Awnings

[Mr Keith]

I have a 1986 governess and I am trying to find out what company the awnings came from I need some parts. Any help would be great. Keith

[Scotty Hutto]

@throgmartin is our resident awning expert (along with being an expert scallop taster, I hear). Hopefully he’ll weigh in.  

[throgmartin]

You could have Zip Dee's. If you can post a picture I can tell you who they were made by.

[Dr4Film]

Yes, a photo will help a lot.

[Mr Keith]

Being a virgin motor-homer l left my awning out and we had a pretty good wind storm and  the awning ripped in half and bent the bracket on one side and pulled the other bracket off the motorhome. 

[Dr4Film]

That doesn't look like Zip-Dee which is unfortunate as they are some of the best. It also isn't Carefree so I am guessing that it may be A&E.

Google A&E Awning parts and look at their diagrams.

Edited November 30, 2020 by Dr4Film

[throgmartin]

That awning is an old A & E Weathermax. Probably an 8500 series. A & E was bought out by Dometic. 

I do not have my parts catalog but if you call Amy who runs Talin RV for me she can help you. You will have to send her the photos. Her e-mail address is:  amy@talinrv.com. Her direct number is - 352-942-2653

[Mr Keith]

Thanks for your help 

[Texomaman73]

1 hour ago, throgmartin said:

That awning is an old A & E Weathermax. Probably an 8500 series. A & E was bought out by Dometic. 

I do not have my parts catalog but if you call Amy who runs Talin RV for me she can help you. You will have to send her the photos. Her e-mail address is:  amy@talinrv.com. Her direct number is - 352-942-2653

Mr. Throgmartin,

Since we are on the subject of awnings here, I have a question for you.  I have a 2000 Monaco Exec. with a 21ft zip-dee main awning that has sat in the closed position so long it has developed a sag in the middle and will not open or close without having to roll it by hand.  Is there a way to fix this or better yet a way to motorize it to bring it more up to date?  

Thanks for any help on this.

Jeff

[throgmartin]

1 hour ago, Texomaman73 said:

Mr. Throgmartin,

Since we are on the subject of awnings here, I have a question for you.  I have a 2000 Monaco Exec. with a 21ft zip-dee main awning that has sat in the closed position so long it has developed a sag in the middle and will not open or close without having to roll it by hand.  Is there a way to fix this or better yet a way to motorize it to bring it more up to date?  

Thanks for any help on this.

Jeff

Jeff, I would have to see it in person to fully diagnose it. I have never seen a zip dee roller tube bend in the middle. That roller tube is very stout. The spring ends probably need to be lubed and then the awning cycled numerous times and then lubed again. Use Boeshield T-9 for the lubricant. For the most part Zip Dee produces some of the very best awning assemblies going which is why you find a lot of them on Prevosts and Newells. One down side to Zip Dee's is they all come with sunbrella fabric and sunbrella is the very worst acrylic fabric you can use on an RV. It has a strange bias to it which promotes stretching in some areas and shrinkage in another. Sunbrella used to be the gold standard but the quality has gone down hill big time. I am being told by our fabric consultants that their 60 " rolls are now produced in China. It took a huge dive in 2009 when they changed their finish formula. 

If you want to send the photo's to Amy and ask her to have Dustin review them he can give you a better idea. Dustin is our zip dee expert and has a ton of experience working on them. I am going out on a trip for a week and wont be available or I would review them myself. If you need new fabric let Amy know. We are the only aftermarket company in North America that makes fabric replacements for Zip Dees. We always use our Coachguard ( German made ) fabric on them. One last tidbit, Zip Dee's do NOT like sitting for long periods of time. They have to be operated from time to time as you have found out.

[Texomaman73]

On 11/30/2020 at 6:31 PM, throgmartin said:

Jeff, I would have to see it in person to fully diagnose it. I have never seen a zip dee roller tube bend in the middle. That roller tube is very stout. The spring ends probably need to be lubed and then the awning cycled numerous times and then lubed again. Use Boeshield T-9 for the lubricant. For the most part Zip Dee produces some of the very best awning assemblies going which is why you find a lot of them on Prevosts and Newells. One down side to Zip Dee's is they all come with sunbrella fabric and sunbrella is the very worst acrylic fabric you can use on an RV. It has a strange bias to it which promotes stretching in some areas and shrinkage in another. Sunbrella used to be the gold standard but the quality has gone down hill big time. I am being told by our fabric consultants that their 60 " rolls are now produced in China. It took a huge dive in 2009 when they changed their finish formula. 

