I would like to know how the Zip Dee sunbrella material is attached to the roller, is it stitched around the roller or does it have that plastic piece sewn into it that slides into a slot on the roller?
Mine looks like someone has added some stitching to it but it does not hang straight, the ends look like more material has been pulled up or something.
Thanks
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Mine is stitched.
It slides on the tube and is attached with revits through the material into the tube. You may try extending the arms out and raising the sliders on the motor home up it will tighten the awning up. Your awning looks like it may have been stretched from rain water buildup at some point.
Thanks, guess I will see if I can find someone to fix the stitching without taking it off. It been repaired once but not a very good job of it.
Thanks, I did not know how to extend the arms until early this morning when I found a youtube video on it.
I will go back down there in a couple of weeks and extend the arms but I don't think that will help where the stitching has broken. :(
I just removed one of my window awnings and had it re stitched. It's a two person job. The main would require a couple of extra hands. Mine had to come off to be repaired, if you check the price of new awning fabric prices it's worth the effort to have it repaired.
If the awning has to come off, I can add to Bruce's comment: "two men, and BE CAREFUL, physical damage can happen! Airstream uses Zip Dees, also. A local dealer might be of help.
Thanks, I figured they were probably a bit pricey. I am close enough to FOT I will probably just take it back over there next fall.
I prefer the repair route if possible so it stays matched to the other 6 window awnings.
I disconnected the main awning by myself, to replace the 2 inch wide piece of awning material between the aluminum cover and the awning rail attached to the motorhome. I first clamped the awning roller at the left arm because the left arm has tension on it (to roll the awning up). The right arm has no tension. I then removed some screws and crimps and slide out the short piece of awning with the first piece of aluminum cover. I pulled it to the rear with 10 foot long 2x4s resting on the roof to support the 22 foot long pieces removed. Once removed, I could have removed the entire awning by lowering it to the ground, but that was not required.
My window awnings also have the rewind spring attached to the left arm. Count the number of rotations required to remove the tension before removing the awning and put that many turns back when replacing it, unless you want more tension, then add a turn or two.
The tension on the main awning is much greater then the tension on the windows awnings. If the arm with tension pulls out of your hand, it could give you a nasty surprise.
Thanks for the info Wyatt, that will probably come in handy for me ^.^d
The polyester V92 thread that is used to hold the seams together is deteriorating. You might get a canvas shop to resew the loop and the seams. I was quoted a min. of $150.00 but was told they would charge by the hour and not sure how long it would take. Many these days are using a "teflon" based thread. The Sunbrella will rot before the thread.
The awning is "crimped" into the "channel" in the aluminum cover panels. Must open the channel to allow the canvas to slide out. Needle nose pliers or channel-locks will work Either slide out of the channel toward the nose or the stern.
If you take the large awning off for repair I would suggest you also replace the 1 1/2" fabric key that is between the coach and the aluminum cover assembly. Call the plant and they will make one for you - to size. Color may not match but I would guess that that key is getting a bit worn and beaten.
http://nebula.wsimg.com/c663901fa4b59d442c0dc5932c1491b9?AccessKeyId=C8A729CF410B06765C18&disposition=0&alloworigin=1
PM if you want to chat.
;D
Thanks Scott, I will have to see how things work out the next couple of week when I get it home. ^.^d
If you give Zipdee a call they will tell you an easier way to remove the awning than fooling with the flex key
Thanks Bruce, I will give that a try too. I did watch some of their videos this morning.
My coach should have come out of one shop at FOT today and into another one next Tues or Wed.
For me to run over there and look at something it is a 400 mile round trip
You might check with FOT and see what they would charge to remove, sew and replace the awning. 3 hours? - or maybe replace?
Looking at your first photo in this post it strikes me that you apparently don't have the awning deployed correctly. It should be rolled up tight and pulling against the arms. Do you have the little booklet from Zip Dee? Look in the plastic pockets of the big books that hopefully came with your coach. It requires skill to use this awning correctly. If you do it correctly it'll withstand wind gusts that'll tear other awnings off newer coaches. Note that I don't suggest testing this theory in an actual windstorm but no doubt someday you will, inadvertently. The Zip Dee is super expensive so make sure it isn't operator error before you start spending bucks on it. If you can't find the booklet, and Zip Dee doesn't have it, contact me and I'll scan my booklet and post it on here. I see the damage in the photo but I doubt that'll matter if you get the awning deployed correctly. You've only taken the first steps in your photo. That damaged portion should be rolled up and won't even show after you get the awning deployed correctly. It takes about a minute or so to get the awning deployed correctly. This doesn't sit well with today's RV people who want something motorized.
