Need - Manual Zip Dee Extension Rod With Button Gizmo

[truk4u]

Any of you new automatic awning guys have a manual zip dee rod laying around you want to part with? You know, the one with the special do dad on the end to hold the button out when trying not to scratch your paint while extending the support arm.

Jdub doesn't need this, he just stands on the ground and hooks it up! Oh I forgot, he's now into the button pushing mode being careful to not spill his sweet tea while the awning goes out.

[johnbrowder]

I was in this same situation with my prior Royale. The part is called an "Awning Helper". I ended up getting it directly from Zip Dee. It was reasonably inexpensive and worked like a charm.

[johnklopp]

Tom, I was wondering what that do dad was used for. Put up my support arms yesterday using a ladder and just tried it this morning standing on the ground using the awning helper. My helper, (not the wife) has been laying unused in the first bay since I got the coach. Glad I didn't throw it away.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Truk,

At rallies I will let you use ours for a small fee. Just a general comment....the doodad that holds the button works nice but I always wondered why ZipDee didn't add about 1.5" to the little hook so a person could use it to pull the awning strap. The short length of that hook forces a person to use a rod with a longer hook or risk having the awning strap slip and whole awning go banging back onto the coach. And the whole thing could be made a little longer so it was easy to use to engage the brake and hook the "C" latch.

[BrianE]

I've got one Tom. Would Oshkosh work for you?

Jon, Mine hooks the awning strap and operates the C latch with a little stretch. Maybe there's an earlier model?

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Mine does that also but the bent end is only about 1/2 to 3/4 inch long so it can easily slip out of the strap resulting in the awning rolling back up extremely fast, banging the coach.

[CAPT MOGUL & Sandy]

Tom, if you noticed the scratches up near the top of the awning, its caused by that nasty little rod that refuses to work as directed, thats why I chucked it. I now carry a small step ladder and land the blow back arm by hand. Also at my age I needed to keep my blood pressure under control. Losing control of that arm is certain. Also the resulting scratch is going to injure your pride of ownership. I know others have done it but blamed the previous owner.

Ed

[truk4u]

Ed,

The secret is making sure the rafter arm moves like butter and the button is held just right. I took the arms apart, removed the corrosion and they now slide like a greased pig. I too have just used the ladder, but once you have the hang of that gizmo, it really works pretty well. We can get Brian to give us a seminar at Osh on the proper use of the Zip Dee Button Lifting Rafter Arm Sliding Gizmo.

[flyu2there]

Truk,

You can make that gizmo for about ten dollars. Get yourself some stock, my guess would be 3/8", stick it in a brake for the hook and handle...make it as long as you need. You could be the envy of every rally if you took it to be chromed and wrapped it with anti-scratch tape as necessary....all that and it would still be less than what Zip-Dee will charge. Personally I don't do anything "awning", cost me three broken fingers, the loss of two fingernails while still on the ladder attempting to tighten the spring workings and a broken wrist and sprained ankle at my arrival on the tarmac after I lost my presence of mind on the ladder.:p

[garyde]

Awnings are so much trouble, you really have to ask if they are worth having them. Most of the time they are rolled up, and when you want them to un roll, they won't or they un roll whille your driving down the highway. Then the wind comes up and you scramble to roll them up and they end up over the top of your roof. If you don't use them enough, they refuse to work, and when you do use them for shade, the sun still gets in.
There's got to be a better way.

[Denny]

Tom,
I have an arm with a "do dad on the end". Send me PM with your address and it is yours.

[Gary & Peggy Stevens]

Awnings are so much trouble, you really have to ask if they are worth having them. Most of the time they are rolled up, and when you want them to un roll, they won't or they un roll whille your driving down the highway. Then the wind comes up and you scramble to roll them up and they end up over the top of your roof. If you don't use them enough, they refuse to work, and when you do use them for shade, the sun still gets in.
There's got to be a better way.

I think they call it STAYING INSIDE the bus ? Your damned if you do and damned if you don't.

Gary S.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

I'm probably now in the minority but I have the manual ZipDee awnings. I've had them on two buses and for 21 years. I posted previously about one coming open in Barstow during serious wind conditions and one blowing off when it was open due to a sudden wind gust. Since then (somewhere around 1993) I have had zero issues. None. No repairs. No problems.

I admit it would be nice to press a button and not have to go through the process of manually opening and closing the awnings, but after sitting in many rallies and seeing the issues the more automated awnings have I do not want to "upgrade". We still lack power shades and windows also and gladly open and close them manually in exchange for potential problems with them also. I'm all for improvements, but not for improvements that trade ease of operation for problems.

I know we can expect improvements that are virtually trouble free. Our transfer switches are a perfect example. The problems with them are so few that we can be very happy the automatic transfer switch has replaced the old black knob that required us to select our power source manually. Our in motion satellite dishes from TracStar are another example. We used to have one of the 5 foot mesh satellite antennas that had to be set manually using a compass and could not be used while driving. Huge improvements. But the automatic awnings aren't yet in that category.