Awning fabric replacement

if you are having to take all those tools out and remember revolutions and messing with ratcheting and removing the spring and end caps and all that, you are doing it the hard way. Easiest way is to let out awning only 3 inches or so, then let the arms out of their clamps and rest on the ground. next unbolt the arms from the awning rail at the top and remove the one or two screws that hold the awning from shifting in the drip rail. Grab the awning arms with one person on each arm and slide awning out of rail and place on sawhorses. Then drill out rivets on the non-catch end (end without the release lever) and pull the cap back only enough to slide off the old fabric. usually don't even have to remove the roll pin on that end. Then install new fabric and wrap it around tube and put new rivets in end cap. Last (with helper or two) guide fabric back into rail, reinstall screws and top brackets, and put arms back into bottom clamps. done. By letting awning out only a few inches you are avoiding having to mess with springs and tensioning.