Proper method to crank out Roadtrek awning?

[DoubleVetera]

Hi all,

I picked up a 2011 Roadtrek popular 190 last week and took it out camping this weekend. I tested everything at the dealer and he showed me how to open and close the awning. Crank it all the way out, (it kinda hangs out pretty far...) then extend the side support poles to the side of the RV, or the ground. I did this at the campground, and it worked find the first time. I closed it at night, and when I did the same deployment method the next morning, the left side bracket that holds the awning (crank side) broke off! I checked the bracket and it is only held on by three short screws from the inside of the RV that only go about 1/8" deep into the bracket (which is the thickness of the bracket).

So now I need to fix this, and I'd like to know if the method I'm using to open the awning is correct?

Thnx,
DV

[DoubleVetera]

Quick update:

OK, I removed the awning and found that's it's not carriage-bolts or screws that hold the mounting brackets, but pop-rivets. Each bracket is pop-rvieted from the outside with 3 each pop-rivets; makes sense since I don't see anyway to run bolts from the insde, which would be much more secure.

So when I tried to roll it all the way out (as the dealer showed me...), it popped the heads off the pop-rivets. I will be doing the walking-out method once I get this fixed in the future.

So to fix, I plan to drill out what's left of the rivets and install new ones. The rivets go through the bracket, then a metal spacer (secured in some way to the fiberglass topper), and then into the fiberglass topper, so I need to make sure I get the right rivet type, thickness and length. I'm definitely open to any advice for the reinstall.


DV