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A caravan awning is an important part of your RV. I am sure that you have already installed on your caravan by now. These accessories are life savers in situations when you need a shade and a small personal space even if you are on a road trip. Obviously you need to conduct proper maintenance and repairs from time to time, or else you risk damaging the awning completely.

If your RV’s patio awning is old, torn, faded or simply worn out, then you only need to change the fabric as this is the most important part of the awning. The support arms and other components are not easily worn out so the possibility of a replacement requirement for these components is very less. As far as replacing the fabric is concerned, it would save you a lot of money if you do it yourself (with a DIY kit) rather than taking it to professional servicing facilities. While it is safe to use professional services, but changing the fabric isn’t rocket science and with a little effort and the right materials, you would be able to do it on your own.

Tools Needed

•    Rivet Gun
•    Pop Rivets
•    Cordless Drill (you could use a corded one, but it would only be a hassle and you would also need to manage the extension to ensure proper supply of electricity to the tool).
•    Vice Grips
•    Razor Knife
•    Drill Bits
•    Allen Wrench (one or two may be required but it is best to keep the entire set handy)
•    Box or Open-end Wrenches
•    Phillips Head Screw Driver
•    Silicon Spray Lubricant
•    Electrical or Masking Tape
•    Cock Gun and Water Proof Sealant
•    Hammer and Punch
•    Socket Wrench
•    Tape Measure
•    Flat Blade Screw Driver
•    Felt Tip Marker
•    2 large ladders
•    A couple of blocks with a soft cloth on top as padding
•    Replacement Fabric for the Awning

Preparations Required

•    Before you order the replacement fabric for your awning, you need to take the required measurements. The safest way to do this is to measure from inside cap to inside cap. Be as accurate as possible and don’t make the mistake of rounding up the values as it could result in an improper fit.

•    Make sure you have all the tools at your disposal, preferably with some backup in case something doesn’t work out at the last minute.

•    While a professional can replace the fabric with just one additional person, it would be wise to bring over at least 3-4 friends to help you with the replacement. The more the merrier. I am sure that they wont mind helping you out if you treat them to a refreshing drink and a sumptuous meal once the work is done.

Replacing The Caravan Awning Fabric

•    Let’s start by removing the main bolts that hold the top of the awning to the caravan. Don’t worry about the awning falling off as soon as the screws are removed. The tension in the roller spring and the support arms work together to keep it in place even when the screws have been removed. So it should be safe enough to work with it.

•    Now remove the small screws (from the top section) which prevent the fabric from sliding in the track.

•    Pop the support arms from their fixed position and extend them until they touch the ground. This is basically the same thing that you would have done while setting up the awning.

•    Flip the control level on the right side of the roller tube as though you were preparing to fully extend the awning.

•    Then use the awning tube to pull the awning out to approximately 1 ft. from the caravan.

•    Before removing the old fabric from the roll, make sure that you apply some electrical or masking tape on the brackets of the roller. This will prevent the brackets from scratching the side of the caravan.

•    If your awning fabric is old, then you need to use a sharp razor or knife to cut away the sealant that connects the fabric to the frame.

•    You may also be required to scrape away any debris that has been left inside the track.

•    Gently spread the end of the track with a flat blade screw driver. This should allow the fabric to be eased in without any obstruction.

•    This is where you would need the help of your friends. Both the support arms need to be lifted from the ground so that the awning fabric may be slid out from its current position. Make sure that you have enough room behind and at the side of the caravan. You would not want the entire frame to scrape the side of the caravan while being removed from its position.

•    If the fabric does not slide out easily, then a third person might be required to climb up on a ladder and manually ease the fabric through the track so that the entire structure becomes free from the caravan.

•    Place the awning carefully on blocks so that you may work easily with it. Setting it down on the ground would make it a bit tedious to work with.

•    There are 2 springs in the roller (one at each end). You need to block one of them, let’s say the left end spring, by removing the black plastic cap and inserting the Philips screw driver in its place.

•    Now that one end of the roller is locked in place, the tension of the spring at the other end needs to be released, following which the spring would be removed. When you are removing the spring, make sure to count the number of rotations that it took to remove it from the roller. The exact same number of rotations would be required while inserting the spring again. This can be a little tricky bit with a little care and some much needed focus, you would be able to pull it off.

