Slideouts make an RV feel bigger, but they also create one more place for leaves, pine needles, dust, and other campground debris to collect. If you retract the room without checking the top first, all that mess can wind up where you do not want it—inside your rig.
Years ago, Jim Twamley shared a simple fix on RVtravel.com: Instead of climbing up and wrestling with a brush, he used a leaf blower and a homemade extension to clear off the top of the slide before pulling it in. It was a practical idea then, and it still is now.
Why this matters more than some RVers think
A little debris on top of a slide may not look like much from the ground. But when that room comes in, leaves and grit can get dragged into seals, dumped along the inside edge, or leave you with extra cleanup after you are parked for the night.
That was the problem Twamley described in the original piece. After parking under trees, his first fifth wheel’s slideout collected debris on top, and some of it ended up inside when the slide retracted.
The expensive fix and the cheap one
One answer is a slide topper, sometimes called a slideout awning. Twamley noted that these short awnings deploy automatically when the slide goes out and help keep debris off the roof of the room. He also pointed out that RV dealers can install them, and handy owners may tackle the job themselves.
But toppers cost money, and they are not perfect. A much cheaper approach is to simply blow the junk off before you bring the slide in.
That is where the leaf blower trick earns its keep.
A leaf blower can do more than clean the campsite
Twamley’s version used a leaf blower with a homemade extension built from PVC pipe and a threaded elbow, taped to the blower nozzle. The goal was simple: Reach the slide roof—and even parts of the RV roof—without climbing a ladder or getting up on top.
That same tool can do double duty around camp. Blow off the mat. Clear the patio area. Clean out the truck bed. Then, before departure, use it to sweep the top of the slide.
That is the kind of multi-use gadget most RVers can appreciate.
A few modern-day cautions
This is still a smart idea, but we’d update it a bit for today.
Use a light touch around slide seals. You want to move debris off the roof, not blast directly into rubber seals or force grit where it can cause wear. Watch for loose branches, acorns, or anything heavier that may need to be removed by hand first.
If you are in a crowded RV park, be mindful of where that dust storm is headed. Your neighbor does not want your campsite delivered to his patio rug… or on top of his slideout!
A small cordless blower may be the sweet spot for many RVers now. It is easier to grab, easier to store, and you do not have to fool with an extension cord.
The bottom line for RVers
Jim Twamley’s 2007 tip still holds up because it solves a real problem with a simple tool many RVers already own. If you do not want to pay for slide toppers—or you already have them and still get debris around the edges—a blower can be a handy part of your departure routine.
It is not fancy. But it may help keep one more pile of leaves, dust, and campground grit out of your living room.
RELATED
- You can do way more with leaf blowers than you think
- Are slide awnings a necessity or a waste of money?
- Why we recommend RV slide toppers
- Ask Dave: How do I clean my RV’s slideout top without getting on the roof?
RVT1258
A few years back I wrote about the RV Slideout Sweep and still use it to this day – even for cleaning off my solar panels.
‘I was at a Love’s recently and saw a guy with a bunch of twigs smashed in his slide – that will get expensive quickly.
I do the same thing, and my little Milwaukee blower takes the same batteries as my drill and impact wrench.
I add one more thing to my routine however. Sometimes there is surprisingly little to no debris up there after an overnight stop; sometimes there’s more than you’d expect. I bought a selfie stick for my phone and I shoot a picture of the top of each slide so I know exactly what needs attention. After running the blower, it gives me another look to see if I’ve sufficiently gotten the job done.
I used to just throw an old canvas tarp up there. Then I found a slide top cover made just for my trailer. Easy installation/breakdown.
I made a blower just like the one in the picture, about 15 years ago, & have used it often on slides on our 34ft 5th wheel. I didn’t want slide covers, because they flap in the wind & wear out in a few years.
I have a travel trailer with a single slide. I thought about putting a topper on it, but several RV tech people that I trust talked me out of it. Toppers can be blown around and torn if there are high winds. Some debris can also go under the topper, then it will get pulled into the trailer or the rubber seal. I have 3 simple things that I always have with me. A step, a mop with a long handle, and my camera. The first thing I do is take a photo of the top of the slide. If there is debris, I use a step to reach the top of the slideout. I extend the mop and flip it over the slide 3 times (to cover the width) from each end. Then I immediately take the slide in to avoid any more debris.
I’ve swept our slides standing on the ground using a car hood dust mop with a fixed handle parallel to the mop head, glued to about 3 foot of PVC that attaches to an extendable handle via a 90 degree pvc elbow. All parts came from Home Depot. It has worked well for years and stores easy. Got the idea from the internet.