New Awning - where to buy?

[TN Traveler]

I am in need of a new awning. I don’t want the best one made, nor the cheapest…where would you get one and will middle of the road quality likely be acceptable?

Can I just order the material or will I also need to order new hardware? I anticipate being able to install it myself with a couple of 30 year old sons assistance.

[JRTJH]

A couple of questions:

1. Do you have a manual or an electric awning currently?

2. Are you satisfied with the current awning or do you want to upgrade features?

3. Is the current awning hardware in good condition and you only need replacement fabric?

[chuckster57]

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What he said. If you only need the fabric, measure from the center of one arm to the other. If for example it’s 16 feet, you’ll find the fabric is only 15 feet 6 inches.

There is different procedures for manual and electric awnings.

[Wyldfire]

https://www.recpro.com/rv-awnings/

[Wyldfire]

https://store.lci1.com/shop-by-department/awnings.html

[TN Traveler]

Originally Posted by JRTJH

A couple of questions:

1. Do you have a manual or an electric awning currently?

2. Are you satisfied with the current awning or do you want to upgrade features?

3. Is the current awning hardware in good condition and you only need replacement fabric?

Our awning is electric and we are satisfied with it. I’d say our hardware is pretty good shape, but my next question will be “can I adjust the hardware to tighten it up”?

[chuckster57]

You can’t really “tighten” it, but if one end isn’t rolling up as tight, it’s possible the fabric is no longer “square”.

[flybouy]

From the pictures it looks to me like one side of the fabric is stretched out or the one awning arm is bent and not seating properly. If you can push on the arm that's not setting flush and get it to go against the stationary arm then that's a good indication the fabric is streatch out on that side.

[JRTJH]

As Marshal said, it looks, from your photo, that the fabric is out of square and not "pulling the awning arm fully closed before the other arm stops all movement"... So, I'd guess that the fabric is what's causing the issue.

You can buy awning fabric on Amazon, EBay, any RV dealership with a parts department or most online, internet RV sites.

I've seen "good quality 15'6" (for 16' awning arms) on Amazon, ranging in price from $75 to $200. Most average around $125-150.

If I were you, even if you might wonder if the awning arm is a problem, I'd order the fabric, change it out and then, if you still have the issue, order a replacement awning arm. Typically, one awning arm (one side only) runs around $500. If there's nothing wrong with yours, there's no need to spend that kind of money, only to find out you wasted it.... Change out the fabric first and see if that fixes all your issues.

[flybouy]

Your awing looks like the OEM awning that was on our trailer. Typically the arm that bends is the the one that connects the two arms to make a triangle with the air spring connected. To check it fully extend the awning. You eyball down the top od that arm or lay a straight edge over the top. You can use a large frameing square, a 3' level, or a peice of angle or even pipe. If the straight edge has a gap under it then that arm is bent.

[dutchmensport]

We had to replace the awning on our previous camper (An Outback). I had my dealership order it for me. There is a label on your awning roller. Those numbers on that label identify the color scheme and actual size of the awning and they replaced the damaged one with an exact replacement.

So, before ordering, check your roller for that label and capture those numbers. It will help getting a new one, if you replace it yourself, or if you have someone else do it for you. This way, you are assured to get a new identical match. No guess work that way.

You've invested a lot of money into your camper. Don't cheap out now.

About getting a lower quality or a higher quality awning, I can almost guarantee you, the awning that came factory installed on your camper was NOT a high end awning. I'd replace with the same identical. If you get something off the internet, you really do not know what you are getting. You may find a year from now you just wasted your money and now have to get yet, again another awning. Get it right the first time and save in the long run.

[chuckster57]

FWIW I have installed numerous “aftermarket” fabrics with excellent results. I can recommend:

https://www.shadepro.net/?campaignid...yword=shadepro

I don’t have any affiliation with them, I’ve just installed thousands of fabrics.

[Camp CA]

Originally Posted by TN Traveler

........Can I just order the material .......

Yes............just go to your local or on-line awning canvas supply shop to purchase the awning material.

[NH_Bulldog]

Our 19’ awning and roller tube was damaged while our camper was in storage by an incompetent “neighbor” who couldn’t back up properly. We ordered the exact same unit direct from Lippert using the codes off the sticker on the roller tube. It took 6 months to arrive, but it was an identical replacement.

[Badbart56]

I've had excellent service from these folks. Fast shipping and great prices. I got new A/C units (added two more units to my Fuzion 405) and Carefree Awnings for my slides along with replacement awning fabric for my 20 foot awning at a much better price than what CW was asking.

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by Camp CA

Yes............just go to your local or on-line awning canvas supply shop to purchase the awning material.

Make sure everyone "knows and understands" what you're asking for....

At an RV dealership or online, "awning fabric" typically means a "ready to install fabric complete with sewn seams and gimp sewn to the fabric. At a "canvas supply shop/upholstery shop" it will likely mean a roll of canvas material cut to the specified length with raw seams and no gimp....

If you go this route, be sure/POSITIVE that you inform them that you don't "want just the fabric"... Doing that is a very good way to get a roll of "awning fabric" with no seams, no gimp, no sewing or completed edges trimmed or finished... Just a "piece of flat canvas".....

It's much easier to buy/order a completed awning fabric than to go to a custom upholstery shop and order "awning fabric"... In every case I've seen, much cheaper to order online or from an RV dealership than a "custom upholsterer"...

To make it simple, if you have an awning with arms that measure 16 feet (center to center) you need a 15'2" awning fabric replacement. Here's one: https://www.amazon.com/Shade-Pro-Awn...NrPXRydWU&th=1 You can choose gray, brown, blue or burgandy or a couple of "fade options".... No need to make it any more difficult than it has to be.... Total cost: $164 plus tax. There are cheaper options, but shadepro is a "known quality aftermarket supplier"... You can pay more, but you likely won't get "more for your money".... I do not own any stock in shadepro, but have used their products and never had any problems wtih any of them....

[chuckster57]

Some online retailers will sell the fabric with the rail and roller tube gimps installed and the valence gimp separate. On those you will get a real cheesy install tool like a screen gimp installation tool.