Awning repair: anyone tried Rubber Roof?

Wow, thats great info, thanks!

...part deux.

Now is when 3 people makes it easier. Two walk the roller tube down the side of the RV while the 3rd guides the material into slot at the top. Now you set the roller tube in the arms, tighten the torsion assembly, you should have counted revolutions when you removed the tension. Close the awning and see where the lock lever on the right end ends up. For ours it should be around the 11 o'clock position. It wasn't, new material is no doubt slightly different length. Had to remove tension and reposition, then rivet the torsion assembly in place.

Open and close the awning a few times. You may have to tug on the material at top of RV so it rolls up smooth with no wrinkles. Once you're satisfied reinstall screws that hold material in place.

Sounds like a lot but it really is a pretty simple job. One or 2 helpers is also good when installing material on roller tube. It's a big piece of material and hard to handle by yourself.

For me around $230 with the new torsion assembly.

GTR done wrote:
How did that awning replacement go? Thats not very expensive. Sounds like you did it yourself. Any tips or hints? Thanks.

Went great, the ratchet/lock on the right end of the awning was worn out. So I replaced the torsion assembly at the same time. It never closed up right, I think the material was stretched and it didn't roll up straight. Wouldn't close up tight without a lot of wrestling with it. Now it's perfect, nice and smooth, no wrinkles in the material.

Tips, first, check out these awnings. Only replacement material I've seen that is one piece. The others have a separate valance and no material between the valance and rest or awning, I didn't care for that.

Sunwave

Second, google RV awning replacement. Should find some youtube videos that show the process. Gives you a good idea of what you have to do.

Third, open the awning, don't extend the arms and remove the tension from the torsion assemblies on each end. Ours is an A&E/Dometic 8500 so you may have to adapt the process to yours if it's different. Once you've removed the tension you can set the end caps back into the support arms to hold the roller tube up. Then I slit the material end to end about a foot from the motorhome. Slit it about a foot from the roller tube and in between the valance and main section. Lot easier to remove from the slots if you're not wrestling with an 8' by 17' junk of material.

Two of the grooves on our roller tube are smaller, original material used these 2 and third for pull strap. That didn't work with the new material. You have to fold it into one of the grooves then slide a plastic tube in from the end to lock it in. That groove had to be the bigger one.

Once material is in and centered on the tube you can install the left end torsion assembly and rivet it on. Ours has an opening in the end so the pull strap can be installed/removed once it's assembled so you want to line that opening up with the proper groove.

Install the right end torsion assembly but don't rivet it on yet. I used some machine screws that were a little snug in the holes to hold it.

To be continued...

How did that awning replacement go? Thats not very expensive. Sounds like you did it yourself. Any tips or hints? Thanks.

I thought about doing that when I coated my roof with Liquid Rubber, but didn't do it. For $171 I now have new awning material, just installed it last week.

I would leave the awning alone. If you get a tear or a hole in it, use awning tape from Camping World, it worked for me.

goop doesn't seem like silicone to me.
bumpy

My personal thoughts are that you may make the problems worse rather than better.

I doubt any coating is going to stop or even retard the delamination of the vinyl from the fabric…

Long gone are the days when the awning fabric were vulcanized and lasted for many years…

I used gorilla tape on mine... Holding up well. I would not try liquid roof on it cause of flex on the awning