Slide Toppers

[VTX-AL]

Not sure I am understanding the situation, you said the curb side (door side) slide has an awning over it, and you want to add a slide topper. Looking at pictures of the 337 the awning is not over the slide. Maybe you could post a picture of what you are looking at.

On my 376 the awning does come out over the kitchen slide, and we had a topper installed on the slide also. They fit snuggly. Here is a picture of the awning in:



As the awning comes out, it rolls over the slide topper. The awning material does rest slightly on the topper bar, but not much.



I will not slide the kitchen slide without the awning being in and secure. It would probably work just fine, but I don't see the need to test the clearances.

Your photos show a totally different situation. You need to look at a 303RLS or a 337RLS to understand the situation with these models. They both have two awnings on the curb side. One ahead of the entry door mounted on the sidewall of the trailer. The other is mounted directly on to the outside wall of the large slideout room - not on the trailer wall above the slide out. The clearance issue arises when a topper is installed over that slide the forward end torsion bar of the topper must be positioned so that the rear arm of the main awning when being extended does not hit against the topper torsion bar end --- there is very limited room between the two.

...VTX-Al

[Superduty]

Attachment 13383
Well, got all 3 toppers installed today. After dropping off the 303, ran into the service manager. Told him no one seemed to understand how to add the topper on the door side of the trailer do to the awning being attached to the slide. He looked at his service advisor and said, “ yes, it can be done. Done many of them”. He showed them how to mount it, 90 minutes later, all 3 slides were completed.
I attach a few pictures. (There is appx 1” between the topper mount arm and the main awning in the close position). Attachment 13389Attachment 13390.

[Cate&Rob]

Hi Steve - Glad you got this sorted out. Thanks for posting the part numbers . . . this will be valuable to others when their dealers tell them it can’t be done on the curb slide . We also have about an inch between the topper and the awning when both are folded in. But . . . our awning seems to “wander” side to side as it rolls in and rolls out. Going from about an inch clearance to light contact as the awning arm passes the extended topper. I adjusted the position of the topper a couple of times before realizing that it was variation in the awning arm position when the awning is partly extended. So, sometimes the awning arm clears the topper end and sometimes it kisses the topper on the way by. It is easy to keep one hand on the arm to guide it past the topper, with the other on the awning control switch. Just FYI . . .

Rob

[Superduty]

Rob
I thought about the arms touching also. I’m thinking of putting a thin piece of felt on one arm to help if it rubs. Or, I can have the DW hold the button and I can glide it by.

Part numbers. These are LCI Solera (Dometic ??). Some are using the Dometic arms that actually put the slide topper higher on the slide. I opt to keep all three topper, the same brackets, and lower on the slide. I think this will help in a windy condition.
We will know on the wind in 2 weeks, while in Ludington Mi around Lake Mi. Always windy up there.

[Cate&Rob]

Or, I can have the DW hold the button and I can glide it by.

Hi Steve - It is actually an easy reach on the 303 to have one hand on the switch and the other to guide the awning arm past the topper (if you need to). Whether it touches or not seems to have a lot to do with how the awning rolled up the previous time. Whether it was windy/wet/dry/etc.

Rob

[Superduty]

Rob,
Keep forgetting, that awning switch is right at the door on the slide. Thanks.

[D2Reid]

Your photos show a totally different situation. You need to look at a 303RLS or a 337RLS to understand the situation with these models.
...VTX-Al

I kind of figured that, I posted the pictures just to show that an awning over topper is possible.

[Annie & Tom]

Steve,

Good to hear the installation went well. I would like to do the same on my 337, however when I enlarge the parts list you posted it is no longer legible (old eyes) would it be possible to repost a larger image or pm to me.

Thank you,

[Superduty]

Annie & Tom,
I thought I would just type this up, as one tag off a topper the part number is cut off some.
All 3 toppers are LCI Solera. Fabric is black and matches the coach awnings perfectly.

Attachment 13432

In case the picture is not large enough:

Fifth Slide (Bedroom). 84" V000168105
Coach Slide (Refrig, TV) 162" V000168109
Door Side Slide. 144" V000168328