Recently when I put out my year old Domettic 9100 electric awning with LED lights, I noticed blisters or bubbles in the fabric. It appeared to me that the fabric was de-laminating. (See first picture)
I contacted Dommetic, and they agreed to send me new replacement fabric with the light strip, but I would be responsible for replacement. I got an estimate labor of about $200 to replace fabric. I had worked on several older style 8500 series awnings and replaced the fabric on two of them. (Some of you may have seen my technique in the past on the RVNET). I figured that I should be able to do this one too.
I down loaded the directions from Domettic, but they recommended taking the entire awning off with the support arms. Since my support arms have a caulking seal to the trailer exterior, I felt that taking the arms off and trying to reseal them would be difficult and look messy when finished. So this is what I did.
I unrolled the awning 1 turn, (Dommetic recommended two) then put in a pin through the holes at the left end to lock spring end. I got some zip ties, our you could use a rope too, then looped them behind where gas strut attached to awning frame. This was done to prevent the ties from slipping up or down, then I pushed the awning in 6 or 8 inches to get slack in fabric at each end. (see second and third picture)
. I had made some brackets so that I could hang awning end to the outside of arm. (see picture 2 & 4) 
Brackets mirror each other and the half circle cutout was about 1 ยฝ in dia. The bent over top sets on top or arm) I had some old conduits at the house so I flattened end and drilled a ยผ โ hole in them. Once awning was resting on brackets, I used bolt from awning end to attach it to conduits to lifting and sliding awning off.
Now disconnect motor and cut wire to lights. On my awning the light strip was so tight to top of awning frame that when I went to take awning off, it slid out of the light strip and it stayed in place.
I laid awning ends on two boxes, then unwrapped fabric to get it off.
Drilled out pop rivets and removed motor end to slide old awning off tube. I had to cut fabric between main awning and flap to get fabric off. (NOTE: you may have to rotate tube to get at pop rivets or slide fabric on. If you need to take conduit off from left end it is safe to do, as pin holds spring as long as end cap is in place)
I had re wrapped new fabric so that top edge was exposed for installing new fabric. NOTE: if you have several inches of the plastic round โweltโ sticking out, cut it off or fabric will not slide on all the way. Wrap new fabric as TIGHT as possible.
Carry awning back to trailer and with one person on roof or ladder you can now slide awning in place. NOTE: if you have the light strip on your awning you may have to do this. Remove 3 or 4 screws from awning rail so you can rotate rail up a bit so that โboxesโ at each end of awning light will clear top of awning frame.
Move awning ends from temporary brackets and reattach to arms. You may have to push awning in a bit or even operate motor a bit to get bolts and threaded holes to line up.
Pull the pin at left end of awning and remove zip ties or rope. Operate awning in or out a few times to make sure that it works fine, then install screw in top rail that holds awning from sliding.
I contacted Dommetic, and they agreed to send me new replacement fabric with the light strip, but I would be responsible for replacement. I got an estimate labor of about $200 to replace fabric. I had worked on several older style 8500 series awnings and replaced the fabric on two of them. (Some of you may have seen my technique in the past on the RVNET). I figured that I should be able to do this one too. I down loaded the directions from Domettic, but they recommended taking the entire awning off with the support arms. Since my support arms have a caulking seal to the trailer exterior, I felt that taking the arms off and trying to reseal them would be difficult and look messy when finished. So this is what I did.
I unrolled the awning 1 turn, (Dommetic recommended two) then put in a pin through the holes at the left end to lock spring end. I got some zip ties, our you could use a rope too, then looped them behind where gas strut attached to awning frame. This was done to prevent the ties from slipping up or down, then I pushed the awning in 6 or 8 inches to get slack in fabric at each end. (see second and third picture)
. I had made some brackets so that I could hang awning end to the outside of arm. (see picture 2 & 4) Brackets mirror each other and the half circle cutout was about 1 ยฝ in dia. The bent over top sets on top or arm) I had some old conduits at the house so I flattened end and drilled a ยผ โ hole in them. Once awning was resting on brackets, I used bolt from awning end to attach it to conduits to lifting and sliding awning off. Now disconnect motor and cut wire to lights. On my awning the light strip was so tight to top of awning frame that when I went to take awning off, it slid out of the light strip and it stayed in place.
I laid awning ends on two boxes, then unwrapped fabric to get it off.
Drilled out pop rivets and removed motor end to slide old awning off tube. I had to cut fabric between main awning and flap to get fabric off. (NOTE: you may have to rotate tube to get at pop rivets or slide fabric on. If you need to take conduit off from left end it is safe to do, as pin holds spring as long as end cap is in place)I had re wrapped new fabric so that top edge was exposed for installing new fabric. NOTE: if you have several inches of the plastic round โweltโ sticking out, cut it off or fabric will not slide on all the way. Wrap new fabric as TIGHT as possible.
Carry awning back to trailer and with one person on roof or ladder you can now slide awning in place. NOTE: if you have the light strip on your awning you may have to do this. Remove 3 or 4 screws from awning rail so you can rotate rail up a bit so that โboxesโ at each end of awning light will clear top of awning frame.
Move awning ends from temporary brackets and reattach to arms. You may have to push awning in a bit or even operate motor a bit to get bolts and threaded holes to line up.
Pull the pin at left end of awning and remove zip ties or rope. Operate awning in or out a few times to make sure that it works fine, then install screw in top rail that holds awning from sliding.
