Slide awning--make it last??

[chast]

Hi--want to extend life of slide top awning which is vinyl. We winter in Florida and have the slide out for six months and retracted for another six months. Topper is original to our 1999 Bounder and while in good shape, it is beginning to show its age with several cracks on the edge and many little slits where it is exposed to the sun all the time. My question is about what I can do to make it last instead of replacing it (which I know I eventually will have to). What do ya'll think about coating it with rubber roof coating? Have coated the rubber roof and the finish is dry and hard. Do you think that I could coat the awning topper without problems? My concern is that when it is rolled up for six months, that I might have a problem rolling it out again as it might want to stick together. I know I am trying to "cheap out" and would welcome any other suggestions you might have. Thanks!

[glamisorbust]

X2 on tough top awnings. I tried to make mine last too, but it was already starting to tear on one side, about 12" down. I had just gotten the RV back in august, and needed to get the emissions done so I could get it registered. Well, drove it 15 miles and got into the garage...as soon as I pulled through the door the awning ripped the rest of the way down and the damn awning fell down and got caught on the side of the door opening, just as I was pulling through. Not only was the awning ruined from age, but now it bent several of the pieces holding it to the RV and one of the arms. So in addition to buying a new piece of fabric, now I had to straighten everything back because I was trying to "make it last". Never again. Just order the awning fabric and have a buddy help you install it. Takes about 2 hours if you have no idea what you're doing. Mine took longer because I had to figure out how to pre-load the spring after the whole thing came apart and broke at the emissions place. What a pain in the rear. I think it was around $280 for my piece of fabric on a 13'6" slide.
Toughtopawnings.com

[Gjac]

If I were going to leave mine out for 6 mos at a time in Fla sun I would slit a foam noodle and slide it over the edge to protect it. Mine was 8 years old when I bought it and had some cracks on the edge close to the side of the MH, I used a white latex spray on the first 6 ins to try to protect it, I is now 18 years old and it slowed the weathering process.

[TempatureContro]

When you get to Florida, measure yours and order a replacement from Tuff Top Awnings. Not that big a deal to R&R, then you are set for some time to come!

[FIRE_UP]

chast wrote:
Hi--want to extend life of slide top awning which is vinyl. We winter in Florida and have the slide out for six months and retracted for another six months. Topper is original to our 1999 Bounder and while in good shape, it is beginning to show its age with several cracks on the edge and many little slits where it is exposed to the sun all the time. My question is about what I can do to make it last instead of replacing it (which I know I eventually will have to). What do ya'll think about coating it with rubber roof coating? Have coated the rubber roof and the finish is dry and hard. Do you think that I could coat the awning topper without problems? My concern is that when it is rolled up for six months, that I might have a problem rolling it out again as it might want to stick together. I know I am trying to "cheap out" and would welcome any other suggestions you might have. Thanks!

Well Sir, you said it, you are CHEAPING OUT! I've replaced our slide topper on our '99 Bounder and it was not very expensive. It was just a tad bit of work to install it but, well worth it. It's now ready for quite a few more years of "in and out, in and out, in and out" without worrying of any issues.

I've done quite a bit of "Rube Goldberging" in my time but, there comes a time when you have to bite the bullet and shell out. You can save in quite a few more areas of RVing but, sometimes, it's really not possible. I'm pretty sure that, any substance, no matter what the chemical make up is, will have issues when flexed in the manor in which you have to roll it up and out and in and out, etc.

I don't know of any substance, mechanism etc. that you can place on or over that slide topper that will work, for any length of time, without causing some sort of issue, other than installing a new one.

Now, maybe, just maybe, if there's any RV junk yards around, they may have a topper that might fit and maybe, you might be able to get it for a song and dance but, that's a gamble. Good luck.
Scott

[Johno02]

Before we replaced ours, they were about 80% awning repair tape.

[Dick_B]

If it was mine I would wait until it was in really bad shape, save your money in the meantime, then replace it. I had mine replaced for less than $200 in Illinois. It should be cheaper in Florida.
You might try taping the holes but getting to them might be dangerous.

[Dale_Traveling]

My guess is coating the material, as you did to the roof, won't work out very well. The cylinder the awning wraps around when you bring the slide in is pretty small and any coating that isn't very flexible is going to crack, flake or peel.

You could try the various awning protectorates but I don't have a recommendation. My slides and awning are in more than out so I don't worry about them much. Maybe 303 Aerospace Protectant?