Claire says goodbye after a 4th of July celebration We spent the early part of July in NC at Falls Lake near Cathy’s sister and her family. Our stay included a 4th of July celebration, and while in one place for a while we could address our problem slide toppers.
New slide topper in place over living room slide Out with the Old – In with the New
Since we were going to be in Wake Forest for an extended stay, we decided to order our replacement slide topper fabric to be delivered there. Our existing slide toppers had failed dramatically in less than 3 years, so we knew that their replacements needed to last much longer. We did not plan to replace them again on this RV. After much research, we decided to go with Stone Vos RV Awnings in Florida. They offer a 10-year warranty on a vinyl fabric replacement that is sewn with lifetime PTFE thread. The vinyl is not laminated but is a poured vinyl, so the problem we had with the current fabric falling apart is not going to be an issue.
We were also able to select a color other than white or black for the toppers, so we chose a grey that would match some of the exterior accent colors.
Since we were going to be in Wake Forest for an extended stay, we decided to order our replacement slide topper fabric to be delivered there. Our existing slide toppers had failed dramatically in less than 3 years, so we knew that their replacements needed to last much longer. We did not plan to replace them again on this RV. After much research, we decided to go with Stone Vos RV Awnings in Florida. They offer a 10-year warranty on a vinyl fabric replacement that is sewn with lifetime PTFE thread. The vinyl is not laminated but is a poured vinyl, so the problem we had with the current fabric falling apart is not going to be an issue.
We were also able to select a color other than white or black for the toppers, so we chose a grey that would match some of the exterior accent colors.
The new fabric arrived rolled in a box and laid flat without creases, unlike some alternative sources. But getting the fabric was only one of the necessary supplies for completing the replacement. We also needed some tools. We needed a mallot to separate the uprights from the rod mount. We needed 3” long thin cotter pins to keep the spring-loaded rod from unwinding. We found one in our supplies, but had to substitute a small screw driver for the other. The other tools were pretty unremarkable – screwdriver, drill with drivers, socket set, etc. However, one thing was going to be hard to come by. Actually two things. We needed 2 8 ft ladders. So, between Cathy’s brother-in-law and nephew, we had them on loan and were ready to go.
Wardrobe slide topper in place We wisely decided to start by replacing the slide topper on our wardrobe slide. At 60” long, it was going to be much easier to handle than our 12ft living room slide. While we chose the cooler morning hours to attack the project, with the heat dome over Raleigh, it made only a little difference. We were drenched with sweat in short order. But we only had a couple of gotchas in our first attempt. We failed to ensure the support arms were out of the way of the track opening when we placed the pins in the roll tube. And when sliding the fabric into the track mounted on the RV, the roll unwound a bit and was no longer lined up on the roll tube. That meant we had to manually unwind and rewind the tube while standing on the ladders. This was not easy. But we were finally successful. We moved the slide in and out several times and called it a day
Dave prepares the living room slide topper roll for installation of the new fabric Unlike many of the YouTube videos we had watched, we decided to use an approach that removed the roll tube from the slide. This approach was recommended by both Lippert (the slide topper manufacturer) and Stone Vos. This allowed us to replace the fabric on a table, instead of hanging off a ladder. However, our experience with the much shorter wardrobe slide topper convinced us that we could not execute this process for the living room slide topper without a 3rd person. To our delight and surprise, Cathy’s sister Grace offered to be the 3rd person.
All done with new fabric in place. To ensure we made the most of her time, we did much of the preparation work before she came. This involved removing the roll with the old slide topper, cleaning the exposed roof, and inserting the new slide topper. Given the long roll tube, the final step would have one of us on the roof (Dave), one of us on a ladder at the end of the slide (Cathy) and one starting on the ground, but climbing a ladder to support the other end of the tube (Grace). To our relief, the roll slid easily through the RV-mounted track and our respective roles worked well. We re-mounted the slide topper arms and rolled the slide in and out. Another successful install. And no more gorilla tape on the slide.
Dave studies the chicken temperature in the smoker preparing for the July 4th celebration. We Have the Meats
It wasn’t just Arby’s slogan, but ours for the July 4th get together. Dave was excited to get the smoker working its magic. Over a few days, we smoked chicken, pork BBQ and sausages for the event.
It wasn’t just Arby’s slogan, but ours for the July 4th get together. Dave was excited to get the smoker working its magic. Over a few days, we smoked chicken, pork BBQ and sausages for the event.
The whole clan gathered for a picture after the meal. We gathered at our niece’s house to enjoy a nice family time with nieces and nephews and all of Cathy’s sisters plus more. And, of course, some good food. While some just relaxed, we did also have a rousing game of Heads Up that kept most everyone engaged.
Over the next 2 weeks we had more dinners and afternoons visiting with Cathy’s sister and her family before it was time to head out, and we regretfully said our goodbyes.
Cathy by the Falls Lake Dam Exploring
We took some time on this visit to do a little exploring of Falls Lake and the town of Wake Forest. Falls Lake was created in the early 80’s to stabilize the drinking water source for Raleigh and to reduce the flooding downstream on the Neuse. There is a visitor center by the dam, and access to walk across it. The dam is an earthen dam and its construction was explained in the exhibits in the visitor center.
We took some time on this visit to do a little exploring of Falls Lake and the town of Wake Forest. Falls Lake was created in the early 80’s to stabilize the drinking water source for Raleigh and to reduce the flooding downstream on the Neuse. There is a visitor center by the dam, and access to walk across it. The dam is an earthen dam and its construction was explained in the exhibits in the visitor center.
We took a stroll through historic downtown Wake Forest. We also spent some time walking through “downtown” Wake Forest. Ducking into the Wake Forest Florist shop to get out of the heat, we were charmed by the sales person into sharing some of our travels, and ended up finding some gifts there as well. But our destination was going to be Shorty’s, a hot dog joint that had been in the same spot more or less for 100 years. It was a busy place, even though we arrived well after lunch time. We tried a Shorty’s chili dog and some fries and onion rings. Well, our vote was just OK.
We hiked the Rolling View trail on a rare humidity free day. This stay also included a stay at the Rolling View Campground, which was on Falls Lake where we stayed back in 2021, but further west than the Holly Point Campground in Wake Forest. Our site backed up to the water, and there was a trail that led throughout the campground loops, over to the swim beach and boat launch. We had a few low humidity days that gave us the chance to explore this area of the Falls Lake State Recreation Area.
New vent-clip phone mount Cool Down
With the high heat this summer, and our increased use of Android Auto to run RV Life, Dave’s phone is being asked to do a lot on our longer drives, causing the phone to heat up more than it likes. When it gets too hot, it stops working, sometimes when we most need it. So, Dave found a simple solution. We now mount his phone in this vent clip, so it has cool air keeping its temperature down on even the hottest day. It seems to be doing the trick.
With the high heat this summer, and our increased use of Android Auto to run RV Life, Dave’s phone is being asked to do a lot on our longer drives, causing the phone to heat up more than it likes. When it gets too hot, it stops working, sometimes when we most need it. So, Dave found a simple solution. We now mount his phone in this vent clip, so it has cool air keeping its temperature down on even the hottest day. It seems to be doing the trick.
Parting Shots
We had one last night out with Grace, John and family. So, we couldn’t resist taking another group picture before saying our goodbyes.
We had one last night out with Grace, John and family. So, we couldn’t resist taking another group picture before saying our goodbyes.
