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Slide toppers on new 310GK not draining/shedding water

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  • #31
    I'm resurrecting this post because of a recent issue we've had with the water ponding on our curbside slide topper. Or more specifically where the water eventually drains to and what happens when it does.

    Back in mid-April we had been pretty much been wintering in areas with low humidity, and some rain or even snow, so I was firmly in the "don't worry about it" camp with respect to the ponding. This winter we are in the Pacific Northwest and while the temperatures are mild the humidity is high and it rains a lot. It rains so much that water draining from the topper and down the side of the slide and over the single hung windows is more than the drain holes in the window frames can handle. We don't know if it is is actual water seeping under the window pane or condensation (we hare running dehumidifiers), but the bottom of the window frame was wet on the interior.

    I know that others have taken steps to remove the valley from the topper with bracing or support under the topper, and this was my first thought as I stood on my roof in the rain trying to come up with a game plan. Then I saw one of my extra sections of gutter that I use for sewer line support in the back of my truck and it occurred to me that the problem wasn't so much the water ponding on the topper, but how the water is draining off the topper. If I can control this drainage so that it doesn't run down the side of the slide out and over the window then the problem goes away. My solution may not be pretty or permanent, but it is cheap, relatively easy to install, and effective.

    The parts list is a 10' section of gutter, cut in half (more on this later), two gutter hangers, 1/4" diameter rope, and two 1 gallon milk containers with lids loosely attached filled half way with water.
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    Here is a mock up of the install before sliding the parts under the tarp. Our slide is approximately 10' long. In order to have the gutter ends extend past the slide out I would either need two sections of gutter, or cut one section in two. I elected to cut the one section in two since the gutter really doesn't need to be full length under the topper, and two 5' lengths of gutter will be easier to transport than two 10' lengths.
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    The gutter hangers are attached to the inside end of the gutter sections to provide some slope to the sections and prevent water from flowing back under the topper instead of out of the exposed end. The rope laying in the gutter is to help stabilize the gutters and hold them in place in case of wind (or at least keep them from taking off completely)

    Gutters have been slide under the topper and extend past the end of the slides 3" to 4". A second run of rope has been laid on the topper, over the gutter run. This part of the install went quickly with two people, one on the ground to tie the ropes off to the milk carton handles.
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    In this final shot the ropes have been snugged down so that the milk cartons are just touching the ground (don't want them swinging around in the wind). The rope on the top of the topper is not tight enough to move the ponded water in the photo back from the topper roll, but it doesn't need to be. If you look closely at where the rope comes off the topper you will see that it has pulled the lip of the material down slightly to form a spout over the gutter. This spout is what I was looking for.
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    Of course it hasn't rained since we completed this install, but rain is in the forecast for tomorrow, and the day after that, and the day after that, and the day . . . Well, you get the idea. I may have to make some adjustments but I think the general install will do what I want; move the run off our and away from the slide out sides and the windows.
    John
    2018 Momentum 395M
    2018 Ram 3500 Dually
    Every day is a Saturday, but with no lawn to mow.

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    • #32
      We had the exact same issue with the 5th wheel we just traded in for our new 310GK. Come to find out when we got our toppers (installed from a dealer) on our new one the the dealer who installed them did not mount them to the correct angle. Top mount to the trailer was to low so water could not drain properly. When we mentioned it to the dealer about the poor drainage (pooling of water) it was noted and they didn't charge us for the new ones we had installed .
      2020 SOLITUDE 310GK
      2016 GMC DURAMAX 6.6 TURBO

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      • #33
        Originally posted by JBill9694 View Post
        Then I saw one of my extra sections of gutter that I use for sewer line support in the back of my truck and it occurred to me that the problem wasn't so much the water ponding on the topper, but how the water is draining off the topper. If I can control this drainage so that it doesn't run down the side of the slide out and over the window then the problem goes away. My solution may not be pretty or permanent, but it is cheap, relatively easy to install, and effective.
        Clever solution, John, for those who will be in a spot for a length of time. Though not technically a "mod" I'm still going to add it to the list so those looking for a solution can find yours.

        Howard

        Forum moderators are not GD employees--we are volunteers and owners presumably just like yourself. Unless specifically mentioned otherwise, we have nothing to gain should you choose to purchase a product or engage a service we discuss on this forum.

