new manual Zip Dee awning

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new manual Zip Dee awning

May 29, 2013, 12:46:42 am

We are contemplating the possible addition of one manual Zip Dee awning to be installed on the passenger side over the kitchen/living-room/passenger windows - UNDER the existing Girard automatic patio awning (which we would leave in place).

Below is a photo of our 2003 U295 3610 as well as a sample photo (from the FOT website awhile back) of a 2002 U320 3620 that shows what we are considering.

Both Zip Dee in Illinois (For Your RV) and Xtreme have indicated that they do not do new installations. Xtreme suggested contacting either FOT or MOT to do the work.

Has anyone done such a mod - and if so, who did the work, how did it go, and what was the total cost (in round numbers)?

Re: new manual Zip Dee awning

Reply #1 – May 29, 2013, 09:38:01 am

Pat, if I'm not mistaken you will head to the east coast sometime this summer. If so you may want to consider Eagles Pride RV Serv. We just had a brand new Zip Dee Patio Awning installed at Eagles Pride RV Service in Titusville, FL. Their work was very satisfactory. Also, you might want to check with Mike Graves at FOT. Last December he had a number of leftover Zip Dee awnings, some in the tan color for your coach, for only $250. The hardware would have to come from Zip Dee and it takes about two weeks to get the hardware shipped in.

Our original patio awning was removed by Foretravel during the FBP because the PO's never used it. We really like having a patio awning and could not find a used one so we popped for a brand new one from Zip Dee. The price was pretty painful, about $3200 installed, but we are enjoying setting outside more now that we have the shade. It's almost like adding an extra room to the coach.

Re: new manual Zip Dee awning

Reply #2 – May 29, 2013, 09:46:17 am

Quote from: Patricia – May 29, 2013, 12:46:42 am

Has anyone done such a mod - and if so, who did the work, how did it go, and what was the total cost (in round numbers)?

We had Zip Dee do it in there parking lot in Aug 2008 where we stayed the night.
Zip Dee Awning Install
After we saw the wind take hold of our Girard one time I figured this was a must have awning because I will never leave the Girard out again if we are not near the coach.

Re: new manual Zip Dee awning

Reply #3 – May 29, 2013, 09:50:07 am

We had our zip dee auto awning removed and a new manual zip dee installed at Xtreme. The window awning you are talking about is a great addition. We use ours all the time. More so than the patio awning.

I would give James a call at extreme again. I'm shocked they would not do a new installation as they have a section dedicated to awnings on their website and they are an Authorzied zip dee dealer.

Zip dee can do the install as well if you are in the Chicago area.

You will love the addition!

Re: new manual Zip Dee awning

Reply #4 – May 29, 2013, 09:54:08 am

Whoever you have do the install make sure they put a level on the roller tube AND the vertical arms. Our arms are pushed forward just a tad and it drives me nuts when I look at it. In my mind, it's a simple task of checking the level BEFORE any screws are installed.

FYI.....

Re: new manual Zip Dee awning

Reply #5 – May 29, 2013, 10:40:44 am

Quote from: Barry Beam – May 29, 2013, 09:46:17 am

We had Zip Dee do it in there parking lot in Aug 2008 where we stayed the night.

Barry, Zip Dee told me that they used to do just that... but they are so busy with work in the factory that they can't afford to take guys off the production line to do an install. They now suggest calling Foretravel. Rats!

Quote from: txforetravel – May 29, 2013, 09:50:07 am

We had our zip dee auto awning removed and a new manual zip dee installed at Xtreme. The window awning you are talking about is a great addition. We use ours all the time. More so than the patio awning. I would give James a call at extreme again. I'm shocked they would not do a new installation as they have a section dedicated to awnings on their website and they are an Authorzied zip dee dealer.

Tom, it was Jennifer at Xtreme who told me that they do not do new installations of Zip Dee awnings... only replacements, which yours apparently was (although from auto to manual).

Quote from: txforetravel – May 29, 2013, 09:54:08 am

Whoever you have do the install make sure they put a level on the roller tube AND the vertical arms. Our arms are pushed forward just a tad and it drives me nuts when I look at it. In my mind, it's a simple task of checking the level BEFORE any screws are installed. FYI.

