Girard window awnings

[jakestarr]

Thanks Paul, do you also have a 3 ft awning on the passenger side, and a 5' on the drivers side?

[pwhittle]

Originally Posted by jakestarr

Thanks Paul, do you also have a 3 ft awning on the passenger side, and a 5' on the drivers side?

Yes, plus 11.5’ living room drivers side.





Paul

[pwhittle]

When you go to reinstall the window awnings, I recommend the following


On our 2005 Signature the rubber seal that Monaco used between the slide topper housings and the window awnings and the body was allowing water behind the housing and onto the top the of the slide. Sometimes the water would make its way into the floor.

Monaco used an inappropriate rubber seal and not the one recommended by Girard. The seal Monaco used was the same as the seal that runs around the top of the windshield to channel water away. There is no good way to create a watertight seal with the body or the top of the slide topper, especially after it hardens and shrinks a little with age.

I replaced ours with this:

Trim-Lok P-Shaped Rubber Seal – EPDM Foam Rubber Seal with HT (General Acrylic) Pressure Sensitive Adhesive – Door & Window Weather Seal for Homes, Cars, & Boats – .5” Height, 1.25” Width, 100’ Length

Learn more: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CJRIT4A

It lays with the flat part horizontal and the round part against the body.

I added 3/8” VHB to the top of the P to stick to the body.

3M - 4611 0.375" x 36yd VHB Tape 4611, 0.375 in width x 36 yd length, 1 roll
Learn more: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N3U6742

I also used the following adhesion promoters.

For the VHB to the painted body surface:

3M 111 Clear Tape Primer - Liquid Bottle - For Use With 3M VHB Tape - 58147 [PRICE is per BOTTLE]

Learn more: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00745Z8BK

For the VHB to the rubber

3M Tape Primer 94 1/2 Pint 8oz For Vinyl Di-Noc
Learn more: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005LDG7HQ

Finally sealed the edges with this:

RV Trailer Camper Sealants Proflex Rv Flexible Sealant Clear 10 Oz. Geocel Quantity 4

Learn more: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00YBG3PR4

I use masking tape to get a clean line on the clear sealant.

Details on 3m adhesion promoters here:

https://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/...l-bulletin.pdf

Finished installation. I fixed this back in GA’s Dixie Dust season when pollen covers everything.

[jakestarr]

Thanks Paul, I have the same window & awning configuration as your coach, and the same color scheme. I appreciate your work on the magnum opus control board. I bought one thru Northwest & it works flawlessly. We all appreciate your help on this forum.
Thanks again. Jake

[pwhittle]

Glad to help. That seal was a puzzler for me to find a solution that was not $4/ft for the rubber.

It is the same seal on the slide awnings and the window awnings. 100ft of the P seal should do your whole coach.

The main awning and the door awning use the seal recommended by Girard and it seems to be much more durable.

If the slide awnings do not have a good seal there, you can end up with water on top of the slide that can make its way into the coach and cause floor damage.

This is what the P seal looks like when installed.



This is what mine looked like before I replaced it.



This is the seal over the main awning and the door awning.



Paul

[jakestarr]

Paul, I just ordered those items for sealing the awnings and slide toppers. Again thanks for your research of these items.
God bless and Merry Christmas, Jake

[jakestarr]

Hi again, Any tips on removing the old silicone caulking?
Thanks, Jake

[pwhittle]

I use plastic razor blades to scrape most of the silicone away. It takes a few passes. Then I use a silicone remover to break down the remaining thin layer, then alcohol to clean the surface.

I have been using Scraperite blades for about 15 years. Back then the were the only ones around, but now there are plenty of alternatives. Get the blade holders too.

https://scraperite.com/

I have also used the non marring scrapers from Harbor Freight to remove the bulk of the silicone. The handles make it easier on your hands.

https://www.harborfreight.com/4-piec...set-95832.html

Don’t forget your 20% off coupon from hfqpdb.com

http://www.hfqpdb.com/

I have used McKanica Silicone remover for about 15 years too, but it seems to be no longer available. I still have a couple of tubes but will have to find a new product when that runs out. Let us know if you find something that works well for you.

https://www.amazon.com/McKanica-0351...pe=all_reviews

[jakestarr]

Hi again Paul.
I received my supplies to seal the awnings. I noticed that the trim-lok is EPDM,
the instructions on the proflex caulk says to not use on EPDM. Am I missing something?

[pwhittle]

I did not see that warning.

I have had mine on for about 9 months now. I have had to cover a couple of places, but I think my original application was too small.

You could use Silicon, but I will stick with the ProFlex till I find something better.

Paul

[rpasetto]

Originally Posted by pwhittle

Here are the motors that worked for me. https://www.floridaautomatedshade.co...-p/2005133.htm

On that page it shows the drives and crowns. My drive was part number 9751002 and my crown was 9705341, I think, but I reused mine.

Remember to get metal end plates from Girard. The originals on ours were plastic and we had a couple break.

Looks like I need to get window awning a motor. Sometimes it responds to the remote, sometimes not. Awning was out for hours and would not come in, then, surprisingly I hit the button and it came in. Spoke to Girard, told him the other awnings respond to the remote consistently but not this one. He said to power the awning from a separate outlet to make sure power was good then if it doesn't work I need a new motor. When I asked him how to find which motor I needed he said they're all the same.

I think I have the same window awnings as yours (G2085). I have a call in to FL Automated shade. Did you pull the old Girard motor to give him the part #? ... or did they know which one just from the fact that it's a Girard window awning?

[pwhittle]

I did pull the motor to get a part number.

We have three window awnings of different sizes and they all use the same motor.

Paul

[rpasetto]

Originally Posted by pwhittle

Here are the motors that worked for me. https://www.floridaautomatedshade.co...-p/2005133.htm

On that page it shows the drives and crowns. My drive was part number 9751002 and my crown was 9705341, I think, but I reused mine.

Remember to get metal end plates from Girard. The originals on ours were plastic and we had a couple break.

Paul, Thank you for the link. This morning I removed the side cover and got a shot of the # on the Simu end plate: "515/18x"; looks like the same as yours was. I'll order the motor and, just in case something breaks, also get the drive and crown you recommended.

Pulling the motor out slightly, I can see the wire does a "dog-leg" before it goes thru the wall. Girard's instructions to "pull the new motor power cable through the sidewall" won't work so easily. Cable from motor goes thru the back of the awning case then runs an inch forward before going through a wall grommet. Did you run into this? I was thinking of removing the old cable, drilling thru awning case to make the cable path straighter.... at least diagonal ... and then using an electrician's 'fish-tape' to get the new cable in.

I'll appreciate your experience and expertise on this.

[pwhittle]

It took me a long time to locate the 120v plugs that the awning power comes from.

On the passenger bedroom, it ends up in the A/V cabinet under the TV.

On the drivers bedroom, it ends up under the floor of the cabinet to the left side of the bed. I also had to take off the interior side panel to feed the wire through.

The drivers living room slide is under the floor of the overhead cabinet, towards the rear.

When I removed the window awning, I removed the plug from the old power cable and tied a pull string on, which was pulled out with old power cable, and used to pull the new power cable in.

Paul