I really need to replace my slide toppers (3 of them). The living room slide is coming apart in chunks. Yesterday I got up on the ladder to see what I was up against and I came back down with a few questions.
1) I believe my mfg is Dometic but can find nothing to confirm this. Any tips?
2) After taking off the anti-billowing device I used a large screwdriver to un-roll the fabric from the take-up roller. I could find no place to insert a screwdriver, awl, etc to pin the roll in its position. I looked at both ends of the the roller and no holes were to be found. What am I missing?
3) The tension on the roller is really strong. I feared I was going to snap the housing on the roller with the amount of force I was applying. Is this normal?
I had all 3 of my slide toppers replaced by Winnebago last July while at GNR. I am at the age I can't do those things anymore. Winnebago did a great job for me.
Don
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Don & Bev Morgan Weyauwega WI, 05 Itasca Horizon 40KD, 400 HP Cummins, Delorme GPS LT 40, Toad 07 Saturn Vue AWD, Air Force One, TST 510 TPMS, Mayor of Weyauwega 2007 - 2013, Waupaca Co Board Supervisor 2010 - 2014
I believe there are You Tube videos showing how to replace the toppers on the A&E/Dometic toppers. Check the RV Geeks website since I believe they have one. Also, there is a company called Tough Tops who sells replacement topper and awning fabric. I think they may have a video on their website.
My toppers are made by Carefree and they have instructions on their website for this. Perhaps you can find similar instructions on the Dometic website.
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'07 Country Coach Allure 470 Siskiyou Summit #31578, Cummins ISL 425; 2014 Ford F150 toad; Air Force One Toad Brake.
Glen Allen, VA; Smith Mountain Lake, VA.
We replaced our Carefree toppers with ones from Tough Top Awnings - Google for their web site. They were significantly cheaper than the OEM. They have excellent videos containing many tips on doing the job. It is an easy DIY job but you will need an 8 foot step ladder to do it safely and a can of silicone spray. Took us ( wife on the ground) about an hour and a half for the first and 45 minutes for the second. One was 12 feet and the other 20. Good luck,
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Bob
09 Journey 39Z
Southern Ontario
I have watched a variety of videos and felt I knew how to do the repair but they do not match what I have as a mfg and there is no hole to pin through. That is what I am trying to find answers to.
osgoor
The Tough Top recommendation is to get a cheap vise grip style oil filter removal tool from Harbor Freight. Use it to grip the end of the tube holding against the slide out. Mine did not have a hole in the tube either.
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Bob
09 Journey 39Z
Southern Ontario
osgoor
The Tough Top recommendation is to get a cheap vise grip style oil filter removal tool from Harbor Freight. Use it to grip the end of the tube holding against the slide out. Mine did not have a hole in the tube either.
Thanks BobMac,
I have been able to find a label on another slide and it is an A&E. I will check your idea of the filter grip.
I had all 3 of my slide toppers replaced by Winnebago last July while at GNR. I am at the age I can't do those things anymore. Winnebago did a great job for me.
Don
Ignore any tasteless comments, Don. All suggestions are welcome here. I've been reading threads on this forum for years and yours is just as valuable as any. I didn't even think about having Winnie do the job...now it's in my memory bank.
Thanks!
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'02 Winnebago Journey DL, DSDP, 36' of fun.