Well, my Zip Dee bit the dust (or should I say drowned) after a major storm during the middle of the night. Water built up in the fabric and snapped the ends of the awning off of the supports. Supports them selves were badly mangled so I disconnected the lower ends at the coach and used a zip knife to get the rest of the fabric off so I could get her home.
Now I'm researching possible replacements. Got a quote for the Girard Patio awning in the same size at just over $7500.00 installed. After choking on it a little I decided to see what others have done here and if that price is in line with that style of awning since internet searches don't seem to turn up a lot on Girard Awning prices and other comparable awnings are considerably cheaper. that what I was quoted.
So sorry! I have retracted an awning in the middle of the night in my pajamas, myself. I am the one who wakes up at the sound of a storm, so it falls to me to do the emergency retraction. Leaving the awning tilted to allow for runoff is a help, but I get nervous about wind. On this coach we have a ZipDee automatic awning (but with a broken wind sensor) and I keep the remote handy at all times. We are rarely in an area that I leave it extended for long periods of time. The smaller window awnings seem to do the job well. Have you talked to ZipDee about a rebuilt unit? The automatic awnings are just great ... when they work. I am half convinced that if this one dies, I will go back to a manual awning that I can tie down and tilt.
FOT is advertising 'obsolete' awnings for sale, you might check out their website under parts.
Mike
Just checked, will have to give them a call first thing Monday. Nobody seems to be in today. :P
$7,500? How much is a zip dee?
FOT is showing outdated ZipDee's starting at $250. If they have one like what I just mangled I'll buy one of those and put off the upgrade! ^.^d
Was your awning the zip dee auto or the manual? We replaced our zip dee auto awning with a manual in August last year. I think the cost was like $2000 for the manual awning.
Manual.
Check with FOT and then a call to zip dee might be in order too!
Zip Dee is more functional. Girard is convenient but useless most of the time since you can't adjust the angle. If it rains and water pools it breaks arms at $400 a piece. I'd stick with Zip Dee.
Unless you are physically in need of the automation, strongly consider the KISS principle, forget the "upgrade" (DOWNGRADE?) and stick with the manual. The manual Zip Dee's work very well, last a long time and are infinitely more useable, reliable and maintainable. However, with a large patio awning deployed, relieving (lowering) one corner before you leave the coach unattended, MUST be remembered, as you may have experienced.
Just my experience, FWIW,
Neal
What parts are you needin g for your awning? I have many parts for a manual awning and am located near Tampa Fl. If you are in Fl pm me and see if I can help you out
All I have left at this point is the roof mount and the two side support mounts. Fabric, Roller, and supports were destroyed.
My Girard was $6k installed by MOT 3 years ago plus painting to match. Sounds about right. Challenge on our coaches is limited space for awning support between rear of entry doer and first window. Limits options.
Like my Girard, except closes itself when wind hits 15 mph
Sent from my iPhon
After all the reviews I'm really moving away from the upgrade right now and just replacing the existing system. Especially since it should be a fairly simple install for myself and a few friends. Thank you for the price comparison though. I really had nothing to go by on the Girard install which seems unusual with the internet these days.
I would not have anything other than a Zip Dee Manual. FWIW
Last summer I received a quote of $2,750 for a 22' Patio Awning and all of the hardware directly from Zip Dee. That included installation at their facility near Chicago. I am betting that the $250 Patio Awning at FOT is just for the fabric, still a good deal though.
Minibeast, Call Zip Dee and give them a list of the parts you need, they have them all. My awning ended up on top of the coach in a storm, I was able to roll it up and save the fabric though. The arms were badly bent but the attachments were still on the coach. If I recall the two arms, and other associated parts were about 450 bucks, that's a lot better than a new awning.
Gary B
I have also a complete zip dee awning, don't know what the length of your is and I think the fabric is green, but you can get the correct color from zipdee
We too are looking for a manual Zip Dee Patio Awning for our coach. As suggested, the color is not important if the price is right, we can get new fabricbut burgundy is what we now have. I believe we need a 22 footer.
If anyone is planning a full body paint in NAC and doesn't use their patio awning, its a good way to recover some of the cost of the paint job.
Well, Mike at Foretravel Parts was very helpful in figuring out what to do. He has several possibilities for those of you that are looking but reccomended that you visit the facility if looking to purchase any of his used units. Unfortunately, he didn't have what I needed and several calls to Zip Dee convinced me to just hold off for now. Zip Dee basically talked themselves out of sale on this one.
Years of cruising a sailboat in the tropics taught us - very slowly - to take in the awning at night no matter what the weather looks like. More midnight awning drills naked in wind-driven rain trying to wrestle a canvas awning spread over the boom and supported with battens than should have been necessary.
It's a LOT easier to put the awning on our Foretravel away when we go back inside for the evening. If we are tempted to forego it we are reminded by the image of several awnings twisted beyond recognition by late night wind storms in the desert.
Cheap insurance: put your awning away every night and whenever you leave the rig. No matter what the weather person says. :)
Craig
Finally have the replacement Zip Dee on order. Sticking with the manual based on reviews. ^.^d
You won't be disappointed with the manual awning!
