Awning question (last one hopefully)

[Trumpeterb]

Ok...awning off, new fabric on, end caps replaced...now, it is a 17’ Dometic awning, and the research I found said that the spring should be tensioned 10 turns (clockwise—spring is on the left side). My question—after turning it 10 times (assuming that is the right number), do I reinstall the awning ina rolled up position, about a foot or so away from the camper, therefore the spring would have 10 turns of tension in the closed position? Or do I reinstall the awning in the fully extended position, therefore placing 10 turns of tension on the spring when the awning is fully extended? Sorry for all the awning questions....I am new to all of this.

[beemerphile1]

Doug, it's called "Yankee ingenuity". Or, "There is more than one way to skin a cat". :B

[Farmboy666]

dougrainer wrote:

Farmboy666 wrote:

beemerphile1 wrote:

dougrainer wrote:

beemerphile1 wrote:
FWIW, I replaced the fabric on my 18' awning last year without removing the end caps or messing with the springs.

Can't be done. I don't know what you did or how you did it, but Dometic awnings require at least one end cap to come off. The nylon insert ropes fold inside the tube and the end caps fit OVER them. Now, if you DRILLED out the end caps to get the old fabric removed and install the new fabric, that is NOT how you do it. Doug

Absolutely correct, drilled and slotted the end cap and then added additional rivets on each side of the new slot.

So apparently it CAN be done!!!

There is the CORRECT WAY and the wrong way. As I mentioned, you can go around the CORRECT way and the Poster did, but he did it wrong. It actually takes LONGER to do it his way than doing it the correct way. Doug

Who is to say it's wrong, People figure out new ways to do things all the time. If it works it's just another way to do it, because it's not the way you do it doesn't make it wrong.

[dougrainer]

Farmboy666 wrote:

beemerphile1 wrote:

dougrainer wrote:

beemerphile1 wrote:
FWIW, I replaced the fabric on my 18' awning last year without removing the end caps or messing with the springs.

Can't be done. I don't know what you did or how you did it, but Dometic awnings require at least one end cap to come off. The nylon insert ropes fold inside the tube and the end caps fit OVER them. Now, if you DRILLED out the end caps to get the old fabric removed and install the new fabric, that is NOT how you do it. Doug

Absolutely correct, drilled and slotted the end cap and then added additional rivets on each side of the new slot.

So apparently it CAN be done!!!

There is the CORRECT WAY and the wrong way. As I mentioned, you can go around the CORRECT way and the Poster did, but he did it wrong. It actually takes LONGER to do it his way than doing it the correct way. Doug

[Farmboy666]

beemerphile1 wrote:

dougrainer wrote:

beemerphile1 wrote:
FWIW, I replaced the fabric on my 18' awning last year without removing the end caps or messing with the springs.

Can't be done. I don't know what you did or how you did it, but Dometic awnings require at least one end cap to come off. The nylon insert ropes fold inside the tube and the end caps fit OVER them. Now, if you DRILLED out the end caps to get the old fabric removed and install the new fabric, that is NOT how you do it. Doug

Absolutely correct, drilled and slotted the end cap and then added additional rivets on each side of the new slot.

So apparently it CAN be done!!!

[beemerphile1]

dougrainer wrote:

beemerphile1 wrote:
FWIW, I replaced the fabric on my 18' awning last year without removing the end caps or messing with the springs.

Can't be done. I don't know what you did or how you did it, but Dometic awnings require at least one end cap to come off. The nylon insert ropes fold inside the tube and the end caps fit OVER them. Now, if you DRILLED out the end caps to get the old fabric removed and install the new fabric, that is NOT how you do it. Doug

Absolutely correct, drilled and slotted the end cap and then added additional rivets on each side of the new slot.

[Trumpeterb]

I have an electric awning. One spring, one motor.

[dougrainer]

Trumpeterb wrote:
Ok...awning off, new fabric on, end caps replaced...now, it is a 17’ Dometic awning, and the research I found said that the spring should be tensioned 10 turns (clockwise—spring is on the left side). My question—after turning it 10 times (assuming that is the right number), do I reinstall the awning ina rolled up position, about a foot or so away from the camper, therefore the spring would have 10 turns of tension in the closed position? Or do I reinstall the awning in the fully extended position, therefore placing 10 turns of tension on the spring when the awning is fully extended? Sorry for all the awning questions....I am new to all of this.

There are 2 springs unless you have an electric awning. Doug

[dougrainer]

beemerphile1 wrote:
FWIW, I replaced the fabric on my 18' awning last year without removing the end caps or messing with the springs.

Can't be done. I don't know what you did or how you did it, but Dometic awnings require at least one end cap to come off. The nylon insert ropes fold inside the tube and the end caps fit OVER them. Now, if you DRILLED out the end caps to get the old fabric removed and install the new fabric, that is NOT how you do it. Doug

[beemerphile1]

FWIW, I replaced the fabric on my 18' awning last year without removing the end caps or messing with the springs.

[wa8yxm]

shastagary wrote:
the manual says Note: Rewinding must be done with the
Awning Fabric extended two feet away
from the coach.
dometic/a&e manual

Thanks. I also needed that.

[Trumpeterb]

Hmmm...good point. Maybe heat shrink would be better.

[sammytoo]

In my experience wrapping anything with electrical tape tends to hold water in rather than keeping it out. Just a thought.

[Trumpeterb]

Thanks for all the help and advice through my various posts about awnings. I finished the job this morning, and everything worked out great. The awning is working as it should now, and there is brand new fabric to boot. Turns out the barrel connectors were all corroded, so I cleaned those off and used some dielectric grease on that connection, and wrapped the entire thing in electrical tape to try and help shielded water in the future. The tension spring was also not set correctly, so I corrected the tension as well. Happy to say that now it works great! Thanks again all.

[Trumpeterb]

Excellent!!