided you guys are right - I need slide toppers.

I searched the forum but many of the posts on toppers that contain review's or comments date back a few years. So I thought I'd ask for new opinions.

1) Carefree or Dometic?
My 5th wheel has a Dometic awning and I'm tempted to try and match - but the awning is black fabric and black hardware and I haven't found black in Dometic slide toppers online.
Carefree has a larger number of options and can match almost any color. But what about reliability and quality.

2) I'm seriously looking at the Carefree Accent line - it has a metal case to enclose the awning when rolled up and is still reasonably priced. But it also uses a very different mounting style bracket than most of the other awnings on the market. And the Eagle HT 26.5 RLS has some VERY WIDE flanges around the BR slideout.
Has anyone installed an Accent awning on a Jayco 5th wheel?

3) Black or White. I want black hardware to match all the other hardware on the RV. But since the fabric rolls up in the (black) case, it could be white. After all, the top of the slideout is white. So is there really a heat difference since there is several inches of space for airflow under the awning?

4) Back in 2011 there was a lot of discussion about "billowing" during the wind and water pooling. The technology of slideouts has improved, including auto lock devices to prevent billowing. Any of you with newer toppers have any recommendations?

 

[oldmanAZ]

I can't help with most of your questions and don't know the brand, but I have a couple of generic observations regarding my slide topper:

1) Rain puddles in mine and a partially inflated beach ball under the topper doesn't fix it. It just creates 2 smaller puddles on either side of the beach ball. I gave the beach ball to my grandkids.

2) My topper is 1/2" to 1" narrower than the slide. When the rain puddle in the topper reaches capacity, it drains down over the window at the rear of the slide (I park slightly nose high). Now regardless of wind speed and direction, we have to be sure that window is closed when it rains. I'm not sure if my topper is narrower than usual or if the dealer goofed on their measurements.

We got our topper to keep the sun and debris off the top of the slide. It does a great job for of both of those and I'm glad we have it.

 

[314BHDS]

I have the Carefree 3 awning and couldnt be happier with them.Fitment,finish and not having to clean slideouts has been one less thing to do when packing up.Unfortunately during heavy rains water does seem to build up a little on them,i just simply bump the slideout in little bit (as Carefree tells you to do also) and the water comes right off.My trailer aslo has wide flanges around the slideouts and the fitment is fine.Also i have a skylight over the main slide,it let in a ton of sunlight and heat,the toppers block almost all the sun and heat and helped keep it cooler in the summer.My awning is also a Dometic,they are both black and look fine together.

 

[shadester]

Can't give you a review yet but I went with the dometic deluxe with the metal wrap. All Black including hardware. You should be able to see them on the CW site. I purchased them back in July. Installation was 90.00 each.

 

[SouthCo]

We had the dealer install our slide out topper on our new camper before picking it up this past May. Our dealer only offered Carefree brand unless I misunderstood them. We got the Carefree SideOut Kover 3.

http://www.carefreeofcolorado.com/products/sideout-kover-III.html

I have nothing to compare it to as it's our first topper but it has worked flawlessly this season.

 

[Seann45]

My Crappy of Colorado has actually worked well for the last few years.. but I can tell you they SUCK on customer service.. I had arranged with Carefree and camping world in Denver to install my cover they knew the trailer I had.. one optional but necessary part was missing and it was a super hassle to get that part from Crappy of Colorado. That and the way they treated me with a previous failed awning ..will never use them again

 

[jasum]

Have not checked in to pricing on these, but they look like they are well made from website.

Domestic Elite EZ

 

[BuddyRay]

Agreed, but the Dometic's only appear to come with one color of Vinyl - Satin.

 

[Grampy]

The dealer put toppers on ours as we were doing the PDI and doing all the paperwork. They put on the Dometic's Deluxe toppers which come in 3 colors Polar White, Black and Satin. We also have the matching Black hardware, so everything on ours match's. We don't have a problem with billowing or water pooling.

 

[dalebra]

Agreed, but the Dometic's only appear to come with one color of Vinyl - Satin.

According to CW's site you can get Black or White.

Product Wizard - Camping World

 

[tortue71]

you should take black, the whites one doesn't stay white long. they always seems to be dirty.

 

[jasum]

Keep us posted on which ones you end up getting........I want to get them also at some point. The dealer had my Pinnacle for a month and still could NOT even get a price for me.

 

[GoldenT]

I have a Jayco HT Fifth wheel trailer the kitchen slide has 3/4 inch of clearance between the slide and the awning arm has anyone installed a topper on the eagle HT and how did you handle the clearance issues

 

[RipinSC]

I had Carefree on my previous FW and have Dometic on my Eagle. Both are good and you will be happy with either. I like the Dometic I have now as it has a anti billowing Arm on it. After a rain storm, I have a 6 foot pole (long broom handle) that I push up on the anti billowing arm and this allows any water on the topper to dump off.

 

[AKRUEBBE]

If you have water puddling on your slide topper it's because it is not taut enough and needs adjustment. I never have water puddle on mine no matter how hard it rains. Also they never flap and make noise when it's windy. Mine have the metal wrap or case that they retract into which I like a lot. However, the wrap should be removed about once a year to be cleaned out because anything that is on the topper when closing ends up in the metal case. Acorns can wreak havoc on a slide topper

 

[RipinSC]

You are correct on the awning tension. My awnings have allot of tension. The issue is the location of the awning rail Jayco installs on the side wall. If it is not high enough, you will not get proper water run off. The location Jayco mounted my rails only gives me about 1 inch of pitch on the awning. With the build tolerances they adhere to, I am lucky to have that much pitch.