•    Just before removing the spring, mark the position (in relation to the spring lock) so that the entire component may be assembled in the same position after the fabric has been replaced.

•    With the spring system removed from the roller, all that needs to be done is to lift it up and unwind the fabric, one turn at a time. Before removing the fabric completely, use the marker to make two marks on the roller tube. This marks the channel where the main part of the awning goes into. The other mark is for the decorative valence.

•    Before sliding the new fabric on to the roller, spray some silicon lubricant to allow the fabric to be slid into the channels easily.

•    Slide the beads into the appropriate channels. This is where the marks come into play. At this point, you would know exactly where to slide which part of the fabric. Use a tape measure to centre the fabric between the end caps.

•    Roll the fabric onto the roller in the same way that you removed it from the roller in the first place. You might need extra help for this task.

•    With the fabric in place, all that you are left with is to insert the spring, place the caps and mount it onto the caravan again.

•    When the awning is in place, remove the tape from the brackets. Coat each screw with waterproof sealant before putting them back into their sockets.

Also read:The Correct Way to Erect a Caravan Awning

This takes care of the caravan awning fabric replacement. Once done, just roll out and roll in the awning a few times to check if everything has been done perfectly. If any problems exist, then it should be revealed during this testing. I am sure that you would be able to replace the awning fabric for the patio awning on your own by following these steps stringently. Remember, it is all about using the right materials and following the right steps to get the job done.

I am sure most caravan owners (who installed roll-out awnings on their caravans) have faced the problem when the RV awning not retracting straight. While most of you might be thinking, the entire structure of the caravan rollout awning is the cause, your RV awning won’t roll-up, the issue might only be with the alignment and the position of the RV awning arms. Another reason could be due to the stretching of the fabric or missing a component. A thorough inspection would reveal the truth.

Now, the problem with the improper retraction of the awning is that there may be more than one scenario why the manual awning won't retract. Read the correct way to erect a caravan awning, if not already.

Cause #1

One of the possible causes may be that the awning’s position, where it attaches to the coach via the awning rail, has moved. Ideally, during installation, the awning should be fitted perfectly with both arms being positioned parallel with the awning fabric stretching between these arms. You need to ensure, this is evenly spread out, as the slightest variation could cause uneven retraction.

Solution: This would call for the RV awning arm repair. Realign the RV awning arms and make sure they stay in their position. If it needs replacing, then get that done at the earliest.

Cause #2

Another reason your awning is not retracting well could be the screws on the awning chord. You also need to check the awning chord that is placed along with the screws on the awning rail. This chord should not move, you need to keep it intact in its position. If you are experiencing retraction issues, then it is possible that the screws have come loose.

Solution: How to fix the awning in this case? Check the screws and make sure the chord is positioned correctly.

Cause #3

Check the awning arms and their movement. These arms should be perfectly parallel to each other and they should be perpendicular to the caravan. Their movement should be unrestricted and should have perfect alignment of all the components. Failure to keep these things in check will result in the rollout awning from being retracted smoothly.

Solution: To troubleshoot retractable awning arm repair you could use lubrication to make the movement smooth. In case of a structural defect that may be hindering the smooth movement, you need to get it repaired or replaced (in the worst case).

Cause #4

The third possibility of a bad retraction could be the fabric of the caravan awnings has over-stretched, either due to manual force or due to the weight of the water accumulated on it. The stretching of the RV awning fabric causes the retraction to be uneven as the length of the fabric gets distorted.

Solution: The only RV awning troubleshoot option you are left with is to replace the fabric completely.

All caravanners do have an awning or an annexe installed in their caravans or motor homes as it gives you the extended personal space that you deserve. With a caravan annexe or an awning, you can take the comforts of home with you on your trip (even if the comforts are a little). You may have taken the time to understand the install the best caravan awning but are you aware of the correct way to erect a caravan awning? In our previous post, we shared about how to set up a roll out awning.

If you do it incorrectly, or you just open it up without paying attention to the details, then you could damage the awning soon enough. The following steps will show you how it’s done correctly.