        2017 Ford F-350 DRW, '19 315RLTSPlus

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        • #34
          Hi: I want to install a slide awning to my 2021 ImagineXLS 22MLE. I contacted LCI and they indicate that 3 inches above the slide outside frame is required. It is going to be very close. Has anyone out there with the same model as mine installed an awning? If so, do you get enough slope to drain? Don't want any issues that have been in other posts. Thanks

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          • #35
            Originally posted by 1stFireFighter View Post
            Hi: I want to install a slide awning to my 2021 ImagineXLS 22MLE. I contacted LCI and they indicate that 3 inches above the slide outside frame is required. It is going to be very close. Has anyone out there with the same model as mine installed an awning? If so, do you get enough slope to drain? Don't want any issues that have been in other posts. Thanks
            Noted this was your first post, so when you get a chance please check out the Welcome Letter to New Members https://gdrvowners.com/forum/main-fo...to-new-members

            If you want I can extract your post from this thread and put it in a new one (to maximize exposure with an appropriate title since your trailer is a different model from this thread). Reply to this post with your concurrence and I'll make it happen.

            -Howard
            Forum moderators are not GD employees--we are volunteers and owners presumably just like yourself. Unless specifically mentioned otherwise, we have nothing to gain should you choose to purchase a product or engage a service we discuss on this forum.

            2017 Ford F-350 DRW, '19 315RLTSPlus

            Comment


            • #36
              Originally posted by 1stFireFighter View Post
              Hi: I want to install a slide awning to my 2021 ImagineXLS 22MLE. I contacted LCI and they indicate that 3 inches above the slide outside frame is required. It is going to be very close. Has anyone out there with the same model as mine installed an awning? If so, do you get enough slope to drain? Don't want any issues that have been in other posts. Thanks
              On my 310GK, even with 6" clearance above the slide (3" above the slide outside frame), the topper still sags with the weight of the rain water. And most of the slide topper ends are just short of the end of the slide, so that when the topper gets full enough of water it drains right onto the top trim piece, then onto the window frame, down the window, and then onto the slide out's bottom trim piece. JBill9694 solution is ugly, but it would solve my "problem".

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              Last edited by pengle; 01-01-2021, 06:59 PM.
              Pat and Karen
              2021 Solitude 310GK, Full Body Paint, Dual Pane Windows, Heat Pump, Slide Toppers, Solar, MORryde 7K IS w/Disc Brakes, Splendide W/D Stacked Pair

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              • #37
                If you read back through the earlier posts on this thread, you will see that on a “traditionally shaped” 5th wheel (with roof sloping down towards both the front and the back) slide toppers are usually close to horizontal from wall to outer edge. There is no room on the main wall above the slide to do otherwise. The topper slope possible on a TT would be ideal . . . but is just not physically possible on most 5th wheels.

                Rob
                Cate & Rob
                (with Border Collies Molly & Angel + Kitties Hazel & Elsie)
                2015 Reflection 303RLS
                2022 F350 Diesel CC SB SRW Lariat
                Bayham, Ontario, Canada

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                • #38
                  1stFireFighter, I suspect that the 3" rule is to make sure that the clamp bar attachment to the wall is to make sure that the clamp bar is above the roller for the topper. Otherwise there will be a valley between the two, even when the slide is closed, that would always hold water. 3" should be considered as a minimum and if the clamp bar can be mounted higher then do so. As long as you can keep enough material on the roller (about 1 1/2 wraps) with the slide extended it won't cause any problems.

                  We have three slides with toppers on each; closet slide at 24" deep, kitchen slide at 24" deep, and seating slide at 36" deep. Our seating slide also has the highest ceiling which translates into the least clearance on the outside for the clamp bar. The only topper that really holds a significant amount of water is the one over the seating slide. This is function of the flatness of the topper slope and the weight of the topper material which in itself causes a sag in the topper. All of this is a long worded way to say that whether or not you will have ponding issues with your topper depends on the slide and how the topper is installed.

                  Good luck.
                  John
                  2018 Momentum 395M
                  2018 Ram 3500 Dually
                  Every day is a Saturday, but with no lawn to mow.

                  Comment


                  • #39
                    1stfirefighter, we purchased our 2021 22mle in early October and got to use it for three rain soaked days shortly after. We had the dealer install a slide topper on it as we had one on our previous TT and I loved it, no more getting on the roof when breaking camp to clean off debree or mopping up water and we never had any issues with pooling so I did not give it a second thought when ordering the topper for the 22mle.
                    However, when breaking camp I noticed the sagging topper due to water pooling, quite a surprise to say the least. I sort off solved the issue by cranking up the front of the trailer before I ran the slide in to let most of the water run off the rear of the topper. Of course I leveled the trailer back before running the slide in and that seemed to work fine. I did not find any water on the roof of the slide inside of the camper.
                    So, yes the water did pool. You will have to weigh the convenience of not getting on the roof to clean the slide roof, with the inconvenience of dealing with the pooling.
                    Burt & Pat. '21 Imagine XLS 22MLE, '20 F150 3.5 EB Blue Ox SwayPro WDH

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                    • #40
                      I'm surprised so many folks have issues with pooling of water on their slide toppers. I know from doing my own installation that the Solera manual has a caution regarding how (or how not!) to unroll the fabric prior to installation (pic below). Total speculation / conjecture on my part, but could a resolution to some of these pooling issues be retightening the fabric? I realize it would take quite a bit of work to uninstall, re-wrap the fabric, and reinstall to test this theory.

