First time since new (five years) and Tilex worked like a charm. It was pretty bad up near the trailer. I left it on for a few minutes then hit it lightly with my long, soft brush and 99% of it washed right off. I did, however notice several bubbles all across the material, so it appears it's beginning to delaminate. From experience, how long til I have to replace it when that starts?

Depends on how bad it already is… you will most likely get a couple years more… the vinyl is so thin and it gets brittle…They use to vulcanize them and they lasted much longer… I have some with beginning delamination in the first year with the newer fabrics…

I'm betting that the part that is starting to show age is the part left exposed to the elements when retracted. That's only about 2 or 3 ft of the entire awning. We had that happen too and rather than replace the whole thing, we just had that part replaced at a place that makes awnings near us. It looks great, works well and was much much cheaper.

Mike was your awning repaired local as in Sequin?Thanks

Hi Moss,I'm "assuming" you have a vinyl awning? And does your awning live outdoors all the time? (meaning not stored inside)The sun bakes the top 1 foot to death.... I bought my current camper about 2 1/2 years old. The prior owner never gave it the TLC like I did on my smaller one I bought new. Using some 303 UC protectent really helps ward off the sun bakes.As to years, mine was built in Oct 2003 and last weekend I replaced the awning fabric. A Dometic Sun Chaser vinyl awning originally. I was on borrowed time and had awning repair tape about the entire length to hold it together. The camper lives outside all the time, unfortunately. This fall it will move indoors finally. Here is my awning change in case you want to do this yourself. Have not made it to posting here yet. Main Awning Replacement - Lot's of picsGood luck and hope this helpsJohn

These newer fabrics are only cold laminated… 2 sheet of vinyl glued to the center fiber… technology has allowed them to make the vinyl so thin that it isn’t uncommon to find pinholes in new fabric… the exposed area will weather faster but I have seen the vinyl cracking and peeling at or near the seams at both ends…Almost all of them have bubbles in them and if there is a pin hole near the bubble water will get in a separate it much faster…One awning I saw looked like a half inch thick water bag at the lower end on the tilt side and the water weight was causing it to delaminate even faster… we put a pin hole in the underside and water dribbled for several hours from the fabric… the separated vinyl was so thin and brittle when you handled it, it cracked as if it were dried peeled paint…Older awning fabrics were hot vulcanized… the upper, lower, and center fabric were cross-linked and didn’t delaminate… my one Franklin trailer has a 24 foot awning that was installed in the mid-90s and is still in useable condition… the comparison photos of the two awnings is one reason Dometic replaced my long out of warranty awning fabric on my Hornet (as a good will gesture)…Hopefully it stores well because instead of installing it I bought a complete used awning and switched them… when it wears out, and its beginning to, I will use the new fabric…

Cleaning the awning, bubbles appearing | Good Sam Community

13 Replies

Weldon
Explorer
May 24, 2013
Mike was your awning repaired local as in Sequin?
Thanks
Thumperpull
Explorer
May 24, 2013
I'm betting that the part that is starting to show age is the part left exposed to the elements when retracted. That's only about 2 or 3 ft of the entire awning. We had that happen too and rather than replace the whole thing, we just had that part replaced at a place that makes awnings near us. It looks great, works well and was much much cheaper.
JJBIRISH
Explorer
May 24, 2013
Depends on how bad it already is… you will most likely get a couple years more… the vinyl is so thin and it gets brittle…
They use to vulcanize them and they lasted much longer… I have some with beginning delamination in the first year with the newer fabrics…

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Cleaning the awning, bubbles appearing

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