Thanks for the tip! Yep, that would drive me crazy, too (or, as George says, crazi-er!

)

Re: new manual Zip Dee awning

Reply #6 – May 29, 2013, 06:26:38 pm

Im surprised my xetreme not doing the install. Ours was a new install as you can not just go from auto to manual. Totally different equipment and holes!

Did Jennifer mention why they wouldn't install a new one? It's pretty basic I would think! But if you are through Nac, just go to FOT! It would still be cheaper than buying a new coach that already has one!

Crazi-ER, I don't think so!

Re: new manual Zip Dee awning

Reply #7 – May 29, 2013, 08:54:11 pm

The installation of a window awning is very simple and can be a do it yourself project.

Re: new manual Zip Dee awning

Reply #8 – July 02, 2013, 05:36:57 pm

We just had FOT install a window awning for us. It goes over the passenger window and the passenger side living room window. We felt it would have been too long of a span to also go over the kitchen window as it would have had too much "sail area". At this point, we opted not to put an awning over the kitchen window.

The cost breakdown was as follows:
Awning: $548 (7 1/2 foot awning; Zip Dee charges by the even foot so was charged as an 8 ft awning)
Shipping: $51.70
Heavy duty packaging: $25.00
Silicone: $26.18
Installation: $143.00

Total: $793.88

It looks good.

Before having FOT install it, we talked to Xtreme and they told us they did not do new awning installations because they didn't know where the structural bracing was. However, FOT didn't worry at all about the awning being sized to hit the structural bracing. We sort of worried about this until one foggy morning we were able to see the structural bracing on a lot of the Foretravels sitting at FOT and few of the awnings were actually attached into the structural braces.

Re: new manual Zip Dee awning

Reply #9 – July 02, 2013, 07:50:17 pm

Quote from: Gayle McNeece – July 02, 2013, 05:36:57 pm

We just had FOT install a window awning for us. It goes over the passenger window and the passenger side living room window. We felt it would have been too long of a span to also go over the kitchen window as it would have had too much "sail area".

Gayle, how long is "too long of a span"? From the look of the "sample" image I posted above, it would appear that the awning would need to be either 10 or 11 feet to cover our three windows. I'm wondering what the maximum practical length would be.

Re: new manual Zip Dee awning

Reply #10 – July 02, 2013, 08:02:59 pm

how long is "too long of a span"?

I really don't know that answer. Your span, with your coach being the shorter 36 ft, would be shorter than our span would have been to also cover the kitchen window. For us, it just "felt" too long. Where we winter in southern California, we can get some high winds. We just felt that it would be too long. Nothing scientific...sorry...

Re: new manual Zip Dee awning

Reply #11 – July 02, 2013, 08:29:58 pm

Patricia said: "it would appear that the awning would need to be either 10 or 11 feet to cover our three windows. I'm wondering what the maximum practical length would be."

Patricia,

Our ZipDee Awning (manual) is 18' long, covers front half of passenger side. That said, we feel that it is too long to keep out for any extended period of time, especially when we are not at the coach. We have seen too many long awinings flipped over the top of the coach during the relatively short time that the owners had left to do errands. One never knows when a gust of wind is going to wreak havoc.

Re: new manual Zip Dee awning

Reply #12 – July 02, 2013, 08:56:20 pm

Quote from: Don Hay – July 02, 2013, 08:29:58 pm

Our ZipDee Awning (manual) is 18' long, covers front half of passenger side.

Don, Is that one of the "window" awnings or is it a "patio" awning? We have both on the passenger side. The "window" awnings are relatively short along the axis of the coach and extend out about three feet. They can be quickly deployed with an awning hook. The "patio" awning extends several feet out from the coach and requires several steps to deploy.

We will leave the "window" awnings out if we are sleeping or away from the coach. We do not leave the "patio" awning extended except when we are present.

The "largest practical size" might be different for the two types of awnings. Our "patio" awning is longer than any of our "window" awnings.

