Gil_J
12-05-2016, 05:37 PM
When it comes time to repair or replace your fabric on your Zip Dee manual rollup awnings you can probably do the job with a few friends.
I have manual ZipDee awnings over my slides. The section of material directly over your opened slide is always subjected to the weather. Because of that, this area of the material will be the first to show signs of aging. The thread failed in this area on both my front and rear slide awnings.
I took on the rear awning first given it was much shorter and I hoped easier to learn from. My first stop was Zip Dee’s web page where I downloaded the detailed instructions on how to replace the fabric. I did this one myself, which I don’t recommend doing this without help.
I decided I needed a helping hand on the far end of the awning that could make sure it didn’t move. Zip Dee recommends another helper. As you can see from the picture, I used a strap attached to my coach’s rooftop cover. This worked great! This helper never complained and I didn’t have to worry about whether the helper could hold the awning in place while I unwound the spring during removal and wound it during reinstallation.
The next challenge I discovered was that the length of the awning’s support arm is only an inch or two longer than the outward length of awning. The front arm has to stay attached while I turned it 28 times to remove the tension from the roller spring. Thankfully my dog allowed me to have one of his tennis balls. With a simple cut in the tennis ball I placed it over the end of the awning arm and proceeded to unwind the spring. The outside surface of the tennis ball prevented the arm from contacting and damaging the side of the coach. I repeated this when I rewound the spring during installation.
I had the local boat canvass shop redo all of the stitching on the rear awning fabric. I replaced the front awning material because it was in worse shape and because it was the wrong color. Ordering the new material from Zip Dee was uneventful. They gladly take your money and ship the new fabric a week later. On the front awning I decided to also replace the fabric that is between the aluminum roll up cover and the track on the coach. I also replaced the cast aluminum roller to arm pieces.
My awnings are on a 2003 coach, so the aluminum rivets that hold the track to the side of the coach have been pulled for over 10 years. A few had actually loosened. I drilled out all of the rivets, cleaned the coach and the track and reinstalled the track with new rivets and a bead of Sika 291.
If all goes well, I shouldn’t have to do this for at least another 10-15 years. BTW, I tried to get Zip Dee to replace the awning on my way through Michigan this fall. They no longer do replacements at their factory outside of Chicago.
14174
14173
I have manual ZipDee awnings over my slides. The section of material directly over your opened slide is always subjected to the weather. Because of that, this area of the material will be the first to show signs of aging. The thread failed in this area on both my front and rear slide awnings.
I took on the rear awning first given it was much shorter and I hoped easier to learn from. My first stop was Zip Dee’s web page where I downloaded the detailed instructions on how to replace the fabric. I did this one myself, which I don’t recommend doing this without help.
I decided I needed a helping hand on the far end of the awning that could make sure it didn’t move. Zip Dee recommends another helper. As you can see from the picture, I used a strap attached to my coach’s rooftop cover. This worked great! This helper never complained and I didn’t have to worry about whether the helper could hold the awning in place while I unwound the spring during removal and wound it during reinstallation.
The next challenge I discovered was that the length of the awning’s support arm is only an inch or two longer than the outward length of awning. The front arm has to stay attached while I turned it 28 times to remove the tension from the roller spring. Thankfully my dog allowed me to have one of his tennis balls. With a simple cut in the tennis ball I placed it over the end of the awning arm and proceeded to unwind the spring. The outside surface of the tennis ball prevented the arm from contacting and damaging the side of the coach. I repeated this when I rewound the spring during installation.
I had the local boat canvass shop redo all of the stitching on the rear awning fabric. I replaced the front awning material because it was in worse shape and because it was the wrong color. Ordering the new material from Zip Dee was uneventful. They gladly take your money and ship the new fabric a week later. On the front awning I decided to also replace the fabric that is between the aluminum roll up cover and the track on the coach. I also replaced the cast aluminum roller to arm pieces.
My awnings are on a 2003 coach, so the aluminum rivets that hold the track to the side of the coach have been pulled for over 10 years. A few had actually loosened. I drilled out all of the rivets, cleaned the coach and the track and reinstalled the track with new rivets and a bead of Sika 291.
If all goes well, I shouldn’t have to do this for at least another 10-15 years. BTW, I tried to get Zip Dee to replace the awning on my way through Michigan this fall. They no longer do replacements at their factory outside of Chicago.
14174
14173