shrinkage

[solismaris]

My 8 year old awning has shrunk a lot: it has lost almost a foot of its 16 foot width. To the point where awning deflappers can't be used because the straps aren't long enough to reach around the support pole.(I could of course extend the straps but then they really wouldn't do their job properly of stopping the flapping unless I made them excessively tight.)

Is that amount of shrinkage typical? Yes it is 8 years old and showing other signs of wear but that really does seem excessive. It's a Sunchaser with what looks like some kind of vinyl-like fabric.

What is a typical life for an awning fabric? I estimate it has been used an average of 15 days a year for 8 years.

[dewey02]

BuckBarker wrote:
"I don't know how you guys walk around with those things".

Thanks Elaine!

[BuckBarker]

"I don't know how you guys walk around with those things".

[dewey02]

I read the thread title and was reminded of the Seinfeld episode! 🙂
To avoid shrinkage, don't swim in cold water!

[scbwr]

You can keep the fabric from shifting on the tube by using a sheet metal screw at each end of the fabric. Just use a screw that is large enough to fit securely in the fabric track.

[solismaris]

DutchmenSport wrote:
You might check something. You say your awning was originally 16 feet and you say it has shrunk a foot. Did you actually measure the fabric 8 years ago? Or is the 16 foot awning the length of the metal tube (16 foot long tube, which would make the actual awning shorter? I've never bothered to actually measure mine, on any camper. I use to use flappers on my previous camper, but quit using them because they became a pain-in-the-neck after a while too.

If the awning has shrunk (end to end) an entire foot, I would expect it to shrink in depth also (metal roller to trailer length). Have you noticed shrinkage that direction also?

If it has shrunk, you can probably drop your awning down flat on the side of your camper and let it dangle. Then tug the ends (have someone on the other side and play tug of war) and stretch it back out, just like those tight jeans in the washer when you first put them on.

Another thing, if your awning has shrunk a foot, the alignment of the fabric should be all callie-whoppered too, which means when you retract the awning, it won't roll up straight. Mine was notorious for this. I was constantly tugging a little here and there on the roller end to keep it aligned straight. I don't know if I was experiencing shrinkage. The awning attached to the trailer was set with two small screws at each end to prevent it from slipping in the track. It's kind of hard to shrink when it's anchored down. Check yours, see if yours is screwed in the track with a small metal screw. If so, it would be impossible for it to shrink. If that's the case, measure the distance at the trailer and at the roller tube, see if they are the same. If so, you haven't shrunk, your flappers have!

Good luck!

No I don't know how wide it was originally. I just got the deflappers and found that they wouldn't come close to fitting, which is how I guessed about the shrinkage.

I don't know about the shrinkage in the other direction. It is now about 7'8" so maybe it shrunk 4" from a standard length of 8 feet?

I also have occasional problems with alignment when retracting it. And the fabric can slide easily back and forth within the track; no screws holding it in place. I've marked the correct spot on the roller to align the fabric to and that keeps the problems to a minimum.

[DutchmenSport]

Exposure to heat and cold and rain and snow, regardless if they are extracted or not still takes it's toll on an awning. Just like a pair of blue jeans in a washing machine and then run through a hot cloths dryer, they do shrink some over time if you use them or not.

You might check something. You say your awning was originally 16 feet and you say it has shrunk a foot. Did you actually measure the fabric 8 years ago? Or is the 16 foot awning the length of the metal tube (16 foot long tube, which would make the actual awning shorter? I've never bothered to actually measure mine, on any camper. I use to use flappers on my previous camper, but quit using them because they became a pain-in-the-neck after a while too.

If the awning has shrunk (end to end) an entire foot, I would expect it to shrink in depth also (metal roller to trailer length). Have you noticed shrinkage that direction also?

If it has shrunk, you can probably drop your awning down flat on the side of your camper and let it dangle. Then tug the ends (have someone on the other side and play tug of war) and stretch it back out, just like those tight jeans in the washer when you first put them on.

Another thing, if your awning has shrunk a foot, the alignment of the fabric should be all callie-whoppered too, which means when you retract the awning, it won't roll up straight. Mine was notorious for this. I was constantly tugging a little here and there on the roller end to keep it aligned straight. I don't know if I was experiencing shrinkage. The awning attached to the trailer was set with two small screws at each end to prevent it from slipping in the track. It's kind of hard to shrink when it's anchored down. Check yours, see if yours is screwed in the track with a small metal screw. If so, it would be impossible for it to shrink. If that's the case, measure the distance at the trailer and at the roller tube, see if they are the same. If so, you haven't shrunk, your flappers have!

Good luck!