Awning fabric

I recently gave these directions to someone else on the RV Net, and he wrote me back and thanked me, as he said he was done in an hour. This is how I helped my neighbor replace two awnings. You will need two helpers. Flip "open catch" and pull awning about about 2 or 3 inches. Unhook bottom end of legs and drop leg to ground using extension legs to take weight of awning. Unbolt top bolts to trailer and take out screw that keeps awning in place from sliding back and forth. Get one person on each end of awning and slide it out of track. Lay awning on ground and place a block of wood or a pail under each end near tube. DO NOT TRY TO TAKE AWNING ARMS OFF ENDS OF SHAFT.KEEPING IT ATTCHED KEEPS SPRINGS FROM UNWINDING. Unwrap fabric from tube. Drill out pop rivets at rear,non-catch end of tube. Slide end cap off tube 2 or 3 inches to allow clearance to slide fabric off.(DO NOT PULL ALL THE WAY OUT AS SPRING WILL UNWIND. SPRING IS ABOUT 18 INCHES LONG.) Slide new fabric on, and re wrap fabric. Slide end cap in place and pop rivet. Get one person at each end of awning support, and have third on ladder to guide awning into rail. Once awning is in place, bolt to trailer, center fabric between supports and install screw. Lift legs in to lower catches. Flip ratchet lock and awning will close. This way you do not have to deal with springs.

I replaced the fabric in our A&E awning a couple of years ago. I also drilled a hole in the end cap as BruceMc did, but in addition, I filed a slot in the end cap so that the fabric could slide out and back in with the poly rod installed in the fabric. My post with pictures here.

x2 on BruceMc's link. this is how i did mine.

They sell the whole roller tube and fabric combo online. I did mine last year. Highly recommend if you have an older rig (mine is a 2000).

Smax

Here's the posting about my awning fabric replacement project. Enjoy!

Take a look at the awning's end caps. See if they are open in line with the tracks in the roller that carry the awning's cording. If they're open, far easier to teplace fabric. You can pin most awnings so you don't have to contend with the tension springs. But if the caps are not open to slide the cording through, then you have to dismantle at least the one end. That involves unloading and reloading the tension spring.

TimLoon wrote:
I just finished 2 slide toppers and my roll out awning. Did one each evening after work with the help of my son. Took about an hour to hour and a half each. Lots of good videos available on You Tube. Please pay attention to the warnings on spring pressure. They are serious and should not be taken lightly.

We have replaced several slide toppers for ourselves and friends. We have not had to replace our awning as yet. As mentioned, do take the warnings about the main awning very seriously. We had a friend try to work on his and he ended up in the hospital for 2 days and nearly lost his thumb. He thought he could lock a pair of vise grips on the end and hold it that way - didn't work out for him. Not saying you can't do it but please be careful.

I just finished 2 slide toppers and my roll out awning. Did one each evening after work with the help of my son. Took about an hour to hour and a half each. Lots of good videos available on You Tube. Please pay attention to the warnings on spring pressure. They are serious and should not be taken lightly.