We don't have slide toppers and don't want them, but as we sit in the Redwoods and have experienced 9 straight days of rain I am wondering if there is any alternative to muffle the sound of rain hitting the bedroom slideout at night. We have talked about tarps, but that is a bit of a hassle and would much rather have some sort of permanent solution. Has anyone tried a thin piece of rubber (like kitchen drawer liner) and permanently affixed it to the slide? What's the downside? I am sure there is one or everyone would be doing it. If this won't work are there any alternatives other than tarps or just living with it. Sleep-deprived minds want to know :)
Trace
BiggarView said
11:19 AM Dec 10, 2015
Trace, us guys have long employed what women find very irritating.... selective hearing. Just ignore it.
"Don't you hear that?"
"Hear what?"
"That drip drip drip, it's driving me crazy!"
"I don't hear anything."
"You can't hear that?"
"Sorry, did you say something?"
"Arrrg!"
"I love you too, dear. Good Night."
Look at the bright side, at least it's not police sirens, jet airplanes flying right over your house, kids doing burnouts in their cars, or one of a hundred other sounds us city-folk still have to contend with everyday. Falling rain would be rather soothing by comparison.
Sorry I don't have a solution... just levity and perspective.
Brian
JonRV said
05:14 PM Dec 10, 2015
There are a few spray on liquid noise dampeners. Most of the time they are used in noisy factories with offices in the same building.
Might be an option but have no idea as far as cost.
ticat900 said
05:33 PM Dec 10, 2015
why wont you have toppers ? most every good Rv out there uses slide toppers. I would not be without them.
Second Chance said
11:50 PM Dec 10, 2015
ticat900 wrote:
... most every good Rv out there uses slide toppers.
Really?
Terry and Jo said
12:10 AM Dec 11, 2015
Second Chance wrote:
ticat900 wrote:
... most every good Rv out there uses slide toppers.
Really?
Paul,
A lot of us, especially those from windy areas, wouldn't have them. If the winds get high enough, they can literally tear the toppers apart. When we were researching for our RV, our dealer told us that they NEVER order a stock unit with slide toppers simply because of that. Now, if one can guarantee that they would never be in a place with high winds, it would be different. In addition to the wind-tearing issue, a lot don't like them because of the added noise when they are subjected to wind.
We lived in Oklahoma at the time of our research and planning, so when we ordered our fifth wheel, we opted to not get the slide toppers. And, to be truthful, more than once I've been glad that we don't have them.
Terry
Cummins12V98 said
07:07 AM Dec 11, 2015
ticat900 wrote:
why wont you have toppers ? most every good Rv out there uses slide toppers. I would not be without them.
Had them on one 5er last two were without. I will never have them again.
Cummins12V98 said
07:10 AM Dec 11, 2015
Terry and Jo wrote:
Second Chance wrote:
ticat900 wrote:
... most every good Rv out there uses slide toppers.
Really?
Paul,
A lot of us, especially those from windy areas, wouldn't have them. If the winds get high enough, they can literally tear the toppers apart. When we were researching for our RV, our dealer told us that they NEVER order a stock unit with slide toppers simply because of that. Now, if one can guarantee that they would never be in a place with high winds, it would be different. In addition to the wind-tearing issue, a lot don't like them because of the added noise when they are subjected to wind.
We lived in Oklahoma at the time of our research and planning, so when we ordered our fifth wheel, we opted to not get the slide toppers. And, to be truthful, more than once I've been glad that we don't have them.
Terry
As I said I have had them and now I don't. But having them I never experienced all the noise people talk about.
People say they have to get on the roof and sweep the slides without toppers, I had to do so with toppers when it was raining and where the leaves and needles were falling.
So from having both I am a NO TOPPER kind of guy!
ticat900 said
09:50 AM Dec 11, 2015
I love them and wont be without. never had any wind rip them. they come on most all diesel pusher Mh. maybe out west things are different? I have one real large one 30 inch by 14 feet.If Iam in a windy area I slide a 2x4 through the middle and stops the wind noise I guess Im thinking more Diesel pusher MH than trailers.
It appears that people that live in areas of constant wind and rain choose to not have them and I can see that
-- Edited by ticat900 on Friday 11th of December 2015 09:51:56 AM
bjoyce said
08:45 PM Dec 11, 2015
There are slide designs that do not need and/or would not benefit from a slide topper. Beaver motorhomes had such a design on their diesel pushers, before Monaco bought them. A friend says toppers are not needed on his Carriage fifth wheel.
I know a couple people who replaced the slide topper fabric with mesh and swear it is a great improvement.
Camper Chronicles said
11:16 AM Dec 12, 2015
We went to a hardware last night to try heavy duty tool box liner and ended up buying a portable folding multi-use mat , like the kind used at the beach or on a tent floor. It was only $19, 60 x 78 in size and we put it on the bedroom slide. Wow what a difference. Lee used his decibel meter and it was 10 decibels quieter under that slide than the ones not covered. Plus I got a good nights sleep for the first night in days. The sound is there but it deadens it so it is not a high tinny ping noise. Anyways it's woven and weather resistant so we will see how it holds up over time and of course he had to pull the ladder out to get it up there, but we liked it enough we are going back and buying a couple more for the front slide outs.
Plus I like that the fact it could be used for multiple purposes and it folds up into a pretty small square.