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                      Forum moderators are not GD employees--we are volunteers and owners presumably just like yourself. Unless specifically mentioned otherwise, we have nothing to gain should you choose to purchase a product or engage a service we discuss on this forum.

                      2017 Ford F-350 DRW, '19 315RLTSPlus

                      Comment


                      • #41
                        Howard that is an interesting idea. However, upon returning home from our trip and after the rain quit I ran the slide out and checked the tension on the topper and it seemed quite tight, so I assumed that it is a lack of slope causing the problem. Also, I am afraid of putting to much tension on it and causing a problem with the Schwinteck slide motor, gears etc.
                        Burt & Pat. '21 Imagine XLS 22MLE, '20 F150 3.5 EB Blue Ox SwayPro WDH

                        Comment


                        • #42
                          Originally posted by 1stFireFighter View Post
                          Hi: I want to install a slide awning to my 2021 ImagineXLS 22MLE. I contacted LCI and they indicate that 3 inches above the slide outside frame is required. It is going to be very close. Has anyone out there with the same model as mine installed an awning? If so, do you get enough slope to drain? Don't want any issues that have been in other posts. Thanks
                          I was out at my trailer this morning and checked the mounting of my door side slide topper on my 2970RL. The rail in the trailer is right below my gutter. The top of the slide topper roll is barely below that attachment point. I can guarantee you I do not have 3" of slope in my curbside topper. My toppers are LCI and we're installed by the dealer before we picked up our unit.

                          I do get water pooling in this topper but it's not a big deal, at least not to me. I can either drain it with a broom, or if I'm lazy I'll life the rear jacks and lift the front of the trailer.

                          To avoid the problem JBill9694 is experiencing, draining on the windows,. I believe the fabric of the topper should go from the edge of the slide flange to the other edge of the flange. In looking at the pictures posted by JBill9694 it appears the fabric ends right at the slide sidewall. This would cause the runoff to drain down the sidewall and onto the window.
                          Mike & Lisa
                          Central Florida
                          2021 Imagine 2970RL
                          1996 Chevy K3500 Crew SRW 7.4L Gas

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                          • #43
                            The topper edge, OurNewEra, is actually a couple of inches shy of the side of the slide. Yes, it would be good if the edge of the topper was at least even with the side of the slide and even better if it extended a couple of inches past the side of the slide. However since I haven't had any more luck finding a tarp stretcher than I've had finding a board stretcher for all the lumber I've cut too short over the years, I have to make do with what I have.

                            Okay, serious now. I suspect that the slide toppers are provided in set lengths with standard rollers, end sockets, and mounting brackets. Also the tarp lengths may also be in set widths. So this may be a best fit situation between what GDRV wants for a slide and what is available as a topper. Kind of like buying hotdogs and hotdog buns.

                            I read through the posts questioning the tension in the roller and IMHO increasing the tension may not be the solve all answer, nor would increased slope. At least not for the deeper slides (longer toppers). At some point there will be some sag in the tarp due to the weight of the tarp itself. More tension and/or greater slope would reduce the amount of sag but not eliminate it. The sag will allow ponding of water which will eventually find its way to the edge of the topper. How much water may be reduced by more tension and/or greater slope but not eliminated.
                            John
                            2018 Momentum 395M
                            2018 Ram 3500 Dually
                            Every day is a Saturday, but with no lawn to mow.

                            Comment


                            • #44


                              Refinement to my install. No, it didn't make it any prettier (well, maybe a little), but did resolve an issue with the initial install documented in post #31.

                              With the top rope taught enough to pull down the lip of the topper the rope pushed hard enough on the end of the gutter to move the gutter back over time. My solution was to run the rope to a couple of pieces of 1/2" diameter PVC that I can extend past the lip of the topper. I have a minimum of 4" of clearance between the topper and the arm of my front awning and used my favorite black tape to mark this distance off so that I can monitor the position of the ends of the pipes from below. A couple of blocking knots with some more tape around them between the pipes to keep them in position completed the install.

                              One item to mention is that I took a closer look at the single hung slider windows. These have spring loaded dogs that are suppose to slide into notches in the window guide to latch the slider in place. In the closed position, the notches do not line up with the dogs, so it is only the weight of the slider that is providing a seal against the weather stripping to keep moisture out. IMHO there should be more down pressure to help seal this area. Seems to be a quality issue with these windows as none of our three have notches in the same places.
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                              John
                              2018 Momentum 395M
                              2018 Ram 3500 Dually
                              Every day is a Saturday, but with no lawn to mow.

                              Comment


                              • #45
                                Sorry for reviving an old thread, but this one seemed most informative from my search, and I wanted to add my experience.

