Slide Out Awning Recommendations

[Edlees]

Hi Folks- I have a Cougar 5th Wheel 277RLSWE with the large slide and bedroom closet slide. I am contemplating getting slide awnings and was wondering if anyone can make any recommendations on brands.

I appreciate the help.

Thanks,
Ed

[mguay]

I went the CW Dometic route as they were the cheapest.

They have their pros and cons. I like mine about 50% of the time!

They keep the debris off the slides, They keep the slides cooler in the sun, They are quieter when raining out.

The large one will pool water, and if you are like us and camp at the coast a lot where the wind blows....THEY WILL DRIVE YOU NUTS!

We are planning on going fulltime in a year or so and while looking for a new 5er, a dealer I was at made a statement about slide awnings that made sense to me. He said," If you are using it on the weekends and for a few week long trips, slide awnings are great to keep the junk off. If you are setting it up for extended periods...save your money!"

[sherri330]

I have to agree with mguay. Same pros and cons. We had them on our last trailer. After spending a week every other year at Myrtle Beach, we either had to pull the slides in when it got windy, or suffer the cost of repairs. We opted not to get them on our new trailer. We check for debris before closing up. That also gives us the opportunity to do a quick inspection of the roof.

[DirtyOil]

Same pros and cons. We had them on our last trailer. After spending a week every other year at Myrtle Beach, we either had to pull the slides in when it got windy, or suffer the cost of repairs. We opted not to get them on our new trailer. We check for debris before closing up.

Another thing to watch for or look for is, if your parked for any length of time is birds. I had expecting parents build a nest under one of the awnings... felt bad after clearing the nest but I had to fly south for the winter! :D


new fiver, has no slide awnings for the above reasons.

[bsmith0404]

My parents have them on their new 5er, I was going to have them added to ours, but my dad said save your money. They absolutely hate them! We do the same as Sherri330. Take the broom and a towel up on the roof, clean them off before putting them in and check everything out.

[Festus2]

To avoid the problems caused by wind, some people have purchased the "Awning Wedge", an inflatable wedge-shaped device shaped which is placed between the slide out roof and the awning. When inserted, it is supposed to prevent or reduce the flapping that occurs in fairly windy conditions. You can Google "Awning Wedge" to find out more information about it.

I've made my own "awning wedge" out of a piece of rolled-up carpet foam underlay. It has a looped line running through the center so that I can retrieve it when not needed.
Others have used beach balls to reduce the flapping.

For us, the slide out awning has provided more "pros" than "cons".

[Yosemitebob]

For us, the slide out awning has provided more "pros" than "cons".

Festus2 - I've see a lot more "cons" than "pros", I too have dismissed buying them when I purchased my trailer, but I wonder if I had done the right thing. I'm getting old and it gets harder to climb up on the roof. Please enlighten me on some other "pros".

Sincerely,
Bob

[Festus2]

Bob:
While I have no proof to offer you as objective evidence, I believe they:
1) help prevent any accumulation of water on the slide out roof as well as forming a bit of an "umbrella" over the entire slide. The less water that gets onto the slide, the less likelihood of slide out leaks. This of course only applies when the slide is out.

When the slide is in, the rolled up awning acts like another barrier for rain water. Our rolled up cover sits beneath the rain gutter that runs the length of the slide and any rain that "misses" the gutter will hit the slide topper and roll away.

2) Even though you still need to clear off any debris from the slide topper, the debris does not fall onto the EPDM slide roof. The EPDM stays cleaner and is better protected against any rips, tears or marks caused by branches, etc.

3) I have read articles that suggest the slide topper helps to reduce the heat buildup on the slide roof and consequently helps to lower the interior temperature of the unit. I've never carried out any experiments to see if this is the case but I think it could help to some small extent.

4) Having a slide topper(s) may be a positive feature should you ever wish to sell your RV - especially a private sale. There are still a lot of people out there who "won't have an RV that doesn't have a topper".

5) You don't have to climb up on the roof to clean the topper. Get a large towel and tie it in the middle with a long rope. Toss the "free" end of the rope over the slide topper and drag the towel across the topper. Do this a couple of times and the roof is pretty much clear of any large debris, leaves, etc.

Hope this provides some of the "pros" that haven't been discussed in this thread.

[bsmith0404]

I always felt the topper would be nice to help prevent a water leak as well. I've never had a lot of confidence in the seals, but knock on wood, 3 RVs without the slide toppers and not a single leak. I know it's just a matter of time.

As far as the cleaning part goes, for me it's not difficult to wash the top of the slide, I have to wash my roof anyway. The one thing I hate washing on my 5er is the awning, I sure as heck don't want to add 4 more of them above the slides. On our last trip I jumped up on the roof and swept the tops of the slides off before putting them in, my dad got up on the roof and wiped his slide toppers off with a towel before putting them in. Of course he is a bit more anal than most.

[Javi]

At 65 years of age and pretty near 300 pounds of experience... I ain't getting on no roof... :D

[bsmith0404]

Javi,

At nearly 300 lbs of experience, I'm sure your roof appreciates that :)

[Yosemitebob]

After having them in the past and not having them on the present trailer, I do miss them for the very "pros" mentioned. The only reason I didn't get them was to be honest, I'm 69. But the towel method will work just fine. So, by next summer I've decided to return to the topper days. Thanks all.

[RAINEY]

I like mine. Added Dometics from Camping World to my Montana 356TBF. I decided not to order them when I ordered my 5th wheel. One trip to a state park they were ordered and installed. I didn't order them based on what I read on RV Forums and it seemed about 50/50 on they're great as opposed to they're terrible. My friend has the same exact 356TBF and ordered his from the factory. I was sold after that 1st trip.

I think the pros out weight the cons. I also like that when you close the slides up in the rain less rain comes into the trailer with the slides. I don't can how good the seals and wipers are I always get puddles on the floor.

[eds451]

I put a Carefree of Colorado on my slide. Easy to install (did it by myself). Granted it is a small slide out. See avatar.
I like not having tree trash and rain on my slide when I pull it in.
I would put another on anytime.

[EVMIII]

We park under trees almost all the time, and I agree with those that think the pros out way the cons. I use a small beach ball under our big slide on the door died to funnel water to the other side. Haven't had any problem thus far with the wind, they stay pretty tight. Good luck, happy camping. Stay safe.

[Desert185]

We are leaning towards slide out awnings, and Carefree seems to make a good quality awning. Does anyone have a comment on Carefree's or any good quality awnings?

[Yosemitebob]

Although I have none at the moment, we had Carefree on our last Motorhome, they lasted about 7 years before I had to replace them from cracking. This happens with any brand after so long. I never had any problem with them up until the natural sun baking process. :)