Window Awning repair

[AFChap]

My Carefree window awnings were losing the stitching, but the fabric is still great. After putting it off for months I finally decided I had to remove the fabric and have them re-stitched. I removed the screw from the arm cap, carefully pulled the cap off the arm, then released the tension by slowly letting the cap unwind. I was surprised to find only 3 turns of spring tension on the cap. Same for the other end ...3 turns of spring tension there too. At that point the roller was hanging free, as were the two awning arms. Mine have the aluma-guard between the fabric and the coach wall. I removed the keeper screw on the right end and supporting the roller and fabric, slid the aluma-guard out of the track. (I have a short one and a long one, and required assistance to get the long one off.) Then I drilled out the two rivets in the roller tube end cap on one end, pulled the cap out a couple of inches, and slid the fabric off the roller. Getting the fabric off the aluma-guard was a bit harder as it was crimped at each end. After some prying with a screwdriver and some light damage to the fabric, it was free. I took both awnings to a local shop requesting UV protected stitching. Only 24 hours later they were ready with a charge of only $20. I put the aluma-guard back on the fabric, and with assistance on a second ladder slid the aluma-guard back into the tracks. With the fabric hanging we slid the roller tubes back onto the fabric. I pop-riveted the end caps back in place, rolled the awnings by hand, and put the end caps back on, carefully winding them 4 turns before slipping them on to make them a bit tighter than before. All in all, it was a fairly quick and easy fix to a problem I had put off for months.

[Ray,IN]

Thanks for the tutorial Paul! I have the same awnings, and just replaced the pull straps last week. BTW, that is really easy, use a 1/4" drill to make a hole in the strap groove, then tilt the drill sideways to make a "ramp" to slide the new strap into the groove. Cut off the old strap close to the plastic rod in the groove. Job done.