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Tensioning Zip Dee window awning

July 19, 2024, 10:18:45 pm

Hey all...I just had all my window awnings worked on. Had the strips that attach the awning to the coach replaced by a mobile tech. A couple had unraveled and the others were close. He was Zip Dee recommended and he did a good job replacing. Now one of the awnings has a little less tension on it than it did prior. I was looking at the Zip Dee instructions for adding tension and it says to undo the left arm from the coach and turn the entire arm clockwise to increase tension. Someone needs to hold the awning open and you must not let go of the arm lest the awning spring unwind. We are on the road and I was going to attempt this feat tomorrow while we are stopped. Does anyone have any experience and/or wisdom to impart on this subject? Thanks

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Re: Tensioning Zip Dee window awning

Reply #1 – July 19, 2024, 11:18:22 pm

My brother and I did the main awning in a campground earlier this year. It is a 2 man job as one has to hold the weight of the awning while the other does the spinning. I can't remember the amount of turns but I do remember we had to do it twice to get it right

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Re: Tensioning Zip Dee window awning

Reply #2 – July 20, 2024, 05:12:02 pm

I did my window awning myself, just open the awning hook the strap( you may want someone to make sure the strap doesn't come off the hook. Take the arm loose and add maybe 2 turns on it.

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Re: Tensioning Zip Dee window awning

Reply #3 – July 20, 2024, 07:15:16 pm

I have done many Zip Dee window and main awnings. The window awnings are pretty easy as compared to the main awning. If you have a picnic table that you can stand on it will be much easier. When I ordered that strip Zip Dee sent a short end of strip attached to a short strip of the metal wrap. You start sliding out the first metal wrap and the strip from the awning rail and insert the piece that they send you and put it in the other end when the wrap piece is totally removed. Then put the new strip into the metal wrap and reinstall. You don't need to rewind it as it still has the same tension on the spring.

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Re: Tensioning Zip Dee window awning

Reply #4 – July 20, 2024, 07:34:59 pm

Ok...with the confidence gained here, I have managed to add tension to the window awning. Just pulled out awning and had wife hold the strap so it wouldn't go anywhere. Detached the left side awning arm from coach, 7/16 wrench, and carefully, making sure to not lose my grip on it, added about 4 turns(clockwise), which tightened it up very well. Reattached to coach .  I did need to stand on a step ladder to rotate the arm. Also needed to loosen and move my driver side mirror out of the way a bit... thanks for the advice....

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Re: Tensioning Zip Dee window awning

Reply #5 – July 21, 2024, 12:22:03 pm

I am going to try to add a picture of the part I was talking about. A picture is worth a thousand words

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Re: Tensioning Zip Dee window awning

Reply #6 – July 21, 2024, 07:06:49 pm

This is Ron's photo.

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Re: Tensioning Zip Dee window awning

Reply #7 – July 21, 2024, 07:29:58 pm

Thank you so much. Hopefully this will make it clearer what I tried to explain yesterday. I think a picture is worth a thousand words. It definitely makes replacing the flex key easier. Most of the smaller awnings I can do by myself. I have also done the flex key on the main awning by myself using this tool. They also have a vice grip for uncrimping the metal slat from the flex key and also to recrimp.

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Re: Tensioning Zip Dee window awning

Reply #8 – July 21, 2024, 07:39:42 pm

Great picture Jeff.. yes Ron, that is what the guy used that replaced all my flex strips on the window awnings. He used two different ones as there are two widths used by ZipDee on their awnings. The one shown in Jeff's picture is the wide one. There is a much narrower fabric used in some. It was weird that some of mine had the wide and a couple had the narrow. Seemed to be no rhyme or reason to it. Did not appear to have to do with awning size. We checked my big patio awning for future, and it has the narrower flex strip. We did not replace that one as it looked like it is holding together well, as I don't think it has been used much per condition is like new.....

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