Note—due to the length of these posts please tag me (don’t use quote) if you want to respond and get my attention. To tag enter howson at the start of your response.
I can't stress enough how dangerous it is working on an RV awning. Easily the most dangerous (and painful) component I've messed with on my camper. Read and heed the lessons learned in this thread (and in the awning owner's manual). Don't for a second feel bad if this is a task you decide to pay a professional to accomplish (replace the fabric). "Learning by doing" has it's consequences. OK--read on!
This thread is the culmination and conclusion (hopefully!) to a string of threads on the subject of the awnings on my 315RLTS. This is unfortunately going to be a series of three long posts but hopefully the lessons learned and context will help someone else. The information is also for me so I have a reference in the future if/when I need to do this again.
Long-time regular forum members may remember the hard way I learned that the gutter on the long awning (over the door) on a 315RLTS holds the awning fabric to the camper. Removing the gutter without securing the awning arms nearly sent me to the hospital. I was also very fortunate that the awning wasn’t destroyed.
- If you don’t recall that near-disaster, the thread is here (go to post 9 if you just want to read about my mistake): Roof Gutter Inspection Results (It's Ugly) https://gdrvowners.com/forum/exterio...8532#post78532
- The thread that documents the non-OEM awning reinstallation is here: Reinstalling an Awning https://gdrvowners.com/forum/exterio...ling-an-awning
What I didn’t anticipate with the new rail is that it is impossible to slide the awning material out of the rail (either left or right) due to the awning arms. You can see for yourself the issue in the picture below.
To get the material out of the awning rail I had to remove the rail from the camper. This is a good place to reinforce another (painful) lesson learned:
WARNING: PIN the spring end of the awning tube (FRTA) when working with the awning!
- Another thread documenting a painful and expensive lesson: Messing with the Awning? PIN IT!!! https://gdrvowners.com/forum/exterio...-awning-pin-it
As you may note in the pictures above, in the past I’ve used zip ties to hold back the awning arms. An alternative that was easier is using straps as shown in the picture below.
Since the awning rail had to come off the camper that meant cleaning off all the butyl tape on the back of the rail and camper wall. Then I had to figure out how to get everything reinstalled without doing it per the manual, since (again) sliding the material back onto the awning rail with it installed on the camper wasn’t an option.
Oh—and the inability to remove the awning material (slide it left or right out of the rail) was also encountered on the shorter awning (over the dinette) due to the slide topper I’d installed. So I got to do the non-standard installation twice.
- Full story on the slide topper installation here: Solera Slide Topper Install - '19 315RLTS https://gdrvowners.com/forum/exterio...all-19-315rlts
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