Awning fabric

Topic: Awning fabric (Read 2222 times) previous topic - next topic

Awning fabric

January 01, 2020, 09:40:53 am

Planning a coach face lift including fresh awning fabric all over.. Don't have a clue of a fair price to pay.. All aluminum needs no attention.. Has anyone had it done that's willing to say what you spent? Thanks...

Re: Awning fabric

Reply #1 – January 01, 2020, 09:42:37 am

Should have been in renovation my bad.

Re: Awning fabric

Reply #2 – January 01, 2020, 09:56:37 am

Fabric is sunbrella.

Certainly check with Zip Dee.

Re: Awning fabric

Reply #3 – January 01, 2020, 10:02:29 am

Last year I replaced all of my awning fabrics I used umbrella plus which I had laying around from a previous planned Bimini and Dodge are on my sailboat. It was white so I made all of the small awnings out of it. I then ordered from sailrite sunbrella for the main awning and that is a striped red gray and some other color I forget now. It was a job. First I had to learn how to sew. I used to sailrire ultrafeed sewing machine and a special thread that resists UV. They came out pretty good not perfect but good. I saved a lot of money. But if you have the zip dee awnings zip dee will sell you the completed awning fabrics. They use cotton thread or some type of it so the thread will degrade over time but you'll get a good 10 to 20 years out of it assuming you take care of it.
Also had to replace some of the hardware while I was at it. And of course the rivets. Zip dee use a special type of rivets that you have to buy from them and they aren't cheap.
As to how much I spent it was probably about 1100 or $1,200 all in and that's with the sewing machine and the thread. and I still have the sewing machine for other uses. Probably took a week or two total plus waiting for parts.

Re: Awning fabric

Reply #4 – January 01, 2020, 10:05:27 am

That's good but I want it installed.. We don't sew.

Re: Awning fabric

Reply #5 – January 01, 2020, 10:08:45 am

Quote from: Dub – January 01, 2020, 10:05:27 am

That's good but I want it installed.. We don't sew.

Laugh out loud Dub. Neither did I. I watched some YouTube videos and learned on the job. but I agree it's not for everybody. And if you want the best-looking job get it from zip dee. You'll just pay more.

Re: Awning fabric

Reply #6 – January 01, 2020, 10:29:37 am

We do quiet a bit of bus work in my shop Bob but this is one thing I plan to farm out.. Hell of a lot better with a wrench and hammer than a needle. Appreciate you.

Re: Awning fabric

Reply #7 – January 01, 2020, 11:56:39 am

We replaced ours with the items from Zip Dee. Contact them and they will give you a quote on exactly what you need. Great people who make great products!

Re: Awning fabric

Reply #8 – January 01, 2020, 02:42:48 pm

Nachogdoches may have someone who will put this together for me, I just wonder how many cb's to expect. I just am not ever going to be a hand at sewing enough to satisfy myself. You can look at some of my britches and tell that.

Re: Awning fabric

Reply #9 – January 01, 2020, 02:46:10 pm

Another option is to order the completed fabric from Zip Dee and install it locally. Not much to that and no sewing.

Re: Awning fabric

Reply #10 – January 01, 2020, 03:01:45 pm

10/4.... May be the best and least expensive option.

Re: Awning fabric

Reply #11 – January 01, 2020, 03:03:47 pm

Would agree, if you don't want to get into seamstress duties-- reasonable price, excellent quality.

Re: Awning fabric

Reply #12 – January 01, 2020, 03:23:56 pm

Quote from: wolfe10 – January 01, 2020, 02:46:10 pm

Another option is to order the completed fabric from Zip Dee and install it locally. Not much to that and no sewing.

That's what we did. I ordered the new fabric with one aluminum slat attached. It was easy to slide the old out of the "case" and the new into it. The fabric was straightforward to slide on to the roller tube and rivet in place.

Re: Awning fabric

Reply #13 – January 01, 2020, 03:54:55 pm

Quote from: D.J. Osborn – January 01, 2020, 03:23:56 pm

That's what we did. I ordered the new fabric with one aluminum slat attached. It was easy to slide the old out of the "case" and the new into it. The fabric was straightforward to slide on to the roller tube and rivet in place.

Were you able to do this alone or does it take two or three guys?

jk

Re: Awning fabric

Reply #14 – January 01, 2020, 04:50:21 pm

It takes more than one person to do this job. The top of the awning slides into a fixture on the top of the RV, I forget what it's called it needs to be cleaned out really well first and then a dried lubricant sprayed in there. At the same time you're sliding it onto the bottom roller where it has to be riveted in in multiple places. When you take the old one out it's a bit of a hassle there's some screws to take out and then you have to uncrimp the slat on top because it's basically held in by them crimping it in it's not incredibly difficult but it's time consuming. It's soft aluminum you just have to have the right tool. Zipp Dee sells a type of grip pliers that's made for it. The small awnings are easy, it's the big one that's a little bit harder. It took me and my two sons to do the big one because one person has to be supporting the end while another one holding up the middle while a third person is feeding it into the slot. There are YouTube videos on how to do this and that would be the first place to look at to see if it's something that you're even interested in doing yourself. But you can save some coach box by doing it yourself if you have help.

Re: Awning fabric

Reply #15 – January 01, 2020, 05:11:41 pm

Anyone ever replace the fabric strip that goes between the coach and the aluminum cover on the 18' patio awning?
Ours is coming apart from rot/age/decay/moisture.