1. Refer to the supplied frame diagram for your RV / caravan and layout the frame in front of the vehicle.
2. The next step involves folding out the awning and laying it on the ground just next to the frame. (The two front panels of the awning should be placed aside safely.)
3. Now you need to find the leading edge of the awning bead and this needs to be fed into the awning channel. (The channel is the railing structure that goes along the way around the side of the caravan). Make sure that you do this prior to installing the frame onto the vehicle. The awning needs to be fed all the way around the channel until central on the caravan.
4. With the awning now in position on the caravan, the bracket pads need to be installed. They should be attached on either side and one needs to be placed in the centre.
5. It is time to assemble the frame onto the caravan as the awning has been fed properly into the railing and the bracket pads have been placed so the awning would stay intact. This will make it easy to work with the frame.
6. You should start the assembly with the centre roof pole wherein the first pole needs to be fed through the pocket that is located in the front of the awning. One end of the pole is fixed to the centre bracket pad that was installed earlier.
7. Now the centre leg needs to be attached with the leg being angled back towards the caravan. This is important as it would prevent the frame from collapsing under the weight during the frame’s assembly. (The same process needs to be repeated for the two side roof poles and the legs).
8. The front poles need to be attached to the frame as soon as the first side frame has been assembled properly.
9. Once the assembly for the above stage has been completed, the leg heights need to be adjusted so that the top of the side panels are aligned in a horizontal plane.
10. Now use the quick release clamp to give tension to the roof poles but remember to make only a slight change.
11. The next thing that would have to be done is to attach the canopy poles. (You need to check whether this component is provided with your awning set.) During the process, you need to ensure that the protective piece of fabric is seated properly between the pole and the canopy.
12. It’s almost done. Now you need to zip in the two front panels. This needs to be done carefully. First you need to move the first zip to the third quarter position and then continue zipping from the bottom.
13. Once this is done, use the quick release clamps to give tension to the front poles. This will bring the central leg to the awning’s centre.
14. The final step in the process is to peg out the awning. For this you need to make sure that the mud wall is neatly tucked under the awning. It is best to start with one of the rear points. Attach the tension peg and then hammer it till it goes through half way. Now apply tension and lock off. Then continue hammering it till it goes all the way in.
15. The front corners need to be pegged next. But first, check that the awning is pulled tight and the leg is aptly located down the seam.
16. When you finish pegging off the other points, the awning is ready for use.
17. As a safety measure you could fit a tie down kit (which is available with most vendors and dealers) as this comes in handy during windy conditions.

People often overlook the fact that taking proper measurements can mean the difference between a comfortable trip and a holiday disaster. Full awnings are caravan awnings that are designed to wrap all the way around the rails. So for getting an awning that fits your RV perfectly, you need to take accurate measurements. But when it comes to measuring caravans, people are often clueless.

You can compare the measurement process to be similar to buying a new pair of jeans. If you are not careful about it, then you could end up getting a pair that is either too tight or too loose. So now you should be able to understand the importance of getting an awning that fits perfectly. Surely you can rely on your caravan manual for getting the dimensions, but these are standards that are good only when the caravan is in pristine condition. There is also the possibility of the manual getting lost. What do you do when you have nothing to guide you with respect to the required measurements?

 It’s simple! Just follow these simple steps.

1. Get yourself a ball of string. You might even find one lying around in the house or if you have a cat, then you can definitely find one in its possession (cats love to play with a ball of string). You can go for anything that is flexible enough and has enough length which would allow you to measure the caravan properly.
2. Now you need to put a tent peg in the ground but make sure it is parallel the back edge of the rail (directly under the van).
3. Tie one end of your string to the peg and let the remaining string traverse through the length of the rail. Be careful here as you need to protect the rail as well as the twine from being damaged.
4. As soon as you reach the front of the caravan, you need to continue all the way to the ground till you reach point A (as shown in the figure above).
5. When you are completely sure that the string is still attached to the peg and the other end has reached the ground then cut it while keeping the end as close to the ground as possible.
6. Once you have cut the string, you have the measurement with you. All you need to do now is to compare it against a standard measurement tool and you can either measure it all at one go or you could fold it in half and just double the measurement that you get.
7. When you have calculated the length, just note it down and don’t forget to convert it into centimetres.

You now have the measurement for getting your caravan awning. Just take this measurement to a vendor or a manufacturer and they should be able to help you out with the most suitable caravan awning for you.