improvements2007prt2

Montana Improvements, 2007
Slide topper replacement, plus a rain gutter

Rain gutter added to the back of the unit, to direct the rain away from the back. Reason: Rain leaves black streaks all down the back, rather nasty looking. Purchased at Camping World. Effectivness report will come after we have some real rain to test it. Even tho the first 7 weeks of our stay in the Rio Grande Valley were rather wet this year, we have had no significant rain fall since.

John and Al attach rain gutter to the back of the rig. Clean surface first, be warned the adhesive on the gutter is really sticky, once you get it up there, you are not going to be moving it!

Slide topper material replacement:

Slide toppers are one of the add ons to our unit that we really love, especially when parked under trees in the fall, or when we happen to be in a situation with snow and/or ice. Especially ICE! Ice will slide right off the toppers when we pull the slides in, remember our story from Huntsville Alabama?? If not, click here. Well, the fabric does not last forever on these toppers, the sun and wind do damage them. We have heard that the awning company that originally supplied these had a bad batch of fabric, where the layers delaminate. Well, after 3 years we started seeing some delamination, weakening of the layers. Al tried to repair to extend the life, and we got about another 9 months or so out of the repairs. However, the day we left for the Rio Grande Valley, December 27, 2006, we knew the repairs no longer were viable. While we were packing, it had rained, then it froze a bit overnight. The rain had seeped INTO the middle of the layers of the slide topper and had frozen so when we tried to pull the slide in the material tore and shredded. We could not even put the slide in all the way. We had to extend the slide, Al got a ladder, and removed large hunks of one layer of the topper material.

So, while here in the RGV, we had to decide what to do about replacing the fabric. We went to Camping World and a couple of local dealers and the prices quoted for the fabric and shipping were over $200.00, installation extra, lots extra. Al and John decided this was a job they could tackle, and Al decided to order the fabric from a vendor at the local flea market. They sewed us new fabric for under $80.00. The fabric is a bit heavier, and the sewn edges concern us some, but Al decided to be a gamblin man, and time will be the judge. We can always replace the fabric again, with OEM if this "economical" replacement fails.

Above, slide awning with material removed.

Sliding the new material into the channel on the awning bracket, above.

New material in place, slide extended, looks good, now we see how it wears.