Best way to arrest sun damage to awning?

bobinyelm wrote:
I confess to never having used my roll-up awning on my Wildcat 24RL 5er, but the top part of the fabric (from almost at the top of the roller to where the awning is retained in the extruded slot on the trailer roof) is getting brittle from sunlight as it is not protected from the Texas sunlight.

I'd like to bond some tape or fabric in maybe a 6"+ width as long as the awning is wide to the top exposed fabric so the direct sunlight cannot directly strike the fabric, thereby preserving its remaining strength. It's plenty-strong NOW, but in a few years, teh sun will have damaged it to the failure point, I suggest.

What should I use to overlay the awning material from where it disappears into the extruded awning retention rail on top, out along the awning material, and down the side of the roller to where direct sun is not a factor.

Material (cloth + chemical bonding agent, tape?) Cement or Glue? Obviously I don't want the fabric/tape ripping off on some highway one dark night, so it would have to be compatible with the vinyl awning material itself.

There is an aluminum cover made that looks like a short piece of roll-top desk that you can use to cover it, OR, you can go cheap. I've heard more than a couple people who have taken a piece of 6" light-wall PVC pipe, split length-wise, clipped over the awning. Remove before travel, replace when stored.

Lyle