Slide Toppers

Kodak86

Senior Member
RV LIFE Pro
Joined
Mar 18, 2020
Messages
101
Location
Massachusetts
Good Afternoon,
Looking for Slide Toppers for our 2019 376th.
Anyone know if I can put a slide topper on the dinette slide, the slide to the left of the entrance door. Will that interfere with the awning?
Also any recommendations, as to make or model or best company to do business with.
Thanks
Mark
 
Are you going to have it done, or do it yourself. I bought the Solara slide toppers from Amazon and am very satisfied with them. But some places will want you to buy through them. but an independent RV shop may have no issues with putting one that you bought, in place. Generally it's cheaper to buy them yourself, but you'd really need to compare prices.
 
Are you going to have it done, or do it yourself. I bought the Solara slide toppers from Amazon and am very satisfied with them. But some places will want you to buy through them. but an independent RV shop may have no issues with putting one that you bought, in place. Generally it's cheaper to buy them yourself, but you'd really need to compare prices.

So you like Solara. Any issues with your awning operation ?
 
I'm one of those guys that have no idea why people spend $$ on slide toppers. Slow down the water before they hit the slide roof...which is waterproof anyway? In over a quarter century of RV'ing...never did I think I needed a roof over a roof.
 
I'm one of those guys that have no idea why people spend $$ on slide toppers. Slow down the water before they hit the slide roof...which is waterproof anyway? In over a quarter century of RV'ing...never did I think I needed a roof over a roof.

I'd buy them again just to mitigate the loudness of the rain on the slide roof. Also, I find it helps keep the slide cooler when in direct sunlight.

Mike
 
I'm one of those guys that have no idea why people spend $$ on slide toppers. Slow down the water before they hit the slide roof...which is waterproof anyway? In over a quarter century of RV'ing...never did I think I needed a roof over a roof.
I really don't care about the rain, although snow and ice is a different story: better on the slide topper than coming in on top of the slide roof. Which has happened before we got toppers. :) Staying under pine trees and oak trees is the main reason we have them. I'm too old to be climbing up on the roof brushing the acorns and pine cones off the slide. And yes, they do mitigate the heat on a sunny, hot day. For me they mean less things to do before packing up.
 
Below is a picture of a similar setup like your RV with awning and a slide-topper on the slide you mentioned in your post.

I too have Solara slide toppers on our 5er and they have worked great for us over the last 4 yrs.

https://www.rvtrader.com/listing/2019-Grand+Design-Momentum+376TH-5030358441

Thanks for the link. I have 2 awnings one over the dinette slider and onehttps://www.mygrandrv.com/forum/asset.php?fid=35841&uid=29863&d=1658252653 over the outdoor kitchen / entertainment area. The arms almost touch each other. I don't know if you can see it with this picture
 

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I'm one of those guys that have no idea why people spend $$ on slide toppers. Slow down the water before they hit the slide roof...which is waterproof anyway? In over a quarter century of RV'ing...never did I think I needed a roof over a roof.

And I am one of those guys that is getting to old to be going up and a ladder to clean off any debris that could damage the seals on my slides.
 
Thanks for the link. I have 2 awnings one over the dinette slider and onehttps://www.mygrandrv.com/forum/asset.php?fid=35841&uid=29863&d=1658252653 over the outdoor kitchen / entertainment area. The arms almost touch each other. I don't know if you can see it with this picture

I think the '19 376th I referenced has the same setup as yours - 2 awnings side by side and slide topper over the slide in question (to the left of the entry door). See attached picture below...
 

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I'd buy them again just to mitigate the loudness of the rain on the slide roof. Also, I find it helps keep the slide cooler when in direct sunlight.

Mike

I can't tell the difference in noise between the main roof or the slide roof. But I sure hear a lot of people complain about how noisy their slide toppers are when it is not raining.
 
I can't tell the difference in noise between the main roof or the slide roof. But I sure hear a lot of people complain about how noisy their slide toppers are when it is not raining.

Have you ever had toppers on a rig ?
 
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To keep the "sail" of the toppers down during winds we put stretch cord with suction cups attached to the sides of the slide. Works well and we dont hear the flap... plus helps drain rain water off the toppers.
 
Never have noticed any noise from flapping, but we don't spend a lot of time near the beach where the wind is pretty constant.
 
Never have noticed any noise from flapping, but we don't spend a lot of time near the beach where the wind is pretty constant.
Yes we spend a fair amount by lakes. To reduce wind flap noise, some people have used a rope through a pool noodle then laid it across the topper with rope hanging down the ends of the slide. Then tied weights on each end.
When we were in Mesa in '23 some people stuffed beach balls/volley balls between the topper and the slide. Both work in windy locations.
 
Yes we spend a fair amount by lakes. To reduce wind flap noise, some people have used a rope through a pool noodle then laid it across the topper with rope hanging down the ends of the slide. Then tied weights on each end.
When we were in Mesa in '23 some people stuffed beach balls/volley balls between the topper and the slide. Both work in windy locations.

Originally was going to use the weight system. But, after being in 40+ mph winds got worried about the weights getting jostled around and doing damage to trailer.

Our stretch cord/suction cup mount system solved that. We just physically lay the stretch cord (no noodle) loosely over the topper centered and secured around each cup handle on either side of the slide leaving some (not much) slack in the line. The cord weight alone and small slack allow the side edges of the topper to drain off rain water while also keeping the topper from sailing/flapping above the slide. Takes about 10 min per slide to setup and now do it as part our initial camp setup. Have had great success (no torn toppers, no major water accumulation on topper, no sail/flap sounds) doing this over the past years with this simple cheap setup.

Have experienced high winds (35+ mph) in every mid-west state without being around any major bodies of water and its getting more common IMO. If winds get greater than 35mph we retract the slides for less slide wind lift opportunities, reset the auto-level to hookup mode in order to place as much weight on the RV suspension, and even get a hotel room if need be.

Note: Once youve been rocked in a camped setup RV due to high wind, you may want do the same. It certainly was our eye opener the first time in AR during our first high wind experience. BTW, we were at a campground "RIGHT" next to this (below) when it happened... lets just say... cheek-to-cheek standing room only in the bathrooms and it was only an EF1 which is nothing for the mid-wests tornado alley states! Put the slides in that day for sure!

https://fox4kc.com/news/wind-gusts-lift-rv-out-of-lot-tosses-it-toward-i-70-in-grain-valley/
 
I had put Solera on our previous trailer - an Arctic Wolf. As others have said, it is not too difficult except for the long kitchen slide. Do check with Grand Design to see if your trailer has the reinforcing for toppers. Might not be an issue for Grand Design but it was for Arctic Wolf. I have not put them on our current 310GK - seems to be OK without.

A couple things to be check:
- the topper specs give you a vertical mounting height range from just above the slide (recommended) to a maximum height above the slide. Ignore the recommendation and go with the maximum so water drains.
- for short slides like the kitchen, you don't get enough tension in the topper so it sags. You can put a LARGE screwdriver in the slide topper tightening mechanism and give it a turn or two so the topper is taut.
- I used VHB adhesive tape in addition to the screws to secure the topper to the side of the trailer. Seals the screw holes for water and MUCH stronger than just the screws.

I found tech support at Solera EXCELLENT - knowledgable and easy to talk with.
 

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