If you want to send the photo's to Amy and ask her to have Dustin review them he can give you a better idea. Dustin is our zip dee expert and has a ton of experience working on them. I am going out on a trip for a week and wont be available or I would review them myself. If you need new fabric let Amy know. We are the only aftermarket company in North America that makes fabric replacements for Zip Dees. We always use our Coachguard ( German made ) fabric on them. One last tidbit, Zip Dee's do NOT like sitting for long periods of time. They have to be operated from time to time as you have found out.

Thank you for this information, I will do this next time I go and check on the coach (it is in dry storage).  I will let you know if I need any replacement awnings.  Jeff

[Hancoman]

Hello. 
  I have a 2001 Executive my bedroom slide awning has a broken spring and will not retract.  The po bought the spring before he sold the coach to me. Is that something I can change?

[Steven P]

2 hours ago, Hancoman said:

Hello. 
  I have a 2001 Executive my bedroom slide awning has a broken spring and will not retract.  The po bought the spring before he sold the coach to me. Is that something I can change?

Tom, it cam be done, but I am not the one to be able to tell you how.  I would suggest you create a new post with your question as you will likely get more answers. 

[throgmartin]

3 hours ago, Hancoman said:

Hello. 
  I have a 2001 Executive my bedroom slide awning has a broken spring and will not retract.  The po bought the spring before he sold the coach to me. Is that something I can change?

If you have some mechanical ability then yes. Does your slide topper assembly have the question mark arms ?

[Hancoman]

I am going to have check  the slide was out when I when I first looked at it  but I can’t remember now

 

 

[throgmartin]

11 hours ago, Hancoman said:

I am going to have check  the slide was out when I when I first looked at it  but I can’t remember now

 

 

Tom you will have either an Omega styled assembly ( has question mark arms on the ends ) or an SOK I assembly ( small caps on the end ). My guess it will have the question mark arms. If so then for future reference you might want to make a notation in your records that you have Omega I assemblies. The Omega II assemblies were only offered in 2003 and only on certain upper end models. The big difference is the Omega II is sprung from the left side. The Omega I likes yours is sprung from the right.

Once you determine the type assembly you have then I walk you through the installation of a new spring. If you can change the spark plugs in your car then you can change the spring. Not difficult but requires a couple " must do " procedures.

[Dr4Film]

16 minutes ago, throgmartin said:

The big difference is the Omega II is sprung from the left side. The Omega I likes yours is sprung from the right.

Chris,

Back in 2009 I had Shade Pro from San Diego come to my site at Valencia Travel Village to replace the spring on my large roadside salon slide Omega I awning. They had brought the wrong wind spring to do the job but installed it in the front which is what it was wound for and has been there for 12 years now with no problems. Since that slide uses only one spring normally in the rear I don't think it matters much as to what end it goes in providing that the spring you use goes into the correct end that it is wound for. I just have to remember that the salon slide has a front spring now versus a rear spring. My bedroom Omega I awning had the spring replaced in 2005 with a correct rear spring installed. That is still working today.

The springs on my large 20 foot patio awning were busting way too often way back then also. The actual spring was not breaking but the crimp was letting loose. Carefree then decided to put a better crimp on the ends. I replaced those myself last in 2013 and no longer have had patio awning spring problems.

[Hancoman]

On 1/3/2021 at 7:53 AM, throgmartin said:

Tom you will have either an Omega styled assembly ( has question mark arms on the ends ) or an SOK I assembly ( small caps on the end ). My guess it will have the question mark arms. If so then for future reference you might want to make a notation in your records that you have Omega I assemblies. The Omega II assemblies were only offered in 2003 and only on certain upper end models. The big difference is the Omega II is sprung from the left side. The Omega I likes yours is sprung from the right.

Once you determine the type assembly you have then I walk you through the installation of a new spring. If you can change the spark plugs in your car then you can change the spring. Not difficult but requires a couple " must do " procedures.

Ok Chris looks like we are going to have a couple days with out rain. So I will replace the spring

[Dr4Film]

Tom, you are one lucky awning owner! Those awnings are not Carefree but are made by Zip-Dee and next to Girard I consider them to be the best. I had Zip-Dee awnings on my Airstream Landyacht motorhome and loved the quality and workmanship.

Edited February 10, 2021 by Dr4Film

[throgmartin]

Wow, I thought for sure you had Omega's. A Monaco with a Zip Dee awning assembly is extremely rare. Monaco did use Zip Dee but only on a couple models and only for one or two years. I believe they were an option which is why you never see a Monaco with a Zip Dee. I suggest you go over the install procedure to replace the spring carefully. Zip Dee's are different then Omega's and require a different procedure. A lot of technicians curse them and very few technicians really know Zip Dee's well enough to work on them. As Richard stated, the Zip Dee is one of the best assemblies out there which is why Prevost, Foretravel and Newell used them. 

