Community Forums

mikee409 · 04-24-2015, 12:09 PM

Hey everyone, installed my main slide and bedroom slide topper awnings material the other day. $98 each & free shipping, they fit and the material looked to be the same quality as the original material installed on the A&E awnings we have.
It was fairly easy, I used the lever on the roller to release the tension of the extended slide by un winding it. I then slipped a piece of PVC pipe over the lever and let it come to rest in the gasket area of the slide to keep it from winding back up. I then pried open the crimp holding the awning material in the slot on the metal guard and pulled the entire strip of material out of each side. It wasn't quite as easy pulling the new material back in the retaining slots but a little help from my wife we slid it into position and recrimped the end of the slot. I doubt the fabric would walk back out of the slot but I did it any way. If you have the metal guard on your setup you have to tell them to send a bigger cord to install in the metal guard so the fabric wont pull thru the slot. Less than an hour to do the entire remove/ install. Just remember to measure correctly, you get what you order. If I had it to do over again I would add 1-1/2" to the width, the length was perfect. I think over time the old material shrunk a little and narrowed somewhat..shadepro.
I included a link in hopes it might help Ya'll save some money when the replacement time comes.
Mikee

"007" · 04-24-2015, 03:49 PM

Good job Mike will add to Newmar QT's # 3 for members future reference.

Dr4Film · 04-25-2015, 07:32 AM

Not to rain on your parade BUT I had new slide toppers, patio & door awnings made up and installed by ShadePro back in 2009. They were the Linen fabric material exactly like what was originally supplied by Carefree when the coach was new.

Within a year or two, the thread started to ravel. Then in 2012 some of the seams started to come apart. I have had to do temporary repairs in a lot of places. Last year I had the main seam come apart during the night on my large roadside slide. I had to remove the two pieces and take it to a upholstery shop to have resewed and then re-installed.

I am currently on a long journey to Alaska from Southern CA and now the seam in the bedroom slide has ripped apart about 75% of the way across the topper. I plan to remove the entire bedroom topper and aluminum cover and store it in my trailer until I reach Florida next winter. I will deal with not having any topper for that time-frame which is a lot easier than trying to patch the POS material back together.

Once in Florida, I will have Chris Throgmartin from Stone Vos make me a complete set of all toppers and awnings for my entire coach. Everything that Carefree and ShadePro had previously done will be removed and thrown away.

I will NEVER purchase anymore fabric from ShadePro or Carefree.

Dr4Film ----- Richard

Lued · 04-25-2015, 08:21 AM

My Carefree slide covers are less than 3 yrs.' old and the seams are coming apart, I don't know if it worth the time to send them back and try and get them to repair there shabby work or not.??

DD788Snipe · 04-25-2015, 03:15 PM

I recovered my 2 driver's side slides last spring. I ordered them from Tough Top. The material is thicker they fit perfectly to about an hour to install both. They are vinyl but very heavy duty. I did have Shade pro install a new shade awning and metal cover in Coos Bay last summer. Hope the seams last for long time.

Ray,IN · 04-25-2015, 07:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lued

My Carefree slide covers are less than 3 yrs.' old and the seams are coming apart, I don't know if it worth the time to send them back and try and get them to repair there shabby work or not.??

Double check me, but I think they only have a 2-yr warranty.

336muffin · 04-25-2015, 07:13 PM

I have had Chris at StoneVoss replace my four window awnings and patio awning material two months ago. Top notch service and great products. We measured our four slideout toppers and will have them installed this fall.
We did a color change on the awnings and it came out beautiful!

mikee409 · 04-25-2015, 09:15 PM

ShadePro Inc.
maybe this one will work.
After reading the other post I'm not sure you will want to click it.
Oh well,even if they do fail early it was not that expensive to give them a try.
At least I got the old torn& brittle ones off the coach, they look so much better.
Mike