Slide Toppers on Cameo's

[Hamshog]

Hi All,

        We're in the market for a new coach and Cameo is on the list. I noticed that there is no option for slide toppers for the Cameo's. Does anyone add them? Are they not useful? We will be fulltime in the Palm Springs area for a few years and think they would keep the slides cooler in the summer.

        Any opinions out there?

Regards, Hamshog

[Jimdee]

Slide toppers are more for catching leaves and debris than for temperature control. One of the things that caused us to decide on a Cameo is the design of the slides.  Most RVs have slides with a 1 or 2 inch vertical edge along the front, which catches leaves and debris when you retract them. This can cause damage to the slide.  If you notice, slides on Carriage products have smooth front edges, and with their H-seal system, it essentially brushes off any debris as they retract. It's still a good idea to sweep off any major debris, but you have much less chance of damage on a Cameo. That's why you don't see slide toppers on many newer Carriage built units.

[gtfiver]

A couple of other points about slide toppers: they can be noisy when it is windy and can be damaged if the winds get strong enough. Also, it is still possible for debris to get between the topper and the slide, so you still have to check and remove any debris that might have gotten in there.

[Dutch and Di]

Hi All,

        We're in the market for a new coach and Cameo is on the list. I noticed that there is no option for slide toppers for the Cameo's. Does anyone add them? Are they not useful? We will be fulltime in the Palm Springs area for a few years and think they would keep the slides cooler in the summer.

        Any opinions out there?

Regards, Hamshog

I can only speak for our 1996 Carriage.  After we picked up our Carriage we had awnings and slide toppers added immediately.  They do work when it is hot, for us at least, as the sun hits the topper instead of the slide top itself.  That acts as a bit of a heat barrier. The toppers did/do help to keep debris from the top of the slide.  Only if we're parked under trees do we check before pulling the slides in. When we re did our 5th wheel this fall we again went with the slide toppers.  They were getting a bit worn after all their use but no damage.  We just wanted new awnings and toppers.  Only very rarely did/do we find them noisy and ours were never damaged in almost 13 years of fulltiming.  We follow the sun so we're always looking for sunshine and warmth.  Maybe there is a reason they aren't on the newer models but we would be without them.  Diana

[Hamshog]

Thanks for the responses so far!  I'm going to have to look at the slides roofs in person again on the Cameo's. Can't get anything off the web-site, but a small corner of the slider. Looks like there's no flange? I don't understand how it would seal?
Has anyone had any leaks in the slides rooms with their seal setup?

I can't see why the toppers wouldn't keep the slide ceilings cooler in the summer? Shade is a good thing when it's 120 degrees outside.

Regards, Hamshog

[eddi]

Talk to people  that already have these and I think you will discover they are just more work.  First, our friends have to put their slides in when the wind is blowing as the flapping noise is annoying.   Then after a couple months they lose their stiffness and water pools on top of them.  Add dirt and the water and you have the formula for mold.  Oh, the mold loves to form underneath the covers too.

[Dutch and Di]

Talk to people  that already have these and I think you will discover they are just more work.  First, our friends have to put their slides in when the wind is blowing as the flapping noise is annoying.   Then after a couple months they lose their stiffness and water pools on top of them.  Add dirt and the water and you have the formula for mold.  Oh, the mold loves to form underneath the covers too.

I'll keep watching the posts as we could be in the minority but that just hasn't been our experience.  We spend a lot of time out west where the winds do blow.  We get a flapping noise on occasion but certainly not a regular thing.  The only time we ever put any of our slides in, was 2 summers ago in New Mexico.  It wasn't for the wind but there was a howling dust storm heading our way. Our toppers were on from 1996 til this September and did not lose their stiffness and we never experience water pools.  We also spend time in hot humid eastern states. We clean our 5th wheel regularly from top to bottom and saw no instance mold.  I guess it's possible there could be a difference in quality on slide toppers, ours were and are Carefree of Colorado. 
It will be interesting to see how other Carriage owners found their slide topper experience.  Diana

[Hamshog]

Talk to people  that already have these and I think you will discover they are just more work.  First, our friends have to put their slides in when the wind is blowing as the flapping noise is annoying.   Then after a couple months they lose their stiffness and water pools on top of them.  Add dirt and the water and you have the formula for mold.  Oh, the mold loves to form underneath the covers too.

Hey Eddi,

        I'm in the So Cal desert for the next 6 years or so. We don't have mold here (Although I've heard about the stuff.. LOL!!) or have to worry about water pooling.(We average 5 to 6 inches a year) I've read of ways to keep any flapping to a minimum or eliminate it when the wind blows without bringing the slide in.

        I appreciate your response and opinion/experiance, as I don't have them on my current coach, but we only use it in the mountains and cooler wheather. It only has one slide, but it's a PITA when it rains or we're under tres and have to clean it off before we bring it in.

Regards, Hamshog

[eastex]

I don't have the slide awnings but do have some info to share.

This Winter was especially windy in the Central Texas area where I stayed.  Two fifth wheels parked side by side a few sites down from me both had slide toppers.  The one trailer's owner went to great lengths to try and stop all the fluttering and flapping of the toppers.  He put fillers under them, tied ropes across the tops of them, and tried adjusting (tightening) them.  The other fellow had no problem, no flapping, no fluttering, no noise to speak of except for the occasional stronger gust.

I watched this with curiosity as it went on for a couple of weeks.  After studying the two trailers' slide toppers, my conclusion was that one set of them was far heavier in weight than the other, thus flapping less.  The heavier ones also were either better adjusted, or just because of their weight didn't respond to the wind as easily as the lighter weight ones and appeared to stay straighter.

I know what I wanted to write, not sure I conveyed the message as well.  Bottom line, there are different qualities of these products.......like most things you buy for your trailer.   

[lat471]

We have an 07 Cameo and while I was not a proponent of the slide toppers I'm begining to reconsider. We don't spen a great deal in open country because were' in the east with lots of trees and rain. Usually after being set up in the woods I have to go on the roof and sweep the slides. Leaves, branches, nuts, and a lot of junk land there. I use a cordless leaf blower to clear most of it. When it rains I've found that you can get puddles on the slide. When bringing it in I have had water run down the side of the slide on the carpet. The wind really isn't a big factor when were in wooded sites. It's your choice and it depends on where you camp. I think I'll eventually get covers.

[Hamshog]

Thanks for all the replies!

We've since got our eyes on a Carri-Lite 36XTRM5. I talked to the West Coast Carriage Rep. and was told since the coach has the Astro-Foil wrap option that the slides are completly wraped, including the roof of the slide. If we make the deal, we'll see how it goes as far as temps getting into the rig, then check our options again.

Regards, Howard

[Emmi Lou]

At the time we bought our XTRM5 I asked have slide toppers installed.  My dealer, who we have done business for many years, told me that he would put them on but with Carriage's slide design we did not need them.  I had never paid attention and most of our friends don't until I point out the difference.  Never missed them.  As my dealer said, "Just something else to contend with."