Slide Topper Support

I missed the request for photos of my topper support on the previous thread, so here's a shot of it. Simply PVC pipe sections. The uprights are glued together, but the long crossmembers are simply inserted in and then slid across the top of the slide. For seasonal or long-term stays, this works. If you're moving every few days, it might not be your cup of tea.

And I did not originate this idea, I got it from the forums a while back, like in '09. The first photo is what the topper looked like without the support. The third is with the support in place.
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John, IYHO, does it stop wind flapping, or is it solely for water shedding?
I think I am going to make at least one for the big slide. ( and maybe at least one more). Thanks for the pics. Trace

Thanx John!

TANDT said:

John, IYHO, does it stop wind flapping, or is it solely for water shedding?
I think I am going to make at least one for the big slide. ( and maybe at least one more). Thanks for the pics. Trace

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Both. My other three toppers are tight and don't need any support. In the first photo I put up, we were on our "maiden" trip to a campground near us in April, 2009. It had rained and then got cold. When I retracted the slide, a sheet of ice came sliding off of it. That told me it needed help. The other toppers were clear. Then I saw the post from another individual that made the supports and the rest is history. I can't say that I've ever heard my toppers flapping in the wind.

Sometimes you creep me out a bit JohnDar, but in a good way.
Have been in the process of measuring and drawing up a pvc set up for the large awning and toppers, your picture of the upside down T is probably better than my idea of using a triangle against the unit for support. Kinda fun to play with this stuff but it means I'm too cheap to pay for what some companies make and sell for big bucks.

Thanks for the pictures, now to measure where the best place for load bearing would be on the kind of set up you put together (its like lincoln logs, I don't think we ever got tired of playing with them as kids)

Just a little more detail I found I had photos of.
The first one is the assembled support structure, then the end and center sections, and finally how it ends up for storage. I hang the two long pipes from the ceiling in the basement with broom handle clips and the uprights get stuck behind my ladder against the front wall.

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Creepy, huh? Don't be coming around my porch looking for candy.

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John, in the first photo you can clearly see the sagging, and I can see why your topper would hold water..but, could you not have tighten up the fabric on the roller?

Larry

wingfoot said:

John, in the first photo you can clearly see the sagging, and I can see why your topper would hold water..but, could you not have tighten up the fabric on the roller?

Larry

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I would if I knew how, but the sagging is primarily in the center of the topper. But the support does the job, so it's not a priority.

Have you experienced any snow with the support in place? I am planning on designing something to help keep the awning from sagging under the weight of snow. Heavy snow creates problems when you want to pack up in the spring (serious, winter camping).

beardedone said:

Have you experienced any snow with the support in place? I am planning on designing something to help keep the awning from sagging under the weight of snow. Heavy snow creates problems when you want to pack up in the spring (serious, winter camping).

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Can't help you with that one. My seasonal use only runs from early May to late September. Most snow it's seen other than in storage was some early May flurries last year when we first took it up to our site.

I have a very simple fix, but it is very expensive. Are ya ready? Go to your hardware, big box man store (aka Lowes, home depot, menards) and pick your self up a couple of the "door holder open thingies". You know, they are wedge shaped usually made or rubber. Heck to save all that loot you could just butcher up a chunk of wood in the form of a wedge, use some non slip shelf liner so it dont slip out from between the roller and the side of the slide. Works for me. It takes out just enough of the sag or bend in the middle of the tube to allow the water to run off.

We have a BH 3670 without the slide troppers---are they worth it? I have heard so much about them flapping, sagging, ripping, not going back in straight, etc---so wondering if we should get them installed??? the reason I ask now is, I have noticed after a rain that water just sits on top of the slide near the outside on top of the "tape" material---this will probably leak at some time in the future so was considering the slide toppers---so just looking for your experiences with them. Also anything about cost, who should install, etc.
Thanks
al

aatauses said:

We have a BH 3670 without the slide troppers---are they worth it? I have heard so much about them flapping, sagging, ripping, not going back in straight, etc---so wondering if we should get them installed??? the reason I ask now is, I have noticed after a rain that water just sits on top of the slide near the outside on top of the "tape" material---this will probably leak at some time in the future so was considering the slide toppers---so just looking for your experiences with them. Also anything about cost, who should install, etc.
Thanks
al

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I think they're definitely worth it, having owned 5'ers with and without toppers.

You are correct to question the integrity of the strip of tape over the screws. YES, it will leak, it's not a matter of "if" it's a matter of "when". That stuff, over time, separates from the roof and screws that it covers. The rubbing action of the slide seals only speeds up this process. The screws are then effectively exposed, and after a short while, will rust and allow water down inside the wall. You won't even know you have a problem until it's too late.

So I would either get the toppers, or, redo those tape strips with eternabond. Actually, I would do both. I bought the toppers when new on my 2011 BH 3670... and probably at the end of the next season (or start of 2013) I will be removing the toppers to get rid of that crappy tape stuff and use eternabond, before cleaning and reinstalling the toppers. It's 1000x easier to do this from a preventative maintenance standpoint than it is to repair water damage. Ask me how I know!

Thanks ihsolutions,
I guess you have had some water issues---yes we have also had them. You mentioned you were going to remove the tape on the slide tops---which is the best way to remove? I watched a guy do it and he only got about half of it off with glue remaining, lumps of old tape, etc. I was thinking of some type of heat?? Let me know how you plan to get yours clean.
Appreciate your advice on the toppers.
al