Ripped Slide out Awning best way to repair

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Y-Guy

Y-Guy

Well-known member
Joined
May 4, 2009
Posts
160
Location
Tri-Cities, WA
We got caught up in some nasty winds while camping in the Alvord Desert over Spring Break, we figure the winds were 50MPH plus maybe higher. I didn't get the main slide in before the damage was done though.  The next morning I found about a 3" beginning of a tear in the slide out awning fabric near where it attaches to the motorhome. I figure I'll need to replace the fabric at some point but I'd like to buy some time if I can. I've seen the awning repair tape for sale, is that stuff any good? I have a roll of heavy duty white duct tape that would blend in pretty well.

Any thoughts on how to extend the life of the fabric for a while?
 
I don't know about the tape as I've never used it but two years ago I
tore my awning and at the time it was recommended to me to use
dental floss and actually sew the rip together, then to cover with the
tape. Never had the chance to get it done though cause then the
spring inside the awning unloaded and I can't get it down. Its gonna
need a real service guy now.
 
While I have no personal experience a neighbor in a campgrond had a similar problem and he proceded to stitch it up then stitched a piece of fabric over the repair.
 
I used the awning repair tape and am very impressed with the results.  I put about a 12 in tear in my slide topper where it attaches to the coach.  I cleaned the fabric well with mineral spirits and put the tape all along the teat first on the top and then on the bottom.  I did this three years ago.  Now it did tend to dry out from the sun so I did redo it last year.  I am still planning to replace the fabric but so far I have gotten three more years out of the torn one.  Also you will find many other uses for the tape.  I even used it to cover a crack in my skylight.  I need to replace that too.
 
I had a rip at the side of my awning similar to what you described.  I sewed it with braided fish line ( Fire line 15 lb test)
then covered it with awning repair tape. (Also called Sail repair tape.  It has held now for 4 years with no sign of weakening.

Tony
 
I had a small rip start on one of my awnings about 5 years ago. At the time I was near Portland, ME. I went to a local sailboat supply and got some of the instant repair tape they make for sails. I put the tape on and it is still holding as good as when I first applied it.

Chet18013
 
Thanks for the feedback, I hadn't considered the sewing aspect at all.  Need to look into that.  I've seen the Awning Repair tape a dealer but had nobody with any experience with it, sounds like that might be a good way to go vs. the duct tape. 
 
I went with the white duct tape for the time being.  The tear looks worse from down below, it still has many of the thread material holding it so the tape is just a bit of reinforcement. The greater concern was the number of small holes I found in the fabric in the first 20" or so.  My gut tells me I can probably get by this year but another strong wind storm though and i think it will probably cut loose with a bigger tear.

Has anyone replaced the fabric on a slide out awning themselves?
 
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