Re: Awning fabric

Reply #16 – January 01, 2020, 05:30:15 pm

Quote from: nitehawk – January 01, 2020, 05:11:41 pm

Anyone ever replace the fabric strip that goes between the coach and the aluminum cover on the 18' patio awning?
Ours is coming apart from rot/age/decay/moisture.

Replaced all of mine.. some I ordered from zipdee and most of the coach to louver pieces I had made.. when I did the bedroom and main awning I had zipdee make the 1" wide one already crimped on a louver and for the main awning ordered the lower louver that connects to the mainawning as mine was pretty beat up from me trying to get the crimping undone.

Seen a tool (pic) floating on the forum that would have made the uncrimping easier but I suggest getting a new louver.

Re: Awning fabric

Reply #17 – January 01, 2020, 05:53:04 pm

nitehawk,
Our strip was frayed and torn when we purchased our coach. I was concerned and checked into getting the cloth strip from Zipdee. We used the awning with care and it did OK. Our last long trip we were camped on Old Hickory outside of Nashville when we were broadsided with about a 50 mph wind. It got ripped a good bit more and bent all of the aluminum cover slats about 45 degrees on the aft end of the awning. I got it rolled up and home. I have a new complete cover including the cloth strip, a uncrimping tool and a NX upgrade kit taking up driveway space. I have to go get my gooseneck flatbed trailer so I can get the 24 foot tube of slats to the coach and then Miss M and I will start a grand adventure as awning repair persons...
Awnings by Zipdee has a video explaining how to replace the strip. Bob is right about it taking a few people and I believe it would take some planning, due the replacement being done with the mounting slat still attached to the top of the coach. Hopefully, if the weather cooperates I will know more about this in the coming weeks.
Good luck with yours and I hope you don't put it off and have a real learning experience like me.
Glen

Edit: After reading David's answer, I agree that a new louver would be a better way to go.

Re: Awning fabric

Reply #18 – January 01, 2020, 06:29:36 pm

Flex Key is the strip holding awning to coach. I replaced my big Zip Dee awning flex key on my previous coach.

Re: Awning fabric

Reply #19 – January 01, 2020, 07:12:41 pm

OK Dan, enlighten us. How did you do it? Or did you have Zip Dee do it?

Re: Awning fabric

Reply #20 – January 01, 2020, 07:19:18 pm

When you order it from zip dee they send you 2 short pieces of the metal slat with a short piece of flex key and the instructions to do it. It is easier with 2 people but I have done it by myself.

Re: Awning fabric

Reply #21 – January 01, 2020, 09:35:15 pm

Quote from: nitehawk – January 01, 2020, 07:12:41 pm

OK Dan, enlighten us. How did you do it? Or did you have Zip Dee do it?

I did it by myself at Sigsbee Naval Air Station Key West, on my 1994 Bluebird BMC 37. This was back in August 2015, and a sudden storm ripped about 1/4 length of the old sun and weather damaged flex key.

I ordered the flex key, rivets and "special" vice grips tool from Zip Dee. I have a little giant extension ladder.

The way I managed by myself was tying off the two ends of large awning to points on my roof - to keep the awning from collapsing down to the ground when the old flex key was removed. This was a older totally manual large Zip Dee patio awning.

My first problem was a old dull drill bit to remove rivets. A trip to the store for a new drill bit solved that. I used either WD40 or Windex to lube the track to slide the new flex key in (can't remember which).

Working by myself was a bit of a pain "un clamping" the dents in the channel that keep the flex key from sliding. Besides the special tool (form of vice grips) I used a flat head screwdriver.

Sliding the new flex key in requires getting the awning just the right distance away from the coach. After that a couple f new "dents" in the aluminum channel, and a couple of rivets.

My records show $101 for flex key, shipping, and tools. (2015 cost)

The more I age, the more I consider hiring jobs out. That is for both safety when needing ladders, and body issues (bad ankle, shoulder issues). If I needed to do it again I might consider either hiring it out, or just hiring a helper with a 2nd ladder.

Re: Awning fabric

Reply #22 – January 01, 2020, 09:37:15 pm

Found my post on it
Awning replacment

Re: Awning fabric

Reply #23 – January 01, 2020, 09:39:06 pm

Quote from: red tractor – January 01, 2020, 07:19:18 pm

When you order it from zip dee they send you 2 short pieces of the metal slat with a short piece of flex key and the instructions to do it. It is easier with 2 people but I have done it by myself.

To add, the short pieces of flex key are a temporary tool to keep the awning attached to the coach as you remove the old key and install the new one. As you slide the new flex key in, the short piece(s) are then removed.

At least that is how it was on my then 1994 Blue Bird coach.

Re: Awning fabric

Reply #24 – January 01, 2020, 10:20:28 pm

I'm waiting on a shoulder replacement so work where I have to raise my arm is out.. To get this done this year I will to have it done as our full time mechanic and jack of different trades is out until may with wrist surgery. I fired our mechanic assistant so we are handicapped here.. Looking to hire a new mechanic helper but that takes time it seems.. Had 2 real mechanics fired one and 1 fell off 12 ft ladder breaking both arms. Everyone I fired needed it but leaves me with no help until some people heal up..Been a long time since I've been so helpless and I am not used to it... Thanks for all the input.

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