General Boards > Technical Support
Wind and flapping slide toppers
Bill Sprague:
I am parked in a windy (and beautiful) spot for a couple of months as a Camp Host. When the wind picks up the (not so) Carefree slide toppers flap and billow. Short of pulling the slides in, does anyone have a suggestion or experience with dampening the flapping. It isn't the noise that bothers me, it is the potential for damage that is the issue.
Thanks.
Tom Rogers:
I've heard using beach balls. Also, 1/2 pvc pipe in 6 - 8" lengths filled with water .... caps on each end. Lay them on top of the canvas.
Gerald Farris:
Damage to your Carefree topper awnings from high winds is a real possibility. When I was at Quartzsite in January after the Quartzsite rally was over, a thunderstorm came up (yes it does rain in Quartzsite) with high (gust to 66 MPH) winds that damaged three of the Carefree topper awnings on a fellow Beaver owner's coach to the extent that they all had to be replaced.
The only way that I know to prevent this problem is to disconnect the awning or put the slides in (not good options).
Gerald
Joel Ashley:
I agree with Gerald. And the problem with the beach ball trick or anything that weighs down the material is that it will stretch that material, ultimately making the situation worse in the long run. It occurs to me that if you still wanted to do it, I reckon you could toss a long rope over the topper and tie a rock to each end near ground level, letting the rock weight dampen the flapping. I understand that it may be possible to adjust out the slack on the slide topper via the mechanism, but inquiries a few years ago regarding that didn't bring encouraging responses from techs or Carefree, so it may be hard to find a tech who'd try it.
Fall and winter on the Oregon Coast brings high wind situations - frequently 50-70mph. We simply bring in the slides on the windward side or whichever one(s) seem to be taking a beating. That time of year we usually choose campsites in the trees for some protection. I think the extended slides act like wings, just causing the whole coach to rock more anyway; it's hard to sleep with all the flapping and rocking, so easier just to pull in at least the windward slides at night.
Another problem with anti-flap devices is that if conditions get really super bad, you're going to have to go out in the storm, perhaps on a ladder no less, and remove the things so you can bring in the slides to fully protect them. Not a good situation to put oneself in.
-Joel
Tim Bentley Co-Admin:
I saw a coach that had what I thought was a good solution. He had thrown a rope over the awning from front to back and under the slide to go all the way around. He than tightened the rope to pull the awning down so they were secured. When he gets ready to travel he just untied the rope at the bottom and pulled it free.
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