From Failure to Fixed

It was that time of year again and my 2002 33-ft. HitchHiker II fifth wheel needed a good washing and wax. To aid in that process, I extended the dining room slide all the way out. When I later ran that same slide back in, I noticed a problem with the slide-out topper. The fabric of the slide-out topper did not roll up as usual but lay loose and bunched up. The fabric also got in the way and prevented the slide-out from sealing against the weather. Something had obviously gone frustratingly wrong.

A slide-out topper, also called a slideout awning, is a piece of fabric that covers the top of a slide-out when it is extended. With one end fixed to the exterior wall of the RV, the other end of the fabric is affixed to a large roller tube attached to the outer edge of the slideout box. The main advantage to having a slide-out topper is that they protect the roof of the slide-out from accumulating leaves and debris when extended. As the slide is extended, the roller tube unrolls the fabric, and when the slide is retracted, the roller tube is supposed to roll that fabric back up and maintain the tension on the fabric.

It appeared that the large spring inside the roller tube had broken. It gave no warning that it was failing. It simply snapped in two.

With the topper in its current state, I could not take the RV out on the road and the risk of rain prompted me to action. The fabric had to come off, so I got out a ladder and some basic hand tools.

My topper had only one spring in it, and with that spring broken there was no spring tension to worry about. Longer slide outs may have two springs in them. These springs can be dangerous when they have tension on them, so use caution if you perform this repair.

Removal

With the slide-out slightly extended, I removed two screws that were screwed through the fabric into the metal rail attached to the side of the RV. I used a screwdriver to enlarge one end of that rail to make extraction and later installation of the fabric easier. I then removed several screws on the roller tube left-hand end cap, as well as the screws that held the left-hand bracket to the side of the slide-out wall. I did the same thing to the right side as well. I was then able to remove the roller tube from the RV and slide the fabric out from the rail.

With the fabric and roller tube off the RV, the slide would now retract and fully seal. The RV was weather tight, and road worthy again.

Having the roller tube on the ground made investigation and extraction of the faulty spring easier. I drilled out two rivets on the left-hand side which held a plastic bushing in the roller tube. The large plastic bushing, as well as the broken spring then slid out of the roller tube. I discovered that the spring had broken almost at its midpoint.

Finding Parts

These awnings were installed by the previous owner. Fortunately, they kept the documents for the awnings in the rig, so I was able to identify the model number. Unfortunately, my slide-out awning had been discontinued. After many hours of detective work I finally found a new spring assembly that would fit. It took much more time to find the discontinued part than it took to do the actual repair.

Installation

Once the new spring arrived, the installation went quickly. I reinstalled the fabric back onto the RV by sliding one edge of the fabric back onto the slide rail on the RV side wall. This task is easier with a second person, as the fabric likes to snag as you feed it into the rail, but being a one-man operation, I managed without too much difficulty.

My next step was to slide the roller tube onto the loose edge of the fabric. I used step ladders to support the roller tube. I then re-attached the end cap on the right side of the roller tube, as well as the right-side bracket on the slideout. I supported the left side of the roller tube with the step ladder.

The spring went in next. It simply slid into the left end of the roller tube. Ridges inside the roller tube engage tabs on the spring. I attached the large plastic bushing to the spring and then riveted the bushing to the roller tube. Then, I re-attached the end cap and bracket to the spring and roller tube.

There is a tab inside the bracket that must align with a slot in the spring. Extending the slide-out about a foot, I was then able to rewind the spring. This was the most dangerous part of the repair. The manufacturer had warnings plastered all over their documents about the spring being capable of doing not only property damage, but also injury to the installer.

I wound the spring by rotating the bracket over the top and away from the RV. I wound it 18 times, as per the manufacturer’s instructions. Keeping a firm grasp on the bracket, I then attached the bracket to the side of the slide out with the original screws.

All that was left to do was to extend and retract the slide out a couple of times to ensure that the fabric was aligned properly and that the spring functioned correctly. I then re-installed the two screws through the fabric and into the rail on the RV side wall. The installation was now complete.

Summary

When I purchased my RV, the seller suggested that if the slide-out toppers ever failed, I should just remove them and not bother trying to repair or replace them. When my topper failed, I was tempted to do just that, but I like the benefits of having the toppers. I also didn’t want to have to fill in a bunch of screw holes where the topper used to be. Having completed the repairs, I am glad I decided to fix rather than get rid of the topper. The part wasn’t that expensive, and I was able to do the repair by myself. If you are ever faced with a slide-topper failure, I hope you will find this article helpful and encouraging.