                                On our 2nd outing at Cherrystone in VA, we had quite a bit of wind and one night of driving hard rain...all night. I was quite concerned for my dealer-installed Carefree dinette-side slide topper. It sounded like it was tearing. But a 5:am examination showed it was flopping quite a bit on one end, but no obvious tearing.

                                Like others have noted, there was a lot of pooling in the center. This made the center of the topper tight, but the ends with no pooling were loose, hence the flopping. After just one night of pooling, I now have permanent stretching in the center of the topper. I'm not terribly concerned with the pooling. I'll stick some pool-side accessories under it if needed. But I did want to address the flopping.

                                A closer look at the topper's leading edge showed it *had* begun to lose a stitch and tear a slight bit. I also noticed the dealer hadn't centered the topper in the gutter. During rollup, the fabric would drift right on the roller. Re-centering was easy enough. But I still need to address the stitching.

                                Like others, I also wanted to tighten the topper just a bit. It just seemed too loose. I know they come from the factory with the springs pre-tensioned, but if the dealer allowed too much slack in the fabric during install, it could have lost at least one wind on the tension.

                                Finding out how to tighten the Carefree topper tension was harder than I thought. Most info and videos addressed replacing the fabric. Part of that process was retaining existing tension. But I wanted a straightforward way to tighten the tension without removing the fabric. I found an old 2017 Carefree posting on irv2.com that seemed simple enough and I could do it by myself. But I wasn't sure it applied to my 2021 Carefree topper. It worked and I successfully tightened my topper one rotation and it has not affected slide operation.


                                Here were my steps (sorry no pics):

                                First, review the Carefree "Service Manual" instructions to familiarize yourself with the topper components. Visit the Carefree site for this.

                                Have a 3/16" drill bit handy as you'll use this to lock the topper spring *before* detaching the roller. Also, this was done from ladders, not the roof.

                                Extend the slideout fully and then retract half-way back into the RV. My slideout extends 3', so this gave me about 1 1/2' to play with.

                                From the right-hand side of the topper (where the Carefree topper spring is located), using two hands, roll the topper tube one full rotation *towards* the RV. I didn't find this too tight or too difficult.

                                Keeping a good grip on the roller with one hand, slip the 3/16" drill bit into one of the holes at the right-side end of the roller. There should be a hole every 90 degrees. You may have to slightly roll/unroll to allow the drill bit "find" an inner hole and slide well into the roller and lock the spring into place.

                                You'll now have some slack in the fabric that is addressed later.

                                Now remove the screws from the left-hand side and right-hand side end-caps.

                                Then, on the right-side, remove the 2 screws holding the end-cap assembly to the mounting bracket...access from under the bracket.

                                Now you can slide the right-side end-cap away from the roller end. Don't worry about any spinning of the tube, the drill bit is keeping that from happening. You may have to jiggle the end-cap to free it from the roller end. Just slide it away from the roller end a bit...you don't have to remove it completely.

                                You can rest the roller tub on the mounting bracket. It won't go anywhere.

                                Now move a ladder to the center of the roller. My topper is 12' feet long and has a little weight to it, so it was better to do the next step from the center.

                                Holding the roller tube at the center, lift and slide it out of the left-side end-cap. Again, a little jiggling may be necessary.

                                With the roller tube free, take up the slack in the fabric. This should be about one full rotation towards *you* (away from the RV). Be mindful of the drill bit sticking out at the right-side end of the tube. If your drill bit is under tension in the hole as mine was, don't worry about it falling out as you spin the tube. If you're concerned, tape the drill bit down.

                                It's important that you do one full rotation to take up the fabric slack. The ends of the roller tube that insert back into the end-caps have flat indentations that need to line-up with the end-caps. A full rotation should get them lined-up.

                                With the topper fabric now fairly tight, re-insert the left-side back into the end-cap. I had to rest the roller tube on the mounting brackets and climb the left-side ladder to line-up the tube end indentations with the end-cap. Working it from the center wasn't happening.

                                Back to the right-side, slide the end-cap on the mounting bracket towards the roller tube end and insert the tube end into the end-cap. Don't pull on the roller tube or you could pull it out of the left-side. Instead, *push* the right-side end-cap onto the tube end. Again, lining-up the flat indentations with the end-cap and push it home. Your drill bit should still be in it's hole.

                                Now screw in the end-cap screws on *both* ends.

                                Then screw in the 2 right-side mounting bracket screws under the bracket.

                                At this point, your topper fabric should be fairly tight. Grab the roller tube with one hand and remove the 3/16" drill bit. Then release the tube. With your fabric already tight, nothing should happen. You're done.

                                Test the topper with several in/outs of the slideout (move the ladders clear first).
                                John & Susan
                                2019 Ford F-250 CCSB
                                2022 Reflection 297RSTS

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