Awning problem 06 Dutch Star

[kr]

We arrived at our campsite today and when extending our bedroom slide the awning locked up. This caused pressure on the outside of the rig and bent each upper corner of our slideout. Has anyone had this problem???????

Any information would be greatly appreciated as we are sick since we feel we did nothing wrong to cause this problem. Just opening the slide.
Thanks.

["007"]

Sorry for your problem I found one such happening Stuck slide awning The roller locked up and had to be relubed.
Also moved slide back and forth to free up roller.
Someone may have a better answer is your slide in or out now?

[kr]

Thanks for your reply. I understand what you are saying but was wondering if anyone had bent their slide points when this happened and how they fixed it.

We have the slide out now and know we can take the awning off but repairing the motorhome is another matter. Appears the awning actually was not installed on the MH according to the manufacturers instruction. If it had been installed as instructed it would have been in a stronger area of the MH.

Guess we learn every day but this is very disheartening. We will go on tho. Perhaps I will hear from someone this has happened to -- with no many MH's out there I can't believe this hasn't gotten someone else.

[GaryKD]

Hi kr,
Due to a tornado, this happened to both my driver's side slideouts. The upper corners of the slideouts were bent inward.

I'm not sure how bent your slide corners are, but for me, I placed shelving thick pieces of wood on the front and back of the bent portion of the slide out. The wood is clamped in place. With vice grips (on the wood) and a long bar, I was able to straighten the bent portion. This was done without marking or breaking up the paint.

[kr]

Thanks Gary. This is what we were thinking too and I am happy to see that someone has done it successfully and that the paint was fine. This was our main concern.

We are planning to take the awning off for now and have it repaired (or replaced)when we return home and I believe we will follow your recommendation to straighten the ears. My husband has done body work on old cars so he is accustomed to this type of work.

Our blood pressue is slowing returning to normal. Ha!

Thank you and thanks to this forum.

[hondo122]

Consider taking a 2x4 wrapped in a towel and placing against the side wall and running the slide in while watching the progress. Doing so slowly one corner at a time should bend the ears back out.

[jmgkab]

This happened to a friend with an 2004 DSDP on the streetside awning. He too bent the corners back with wood and ViceGrips. They had the awning replaced at North Trail but the estimate for body/paint work was way too expensive. He declined the paint work and North Trail "inverted" the brackets when they put the new ones on so it covered the damage corner spots.