New slide topper

Dldoddy

New Member
Joined
Jan 6, 2025
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2
Location
Hellertown
We've ordered a COUGAR 260 mle and are awaiting final inspection. before we take delivery. One of the slide topper is a couple of inches INSIDE the edges of the slide. We requested it be replaced but the dealer says it's "to spec". Thoughts?
 
Depending on how much room there is on either side the next size up may be too long. I'm putting them on mine and have run into this situation. Personally, I don't think an inch or two is a big deal but "to spec" is a load of crap.
 
I'd have that "it's in specs" confirmed with Keystone's engineering department before taking the word of a dealership "representative" who may or may not know what the specs really are.....

Dealerships can be "in line and on target" or they can also be "motivated to get the damn trailer off our lot before we close the books for this month".... Both of those extremes have MAJOR implications for a buyer who is not sitting in on the dealership sales meetings every morning.....
 
We've ordered a COUGAR 260 mle and are awaiting final inspection. before we take delivery. One of the slide topper is a couple of inches INSIDE the edges of the slide. We requested it be replaced but the dealer says it's "to spec". Thoughts?

When you say "inside the edges of the slide" do you mean that the topper fabric is narrower than the actual roof of the slide itself, or is the fabric narrower than the outer frame of the slide? Personally I would rather have it narrower than overhanging the edges where it would catch the wind and flop and snap and rattle in the slightest breeze.

The usefulness of slide toppers is somewhat dependent on geography. I have had them and found them to have more negative aspects than positive aspects, at least where we travel.

YMMV
 
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Here is the link to Carefree of Colorado awning specifications:
https://www.carefreeofcolorado.com/products/configure/slideout-cover/

While your new trailer probably has Lippert slide awnings on it, the basic fitting is similar. You might check the Lippert site for measurement instructions for their awning "fitting specifications". Lippert specs are likely very similar to the Carefree specs in this drawing:
 

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If you can, measure the slide from front flange to the rear flange using the outer edges.

With that length you can then go to either Carefree or Lippert and there will be a table that gives you premade lengths. That can give you an idea if it’s “in spec.
 
^^^ What Chuck said.....

Now, on the Carefree site, the fabric length (end to end) is typically at least 1.8" overhang on each end of the slide. So, a 100" slide would have fabric about 103.6".

All the Carefree slide covers are "built in appropriate groups" rather than individually special ordered and built per unit. What that means is there's a "range of slide lengths for each fabric specification" So there may be 6 or 7 inches overhang on the shortest slide for that fabric length selection, but there's always at least 1.8" overhang before moving to the next longer fabric choice.

Here's the link for the Carefree order form: https://www.carefreeofcolorado.com/products/configure/slideout-cover/

As an example from that Carefree slide cover order form, a slide roof length range of 98-105.9 requires a fabric length of 109.5. So a slide 98" would have 7.9" total overhang (105.9-98=7.9) for an overhang of 3.95" on each end. That same fabric used on a 105.9" slide would have a total overhang of
3.6" (109.5-105.9=3.6) for an overhang of 1.8" on each end. A slide length of 106" would move to the next larger fabric length.

I don't think I've ever seen a "slide length workup sheet" that allowed for a fabric to be shorter than the slide roof or one that didn't completely cover the slide roof with some overhang on each end.
 
Maybe I missed the point but I thought he was saying the length of the topper drum was shorter than the slide length. Not that the fabric was shorter than the slide drum. Maybe I misunderstood.
 
If by topper drum you mean the awning roller tube, then that would make the fabric even shorter still. Typically, the roller tube is around an inch longer on each end.
 
I recomend you contact keystone. When bought my cougar I had a question about the slide out topper. I sent an email to keystone and they were very helpful with their reply. They even told me the model number they used if you order it installed.
 
Side toppers

The purpose of the topper is to keep water off the slide if it’s not long enough have them put the right one on
Dealerships want to sell sell and move off lots
Hold your ground
 
It is possible this topper is too short but the next size up could be too long and as in my case going to the next size up would make it impossible to install the topper in the given space. One of mine is going to be an inch too short for this reason.
 
If i had slide toppers installed on my 315rls, the dining slide topper would not cover the entire slide because it would interfere with the awning arm….the dealer explained and showed this to me …the topic came up in the past on the forum

It would still work to block the sun and most of the rain but it isn’t perfect…it does help create continuity with all the slides having toppers so cosmetically it looks proper ( at least when it’s viewed from a distance)
 
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Brian,

I believe your situation is different than the OP's trailer. Yours has a "main awning" mounted on the trailer sidewall, a "secondary awning" mounted on the curbside slide. Installing a slide cover on top of that awning and adjacent to the main awning arm would/could cause a clearance issue and might require a "short installation" or "shifted installation" to gain the needed clearance.

The OP's 260MLE has two slides, both on the roadside of the trailer and each is at opposite ends of the trailer. There's nothing to cause a clearance issue on that side of the trailer that would create a need to install shorter slide covers.

Here's the floorplan and a photo of the two roadside slides.
 

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I read it as the topper meets the slide before it extends all the way to the edge of the extended slide (the distance of the slide out from the trailer, not the width of the slide)....
 
I read it as the topper meets the slide before it extends all the way to the edge of the extended slide (the distance of the slide out from the trailer, not the width of the slide)....

It has nothing to do with slide extension distance and "unrolling the slide cover that's too short to unroll fully"...

Here's what the OP posted: "One of the slide topper is a couple of inches INSIDE the edges of the slide"
 
Brian,

I believe your situation is different than the OP's trailer. Yours has a "main awning" mounted on the trailer sidewall, a "secondary awning" mounted on the curbside slide. Installing a slide cover on top of that awning and adjacent to the main awning arm would/could cause a clearance issue and might require a "short installation" or "shifted installation" to gain the needed clearance.

The OP's 260MLE has two slides, both on the roadside of the trailer and each is at opposite ends of the trailer. There's nothing to cause a clearance issue on that side of the trailer that would create a need to install shorter slide covers.

Here's the floorplan and a photo of the two roadside slides.

Thanks for the explanation!
 
It has nothing to do with slide extension distance and "unrolling the slide cover that's too short to unroll fully"...

Here's what the OP posted: "One of the slide topper is a couple of inches INSIDE the edges of the slide"

A slide has 3 sides...... a couple inches inside the edge could be any of the 3 edges.
 

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