Scott
(615) 482-7650
I left them a message earlier this afternoon but they must have left early today for some reason :D
Thanks Scott, it was not deployed all the way, I found a video this morning on how to do it correctly. I took the picture last week when I was down there but the thread is busted for about 12 inches where you can see the roller showing through.
If you decide to handle this yourself, get aluminum rivets from Zip Dee. The heads are a bit larger than what I could find at the depot or ace so they have more surface area to hold the material to the aluminum roller drum.
Thanks Scott, I know sometimes on aircraft we used washers under the rivet head for more surface but if they make rivets like that it should be a safer way to do it.
Lager head aluminum rivets can be sourced from many vendors, including Amazon, Fastenal, and Mc Master Carr etc;
McMaster-Carr (http://www.mcmaster.com/#catalog/123/3340/=1awjaa3)
However, perhaps Zip Dee has a version which has a softened edge under the head so as to reduce the tendency to cut the fabric.
Don
Thanks Don We do have several Fastenal's around here, and to soften the underside of the rivet a O-ring or small flat rubber washer might work?
If you roll up the awning so it pulls against the arms properly that bad spot won't even show. I'm pretty sure it'll work just fine. Find the booklet and follow the instructions, you'll see what I mean. The bad spot also won't show when the awning is folded up. The only time you'll see that bad spot is for about a minute or so when you're opening or closing the awning. If it really bothers you try to stitch it with a heavy duty needle made for canvas or leather. That Zip Dee awning is probably over $2,500
I just went through the rivet deal could not find them at Fastenal unless you want 500, or done of the big box stores. I just called Zipdee had them in 4 days.
Z-Locks fail over time, tearing from the end of the awning. Xtreme replaced all of mine when I noticed they were starting to fail. I'd get a quote from ZipDee for new material to confirm it's not financially viable for you.
I've dealt with Zip Dee during the five awning equipped coaches we've had. If every company ran their business as friendly and efficient as Zip Dee, the world would be a much better place! ^.^d
Zip Dee is the best. Jimmy takes good care of my awning. Been working great since Infinity sent my control box in for repair. They work to assist you not forget you exist. No phone maize to go though. Love the company also.
The lock on the end of the roller on my Zip Dee awning failed a few years ago and I ordered a new one for about $70 as I recall. A local dealer installed it. He told me the spring can be tricky and it requires a special rivet. He has done them before but I watched him and it took a while to get it right. That's when he told me the awning costs over $2500 ...gasp ...but he pointed out that it's probably the strongest RV awning ever built if you use it properly. I've been in campgrounds where other awnings have been ripped off newer coaches and I watched one fly up over the roof of a coach one time. I've seen some of the new motorized awnings seize up halfway in and the owner had a terrible time winding it up the rest of the way by hand. One guy told me his new coach burned out two awning motors already and they were over $250 each plus installation... so I'll stick with my Zip Dee :)
having worked on 3 electric awnings over a few years my felling is that mostly the end caps are the offendor for letting in moisture, which will in time seize the motor up. They are not hard to work on (girard) but wiegh a lot.
Aluminum (cast, maybe a pot metal variety)cases with steel screws and once moisture has got to threads those screws break. The ones I repaired all had missing end cap screws, which therefore allowed the cap not to seal right.
I think the cost of last motor for a roof awning was close to $400.
Like everything else on a motorhome you better make sure that all parts/equipt that is affected by water or road debri is sealed/protected well or it is going to "bite" you sometime down the road.
JohnH
Thanks Bruce, if FOT does not have them when I pick up the coach I will call Zipdee
Thanks Brett, if it requires a replacement it will have to wait a spell as I really blew my budget for this year ::)
Thanks Scott, that is my worry that the seam is already failing and I don't want the wind to finish it off and mess up something else.
If i have to I just wont use it until I get it fixed, the small awnings under it are still in good shape.
Thanks John, the motorized awnings are the reason I looked for a coach with manual awnings. My 5th wheel had a bad motor so been there and done that. Just like the computer and sensor problems on my GMC Duramax this coach does not have any of that stuff. ^.^d