[RonS]

I have never messed with the seal, however I would do the same as you have stated. I did have the topper awning slide off from the slide when the screws broke off. If it would make it easer to repair with the topper awning taken off from the slide, its not a real big deal. But a lot better with two people, one on each side of the awning. I did mine with the slide in. I would replace the screws when reattaching the topper. I recommend that you add a little clear silicone sealant to each screw as it helps to keep them from working out. The topper screw replacement was discusses last winter on this site. Good luck!