How to Tighten RV Awning Springs over the slideout

[Busskipper]

Looking for a little help.

How to Tighten RV Awning Springs

Carefree of Colorado

Slideouts do not fully retract the Cover after a long winter

How to tighten the spring to roll up

Will roll out and be sure they are clean

will see if I can get some WD-40 on them

Utube?

Other good advice for the DIY type?

Thanks

:?

[draboo]

I just got finished tightening the spring on a slide out cover (NOT the awning). I have Carefree slide out covers, 2002 vintage.

I wish I had taken pictures or video of what I did,because there are no instructions anywhere that I could find online to show how to tighten up the springs only. There are plenty of instructions on replacing the fabric, tho.

The left hand side (as you are looking at the slide out from outside) was the side with the spring tension on it. Take off the end cap and unscrew the one screw holding the bottom panel on to get access to the set screw that holds the bracket in place. It's a small screw and easy to drop. Mark the end of the bracket before taking off so you can slide it back on in the same distance. I slid out the bracket from it's holder but hold tight,because of the tension. Once I had it out, I let off all of the tension off of it because I wanted to start from scratch. Then I rotated it 14 times,(I just turned 65 and I could hold it with no problem) put a nail or a small screw driver in the hole that aligns when the bracket is where it will slide back on and slid it back on to the mark I made. Replace set screw, screw holding the bottom panel and replace the end cap. I was a bit leery about pulling out the end so far to get it out of the bracket attached to the slide out, but it worked out fine. There is no more slack with slide out open or closed. I had replaced the fabric on both slide outs, and I think the new fabric may have stretched a bit over time. post some pics if you need any more help.

[Ivylog]

Encore wrote:
It takes 2 "healthy" guys to do this job. Hold on very tight to the tube when you rotate it. It has lots of tension... one slip, and it all over!

Awning tubes YES but slide topper tubes NO.

[Encore]

It takes 2 "healthy" guys to do this job. Hold on very tight to the tube when you rotate it. It has lots of tension... one slip, and it all over!

[Ivylog]

On mine the size of the J track was different (could not reverse) so cut off old and sewed the plastic rod back into the end that attaches to the MH.

[Busskipper]

Ivylog wrote:
Assuming you do not have one of the springs broken...only the last few inches does not roll up you have to remove the fabric. There should be a hole to put a nail in on one end to lock the tube from spinning while you slide the fabric out. Holding the tube by hand remove the nail and rotate the tube probably two turns tighter and put the nail back in...slide the fabric back in and remove the nail.

If the hems on both ends are starting to fail/break have them resown while off. All four of my toppers had this problem and there was enough unused fabric on three of them to cut the used off to exposing the unused.

Thanks Dick,

That is what I'm doing - From my old days in the boat business I've got a good fabric guy - will likely reverse (Inside to outside) too, so as to put the unexposed side out so as to get a few more years out of it.

Was able to get them both in with a little on the top not wound up - then as we went down the road they bounced their way in.

Springs not broken, just like me a little older and not as quick as they once were. .:B

Should be fine, lots of work to do on that roof line while I have the scafell set up.

Thanks,

Bill

[Ivylog]

Assuming you do not have one of the springs broken...only the last few inches does not roll up you have to remove the frabic. There should be a hole to put a nail in on one end to lock the tube from spinning while you slide the frabic out. Holding the tube by hand remove the nail and rotate the tube probably two turns tighter and put the nail back in...slide the frabic back in and remove the nail.

If the hems on both ends are starting to fail/break have them resown while off. All four of my toppers had this problem and there was enough unused frabic on three of them to cut the used off to exposing the unused.

[fitznj]

Easy job just be careful what kind of tool you use you do not want the spring to suddenly unroll while tightening you might eat the tool.

I'll second this - I had to replace a broken spring on my awning - this can be a dangerous job - there is a lot of tension on the spring;

DO NOT play around with the spring in the fully extended position - there is a lot of energy stored.

I downloaded the instructions/youtube and replaced one spring - winding up the spring was "nail biting".

[garry1p]

Don't remember what kind I had but when the spring broke I looked up the web site and they had a manual you could download with instructions.

Easy job just be careful what kind of tool you use you do not want the spring to suddenly unroll while tightening you might eat the tool.

[rgatijnet1]

You may have ONE spring that has broken that is not allowing it to retract fully if it is a long slide. If that is the case, replace BOTH springs since the other one is not far behind.

[darsben1]

not wd-40 please

[rv2go]

I followed this youtube vidio to replace my toppers.
I would think that if you followed the first steps, then just tighten the roller one turn it would work.