Has anyone installed the NX upgrade kit from ZipDee , NX Hardware Upgrade Kit (http://awningsbyzipdee.com/60401/60422.html) , to get around from having to lift the arm up?
I thought the lift handles were kinda neat to. Lift Handle (http://awningsbyzipdee.com/4485/20343.html)
Steve & Kathy,
Re: Lift Handle
Don't leave home without it. One pinched finger was enough for me. Makes it super easy to put out and in. FWIW
Reversing the standoffs sounds like a great idea... however, the pictures at the linked web site aren't very clear and don't show what it looks like when the awning is stowed. Does anybody have this installed and if so can you post pictures of how it looks stowed and otherwise? My concern is that it appears as if the arm is curved at the top and wouldn't lay flat against the side of the coach. I wonder if there would be more wind noise under way as well...
Thanks, Don
I deployed our awning a few minutes ago. I was standing on the ground the for the entire process. The "loose" ends of the rafters fit into slot up high, but I didn't have an problem hooking them into the slots and locking the rafters while standing on the ground.
Patio Awning, Gee, never had it out but once to see it, scared of rain & wind damage.
When had coach painted, should have had it removed and cover mounting holes.
Funny, when I purchased the coach from MOT, I asked about the fancy box looking awning (not Zip Dee), was told they run $12,000.00 complete with installation.
I gave that idea very little thought, as in poof !
Dave M
Re. lift handles, photos shows them being used to push the awning. I find it very much easier to pull out than to push out. Handles make the extending of the arm so much easier to do, and can also be used to shorten the length some 12" at a time first at one end of the awning and then the other end.
Here is a helpful hint;
If you have trouble extending the arm while standing on the ground, use a "grabber" from Wal-Mart. They fit the tube and you can use it to push/extend the arm.
Hi,
I had the factory replace the old Zip-Dee patio awning with a Girard on my other coach, a 2001 U320. I liked the convenience of simply pushing a button on the remote. My RV buddies loved that it was larger than theirs when it rained on our potluck dinners or our happy hour get togethers. It gave a cleaner look to the side of the motorhome as well. Those were the pluses.
On the minus side for me: 1) the cost; 2) the adjustment from time to time would get out of whack. The owner's manual said to fully extend the awning during rain to facilitate drainage. Sometimes, the awning would not retract when fully extended. I'd have to get out the manual crank and crank a few times to pull it in some. Then the electric mechanism would work. 3) The remote died once, for no apparent reason. The Girard factory replaced it at no cost, but had to manually crank the awning while I was waiting for the part.
I will seek other alternatives should my Zip-Dee die on my present coach.
Good luck.
Regards, Lee
Well, the awning is replaced. Found out I had not been operating it properly and the new operates easier than the previous one I didn't know how to work. :P
On the down side, as I arrived for installation, the radiator exploded in the driveway of Parliament Motor Coach and the inverter started alarming.
New radiator on the way from Foretravel and new inverter will be installed tomorrow.
One day trip has turned into a week at the shop. :o
DAMN!!!
And the fun continues. Since I'm here, I figured I'd get a few of the little nagging problems taken care of. Hooking up the ice maker so it's operational again, the tech says, "Looks like this thing is near the end of it's lifespan."
I responded with "Sell it to the warranty company and you got a deal."
Needless to say the refrigerator is working fine once again. :P
Nam - that's a bummer! If you would, let us know how things work out with Parliament? We live about 4 hours from there ( in FL right?) and need a good place for mods in the future. I'm glad you didn't go to Classic Coach Works in Lakeland!
I talked with Zip Dee and they service the awnings at their factory in Elk Grove, IL. (Just off I90, near O'Hare airport). They charge $95.00 per hour with a 1 hour minimum, and they think that is all they need to service and adjust one. Service is by appointment only.
Link:
Awnings By Zip Dee (http://awningsbyzipdee.com/)
Keith
Here's a picture of the new awning. The tensioner arms have been reversed to make it easier to set them. Very easy to operate properly now. :))
Did you reverse them or did Zip Dee? Interesting. Something to consider.
Came from Zip Dee with the reverse mount. Here are some pictures showing them a little better. And one of a relative that just showed up for, you guessed it "Awning Work" :))
So you added the NX Arm? NX Hardware Upgrade Kit (http://awningsbyzipdee.com/60401/60422.html)
My previous awning was destroyed due to operator error. ::)
This was the equipment they sent when I ordered replacement parts. Didn't specify it, but I got it! ^.^d
Any chance you could post a couple of pictures ofbthe awning that show how the rafters look in the stowed position? I am guessing the curve on top matches the contour of the coach when stowed?
Thanks, Don
Here ya go!
so is it just a flip of the arms or is it something Zip Dee must do or send to you to make the current model change to this? just curious.
Looks great!
My previous arm was attached to the roller. This uses a mounting bracket attached to the coach inside the roller.
It's a kit you can buy from zip dee NX Hardware Upgrade Kit (http://awningsbyzipdee.com/60401/60422.html)
Thanks for the info Keith. I did not know about the factory being local (to me). I've been contemplating getting a window awning added on the passenger side to cover the 2 windows under the girard. We use all the little window awnings all the time but not so much the big girard patio awning.