-- Edited by Lee and Trace on Saturday 12th of December 2015 11:56:37 AM
jrzygrl64 said
05:12 PM Dec 12, 2015
Glad you found at least some type of solution to help - and not too pricey!
I like the idea of the mesh slide toppers - ours have never gotten torn but the noise can sometimes get really loud when they flap.
Jo And Craig said
08:02 PM Dec 12, 2015
I was going to suggest ear plugs for sleeping.
mds1 said
02:38 AM Dec 13, 2015
Is it possible to sleep with the slide closed on real noisy nights?
Camper Chronicles said
02:10 PM Dec 16, 2015
Good ideas Jo and Mark. For me ear plugs give me a terrible ear ache, I just can't use them. Bringing the slide in is a real possibility, never really though about that. I will definitely give that a try the next time it gets super bad.
Trace
Second Chance said
02:30 PM Dec 16, 2015
The sound of rain on the bedroom slide - no matter how loud - is one of the things my wife likes best about living in the RV. It has a different timbre, but it reminds her of rain on the metal roofs in Costa Rica where she grew up as an MK. Neither of us has trouble sleeping with the sound. Even if we were pro-slide toppers (which we are not), she would probably veto the idea on this point alone.
Hi all,
We don't have slide toppers and don't want them, but as we sit in the Redwoods and have experienced 9 straight days of rain I am wondering if there is any alternative to muffle the sound of rain hitting the bedroom slideout at night. We have talked about tarps, but that is a bit of a hassle and would much rather have some sort of permanent solution. Has anyone tried a thin piece of rubber (like kitchen drawer liner) and permanently affixed it to the slide? What's the downside? I am sure there is one or everyone would be doing it. If this won't work are there any alternatives other than tarps or just living with it. Sleep-deprived minds want to know :)
Trace
Trace, us guys have long employed what women find very irritating.... selective hearing. Just ignore it.
"Don't you hear that?"
"Hear what?"
"That drip drip drip, it's driving me crazy!"
"I don't hear anything."
"You can't hear that?"
"Sorry, did you say something?"
"Arrrg!"
"I love you too, dear. Good Night."
Look at the bright side, at least it's not police sirens, jet airplanes flying right over your house, kids doing burnouts in their cars, or one of a hundred other sounds us city-folk still have to contend with everyday. Falling rain would be rather soothing by comparison.
Sorry I don't have a solution... just levity and perspective.
Brian
Might be an option but have no idea as far as cost.
Really?
Paul,
A lot of us, especially those from windy areas, wouldn't have them. If the winds get high enough, they can literally tear the toppers apart. When we were researching for our RV, our dealer told us that they NEVER order a stock unit with slide toppers simply because of that. Now, if one can guarantee that they would never be in a place with high winds, it would be different. In addition to the wind-tearing issue, a lot don't like them because of the added noise when they are subjected to wind.
We lived in Oklahoma at the time of our research and planning, so when we ordered our fifth wheel, we opted to not get the slide toppers. And, to be truthful, more than once I've been glad that we don't have them.
Terry
Had them on one 5er last two were without. I will never have them again.
As I said I have had them and now I don't. But having them I never experienced all the noise people talk about.
People say they have to get on the roof and sweep the slides without toppers, I had to do so with toppers when it was raining and where the leaves and needles were falling.
So from having both I am a NO TOPPER kind of guy!
I love them and wont be without. never had any wind rip them. they come on most all diesel pusher Mh. maybe out west things are different?
I have one real large one 30 inch by 14 feet.If Iam in a windy area I slide a 2x4 through the middle and stops the wind noise
I guess Im thinking more Diesel pusher MH than trailers.
It appears that people that live in areas of constant wind and rain choose to not have them and I can see that
-- Edited by ticat900 on Friday 11th of December 2015 09:51:56 AM
I know a couple people who replaced the slide topper fabric with mesh and swear it is a great improvement.
We went to a hardware last night to try heavy duty tool box liner and ended up buying a portable folding multi-use mat , like the kind used at the beach or on a tent floor. It was only $19, 60 x 78 in size and we put it on the bedroom slide. Wow what a difference. Lee used his decibel meter and it was 10 decibels quieter under that slide than the ones not covered. Plus I got a good nights sleep for the first night in days. The sound is there but it deadens it so it is not a high tinny ping noise. Anyways it's woven and weather resistant so we will see how it holds up over time and of course he had to pull the ladder out to get it up there, but we liked it enough we are going back and buying a couple more for the front slide outs.
Plus I like that the fact it could be used for multiple purposes and it folds up into a pretty small square.
Trace
http://www.amazon.com/Wenzel-Multi-Purpose-Ground-Stripes/dp/B000HA9HES/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1449942784&sr=8-1&keywords=wenzel+multi+mat
-- Edited by Lee and Trace on Saturday 12th of December 2015 11:56:37 AM
I like the idea of the mesh slide toppers - ours have never gotten torn but the noise can sometimes get really loud when they flap.
I was going to suggest ear plugs for sleeping.
Trace
The sound of rain on the bedroom slide - no matter how loud - is one of the things my wife likes best about living in the RV. It has a different timbre, but it reminds her of rain on the metal roofs in Costa Rica where she grew up as an MK. Neither of us has trouble sleeping with the sound. Even if we were pro-slide toppers (which we are not), she would probably veto the idea on this point alone.
Rob