If you get stuck let me know by sending me an e-mail: chris@talinrv.com or call my office and tell Amy you need to talk with Dustin - 352-942-2653.  Dustin is a Zip Dee expert and can answer questions for you. The factory is also good with tech support. Be safe and be careful.

[Scott and Colleen Miller]

On 11/30/2020 at 1:13 PM, throgmartin said:

You could have Zip Dee's. If you can post a picture I can tell you who they were made by.

Dear Awning Dr.😎

James Miller here. I have a 2004 HR 40PRT. All window awnings do not have the pull strap. They are carefree awnings out of Colorado. I went to their website and they have 27” and 93” straps. I would think the 27” is sufficient. Please lend your advice.

Thank you,

James

[throgmartin]

James:

The 93 inch strap is for pull down patio awnings. The window awnings can vary in size. Some are 27 " and some are 29 ". It all depends on where they mounted the strap holder on the side of your bus. If you give Ingrid ( my wife ) at Stone Vos Awnings a call she can walk you through the process of how to measure correctly. ( Her phone number is 352-942-0224 ). She can also make custom straps for you. Tell her you would like the double loop straps. These straps have two loops - The first loop allows the window awning to be deployed and latched down in a normal position ( with the awning arms parallel to the ground ). The second loop allows the window awning to be deployed at a higher angle to allow more sunlight in.

All of the straps made my Stone Vos are sewn with lifetime thread and they use a high grade UV protected polyester strap. Installing them is a piece of cake. Simply take a 3/8 " drill bit and drill out some of the channel on the roller tube ( do not drill through the tube ). Next slide the polyrod sewn into the strap into the roller tube groove, position it in the center of the tube and you are done.

Hope this helps.

[Scott and Colleen Miller]

4 minutes ago, throgmartin said:

James:

The 93 inch strap is for pull down patio awnings. The window awnings can vary in size. Some are 27 " and some are 29 ". It all depends on where they mounted the strap holder on the side of your bus. If you give Ingrid ( my wife ) at Stone Vos Awnings a call she can walk you through the process of how to measure correctly. ( Her phone number is 352-942-0224 ). She can also make custom straps for you. Tell her you would like the double loop straps. These straps have two loops - The first loop allows the window awning to be deployed and latched down in a normal position ( with the awning arms parallel to the ground ). The second loop allows the window awning to be deployed at a higher angle to allow more sunlight in.

All of the straps made my Stone Vos are sewn with lifetime thread and they use a high grade UV protected polyester strap. Installing them is a piece of cake. Simply take a 3/8 " drill bit and drill out some of the channel on the roller tube ( do not drill through the tube ). Next slide the polyrod sewn into the strap into the roller tube groove, position it in the center of the tube and you are done.

Hope this helps.

Awesome! Will call now. Super grateful and appreciate the help. Thank you!

[richmelcole@sbcglobal.net]

Chris,

I have the Omega 1 style awnings on my 02 Monaco Windsor.  The spring is weak or needs some lubrication since I have to help it rewind when the roadside front lounge slide goes in.  I accidently ripped a 6" tear in the awning material recently.  How do I find instructions for removal of this awning?

Rich Cole 

[throgmartin]

Rich:

Contact my wife Ingrid 352-942-0224. Ask her to send you the instructions for the Omega 1. If you want a new spring we have them in stock. If you need new fabric Ingrid can give you a quote. I do not advise you to release the tension on the spring. You have a 50/50 chance of it breaking when you put winds back into it. It is old, rusted and these springs hate to go from a completely relaxed state back to full factory tension settings. The best way to lube a spring is to remove it and coat it with wheel bearing grease. Spraying lubricant will do very little to help it.

Many times when the Omega awnings start working real hard it is because one of the arms got tweaked ( bent ) a little. It doesn't take much of a bend to get the arm out of wack as the angles on the arms have to be perfect. We manufacture the arms and they are all bent and formed on a CNC bender to exact standards. We also manufacture the sliding locks for the arms. If you want to lube anything on your assembly try lubing the arms where they go into the roller tube. The arms actually act like an axle and the roller tube rotates on the arm. I suggest using T-9 Boeshield which is the best lubricant you can buy.

Ingrid has instructions for all the Carefree assembly models. She would be more then happy to e-mail them to you or assist you in getting new fabric or a spring.