Re: new manual Zip Dee awning

Reply #13 – July 02, 2013, 08:59:48 pm

I just measured ours above the copilots window and it is 15'2". Here is a picture.

Mark

Re: new manual Zip Dee awning

Reply #14 – July 02, 2013, 09:11:07 pm

Thanks, Mark.... ours would be a bit shorter. How does your size fare in moderately windy conditions (ie, when you wouldn't want to put the patio awning out)?

Re: new manual Zip Dee awning

Reply #15 – July 02, 2013, 09:13:31 pm

Jo Ann and I put the main awning out tonight for the first time. I'm going to leave it out tonight since it is calm, and I may leave it out until tomorrow evening just to let the sun get to it for a bit. After that, though, it will be out only during the day when we're right there at the coach.

Re: new manual Zip Dee awning

Reply #16 – July 02, 2013, 09:21:20 pm

Pat,
The only times I have ever had to put it in are during a few bad storms. Otherwise I leave them out all the time without any problems at all.

Mark

Re: new manual Zip Dee awning

Reply #17 – July 02, 2013, 09:48:37 pm

Dave and Patricia,

Dave you made a good point: I should have differentiated between our PATIO awning (18') and regular awnings over the windows. On the driver's side, which is where the kitchen window is, we have a regular awning that is 12'6" long. It extends over both the living room and kitchen windows. It is a regular manual, pull-down awning with a strap that holds it down. We leave the non-patio awnings open when we depart for errands.

Re: new manual Zip Dee awning

Reply #18 – July 02, 2013, 10:25:22 pm

Pat, Not sure Zip Dee is the best choice to do a install if they did do one. Zip Dee installed a new 18' awning on my brothers Barth last October. I am not impressed with the install workmanship.

Cheers

Ted

Re: new manual Zip Dee awning

Reply #19 – July 03, 2013, 11:21:09 am

Quote from: Patricia – July 02, 2013, 09:11:07 pm

Thanks, Mark.... ours would be a bit shorter. How does your size fare in moderately windy conditions (ie, when you wouldn't want to put the patio awning out)?

Pat, I have a window awning that is 11'8" long and I added a locking hook just for added safety when driving in heavy winds. But like Mark no issue when using parked; or no more so than any other window awnings.

Re: new manual Zip Dee awning

Reply #20 – July 22, 2013, 07:49:51 pm

Like Don Hay we have a 12' 6" window awning on the drivers side. We do take them in if we know it will storm but I am confident that it would take one heck of a wind to damage it. We had a cross wind get under our patio awning while running down the road at 65mph. It opened up completely until I could pull over on a two lane highway. When we got out, the 14 year old awning showed no damage except that about 3' of the seam separated.

We also watched Jeff and Carol's 93, U225 awnings stand up to 50 mph winds in West Texas several years ago. The window awnings flapped up and down but there was no damage. I can't say enough about the strength and quality of the Zip Dee's. If I want to leave the patio awning up unattended, I use a corkscrew anchor and nylon straps at the corners to help repel strong winds.

One note, I spoke with Jim Webb, president of Zip Dee, last month. He said they are no longer installing RV awnings at the factory. Their former installers are all busy working in the plant to keep up with their orders. Zip Dees must be installed by a dealer. I used Eagles Pride in Titusville, FL for our new patio awning. They did a nice job. Price was reasonable.

Re: new manual Zip Dee awning

Reply #21 – July 22, 2013, 09:49:39 pm

Patricia,

We asked for a ball park estimate earlier this year for the same size you are considering...approx 12 ft at FOT and was told around $1500.00 installed. We really like Zip Dee window awnings and find they handle lots of wind.

Re: new manual Zip Dee awning

Reply #22 – August 31, 2013, 01:04:59 pm

Our passenger side window awnings are at each individual window. The driver's side has one 12 ft long. It wiggles a bit with only one tie-down but with the age the threads have all worn out between the four panels so it lets wind through like some of those umbrellas with the vents at the top. Our patio awning is 19 ft and I've had to replace one "claw" at the end of the brace. Other than that, we've had no trouble. If we're parked the awnings are out. This is the 18th summer. Minor fading but still doing what an awning should.

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