Replacing awning fabric

Thanks CD! Looking at mine and the way the fabric slides into the grooves, I believed it could be done without unwinding and dismantling everything. (Like the youtubes show).

Rube Goldberg would be proud.
RichH

Hank MI wrote:

LarryJM wrote:

Hank MI wrote:

rrupert wrote:
Rather than getting into multiple instructions here go to youtube.com and search "replacing RV awning fabric" and will be sure to find multiple videos there.

The problem I see with your idea is removing the fabric from the tube without removing the ends.

Yup, can't slide the old out and new in without removing the end cap and torsion spring. Actually both ends need to be removed to do it right.

HOGWASH!!! I just replaced mine following the procedure shown HERE which is much like how Clouddancer did. So much easier than messing around with end caps, torsion springs, etc. Doing it this way you can do it w/o any help, but one helper to feed and pull the new awning into the tube makes the process even easier and much faster.

I even added another step by using two pulleys on one the remaining attached awning arm one each side with a rope running to the new awning secured to it with my awning "de-flappers" that way the new awning can be pulled into the grooves and tube while feeding the new awning into the tube/rail from a stationary point.
Larry

I'm sorry, I didn't realize that drilling holes and cutting open the end caps was a proper solution, and I did mention doing it the right way. All the cutting and rigging you did, I could have done it the right way in that amount of time. Takes about ten minutes to drill out all the rivets. A pair of vise grips to unwind the torsion assembly and the endcap and torsion assembly slide right out. The endcaps aren't open where the slots are in the roller tube for a reason. The nylon bead/rope in the awning material is supposed to fold over the end of the roller tube. When the endcap is installed it locks them in place so the material can't slide on the tube and will stay centered. If the slots were supposed to be open to make it easy it would come that way from the factory.

I've done 2 awnings on 2 different motorhomes. It just isn't that tough and I refuse to hack up my awning in an attempt to save a little work. That assumes it even saves any work. I didn't need pulleys, saws, wood rigging etc. Other than a drill and rivet tool just simple hand tools, screw driver, vice grips, etc.

But to each is own.

1. My old OEM awning did not have the cord folded over inside the end cap. One the new hole was done the awning simply pulled out of the tube.

2. I'll leave it to the readers to look at that video I posted and decide for themselves which method is easier.

I just know messing around with manhandling a 21'+ tube with the new awning material on it and trying to slide that into the awning rail some 8'+ above ground without employing a cast of thousands alone makes the way I did it IMO worth it's weight in gold, but as you said each to his own and my point is you YOU NOT HAVE TO REMOVE THE ENDCAP to replace the awning material and I proved that so I made the point I was trying to make.

Larry

LarryJM wrote:

Hank MI wrote:

rrupert wrote:
Rather than getting into multiple instructions here go to youtube.com and search "replacing RV awning fabric" and will be sure to find multiple videos there.

The problem I see with your idea is removing the fabric from the tube without removing the ends.

Yup, can't slide the old out and new in without removing the end cap and torsion spring. Actually both ends need to be removed to do it right.

HOGWASH!!! I just replaced mine following the procedure shown HERE which is much like how Clouddancer did. So much easier than messing around with end caps, torsion springs, etc. Doing it this way you can do it w/o any help, but one helper to feed and pull the new awning into the tube makes the process even easier and much faster.

I even added another step by using two pulleys on one the remaining attached awning arm one each side with a rope running to the new awning secured to it with my awning "de-flappers" that way the new awning can be pulled into the grooves and tube while feeding the new awning into the tube/rail from a stationary point.
Larry

I'm sorry, I didn't realize that drilling holes and cutting open the end caps was a proper solution, and I did mention doing it the right way. All the cutting and rigging you did, I could have done it the right way in that amount of time. Takes about ten minutes to drill out all the rivets. A pair of vise grips to unwind the torsion assembly and the endcap and torsion assembly slide right out. The endcaps aren't open where the slots are in the roller tube for a reason. The nylon bead/rope in the awning material is supposed to fold over the end of the roller tube. When the endcap is installed it locks them in place so the material can't slide on the tube and will stay centered. If the slots were supposed to be open to make it easy it would come that way from the factory.

I've done 2 awnings on 2 different motorhomes. It just isn't that tough and I refuse to hack up my awning in an attempt to save a little work. That assumes it even saves any work. I didn't need pulleys, saws, wood rigging etc. Other than a drill and rivet tool just simple hand tools, screw driver, vice grips, etc.

But to each is own.

Hank MI wrote:

rrupert wrote:
Rather than getting into multiple instructions here go to youtube.com and search "replacing RV awning fabric" and will be sure to find multiple videos there.

The problem I see with your idea is removing the fabric from the tube without removing the ends.

Yup, can't slide the old out and new in without removing the end cap and torsion spring. Actually both ends need to be removed to do it right.

HOGWASH!!! I just replaced mine following the procedure shown HERE which is much like how Clouddancer did. So much easier than messing around with end caps, torsion springs, etc. Doing it this way you can do it w/o any help, but one helper to feed and pull the new awning into the tube makes the process even easier and much faster.

I even added another step by using two pulleys on one the remaining attached awning arm one each side with a rope running to the new awning secured to it with my awning "de-flappers" that way the new awning can be pulled into the grooves and tube while feeding the new awning into the tube/rail from a stationary point.
Larry

My awning fabric replacement with pictures.

Click here

rrupert wrote:
Rather than getting into multiple instructions here go to youtube.com and search "replacing RV awning fabric" and will be sure to find multiple videos there.

The problem I see with your idea is removing the fabric from the tube without removing the ends.

Yup, can't slide the old out and new in without removing the end cap and torsion spring. Actually both ends need to be removed to do it right.

Rather than getting into multiple instructions here go to youtube.com and search "replacing RV awning fabric" and will be sure to find multiple videos there.

The problem I see with your idea is removing the fabric from the tube without removing the ends.