Replacing Awning Material
Awning Replacement
The procedure actually calls for removing both end caps. Before I began replacing the fabric, I did some checking online and read of another person who said removing both end caps was not necessary. Since I had installed an awning before, I was aware of how to attach the hardware and the importance of proper spring torsion.
To begin with, I lowered the Hi-Lo to its collapsed position. Having a Hi-Lo simplifies the placement or replacement job for your work is more or less at eye level while you are on the ground. I chose to use the ‘left’ end [toward the rear of the trailer] for doing the removal and replacement tasks. Be sure and allow sufficient space toward the rear of the trailer to unfold the new awning for you will be ‘worming’ it into the upper and lower slots simultaneously.
The next step would be to extend the existing awning out. Do not extend the sliders. Using a step stool, remove the capture screws on each end of the roof slot. You will need to find a suitable support for the front roller tube. I used a platform ladder that has a tool tray upon which I allowed the tube to rest. Placement should be in the center so it is basically balanced. You should be able to raise the tube to that level which will result in slack in the existing awning material.
On the left end of the awning, remove the two retaining screws on the slider and pull the slider to its lowest point. Have a helper hold the left end of the tube and maintain its balance on the center support upon which it rests. With the slider removed and with your assistant controlling the end of the tube, you should be able to separate the upper slider arm from the lower. One that is done, you will now remove tension using the upper arm portion of the slider to unwind the torsion spring. Be sure and make note of the direction in which it unwinds and count the number of turns that it takes to remove the tension. Mine took [12] turns while the book says it should have [8] turns for proper torsion. The arm should then dangle down without any tension on it.
When the tension has been removed, using a wrench or socket, remove the bolt holding the dangling arm onto the torsion spring rod. There may be a very slight amount of tension remaining but it will be easily controlled using just your hand.
Using a ¼” drill, drill through the [3] rivets holding the end cap onto the tube. To me, this was the most difficult part of the whole operation; removing the old rivets. I thought once it had been drilled, the rivet would come out. Not! I had to use side cutters, a punch and screw driver to remove the top of each rivet and cut away excess metal sufficient enough to allow the rivet to be driven out of the opening back into the tube. Once the end cap is removed, you can remove the remnants of the rivet.
Using a punch, drive the retaining steel holding pin from the torsion rod being careful not to damage it. Put it in a safe place for you will need it later. Do not remove the torsion rod. The cap should now be free to come off the rod sufficiently to allow access to the two grooves.
Using a short ladder, remove the bracket hardware at the roofline. Carefully lower the bracket arm so as not to damage the trailer skin.
You are now ready to remove the old awning material. One person should handle the tube while the other is at the roof groove. A third person should be used to hold ‘back pressure’ on the tube as you remove the old fabric. One thing I would recommend here that I did not at the time is to check and make sure the ‘rope’ is coming out as you are pulling the fabric. The end of the plastic rope will have been ‘tucked under’ the right side end cap when it was installed. The fabric pulled off easily enough but the rope remained in the groove. That is why they want you to remove both end caps. I simply took a short, narrow screwdriver and angled it toward the right end cap and cut the rope material and then the rope came out easily.
I spread out the old awning on the concrete drive way and readied the new material over it to and just reverse the operation and install the new material. You may have to use a file to remove any sharp edges on the tube and roof grooves before re-installing the new material. I placed a little petroleum jelly at the entrance of the roof groove and it seemed to help as we worked the new awning through the roof and tube grooves simultaneously.
There will be a little difficulty getting the two ‘ropes’ started into the tube grooves as there is no slack to work with between the two slots. Just do not get in a hurry and be sure the ropes are both aligned in the grooves. Here is where my wife came into play, she watched and kept the material so that it would not bind as it was being pulled into the tube grooves. You must take care and not damage the material around the ropes as you start the operation. Once it is properly aligned, you should have no trouble feeding it through the upper and lower grooves; just make sure whoever is pulling the material at the roof and the tube keep the material relatively even as the feeding operation takes place.
I was at the roof slot and was actually able to ‘push’ the rope into the slot as my neighbor pulled the material at the tube end. Whoever is at the roof slot should insure that the material does not get wadded and torn as it is being fed into the slot.
At this point, you simply reverse the removal process and put everything back together. You will want to take the long end of the rope and ‘tuck’ it back inside the tube before riveting. This will prevent the awning from sliding after it is in place.
I replaced the holding pin on the torsion spring rod. I reassembled the end cap and used a pop riveter using [3] 3/16” rivets. Once that was done, I reattached the upper slider arm and put the same number of turns on the torsion spring. After reassembling and reattaching the hardware, [be sure and place some weather caulking in the screw holes before attaching the roof hardware], the awning was ready for the test. It worked flawlessly!
If you are replacing a really long awning, it would probably be wise to get an extra hand or two to help the feeding and pulling process and prevent damage to the new awning fabric.
Hope this helps.
Jerry
2006 2406 T Tow lite
