John From Detroit
Well-known member
Well, this starts like a post elsewhere.. Coming back to Michigan from SC. last spring as we crossed the Smokey Mountains a car slightly crossed the center line, Causing me to crowd right a bit and the mountain took out both my main awning and my bed slide topper.
Well.. I fairly quickly fixed the slide topper (I do need to replace one part but I carved a new one out of wood which should last me a few years)
The main awning however was another matter.. The last 3 feet of the roller tube and cover got flattened.
So the project last week.
I unrolled the awning, removed the front control arm. (Taking careful measurements) and cut 4 1/2 feet off the tube and off the fabric.. Moved the fabric back 4 1/2 feet.
I dug the spring assemble out of the bent portion of the tube and carved a wood "End cap" for the tube. (Since this one is not load bearing it's not a problem.. just holds the roll centered on a shaft, no torsion load)
Re-attached the spring assembly to the rear control arm (also re-mounted the rear arm, making a new bracket for the one that broke)
Got it all up and centered so it rolls up nice, then I re-routed power from the controller to the motor so it rolls up by remote control.
Next job was cutting down my "Sun Screen" (Quick, one knife and a few grommets.. Where it used to be too short, it's now too long.. I still need to hem it (And the awning) but that will have to wait till after payday.
The improvement... The original awning extended past the door.. Thus when the door was open for ventelation the awning arm and the door competed for space. this has caused damage. It also ran right up the passenger side window partially blocking the view to the right.
now it's along the edge of a window, not blocking it at all and behind the latch side of the door so it does not get in it's way either.
All in all.. I'm kind of happy with how it turned out.
Well.. I fairly quickly fixed the slide topper (I do need to replace one part but I carved a new one out of wood which should last me a few years)
The main awning however was another matter.. The last 3 feet of the roller tube and cover got flattened.
So the project last week.
I unrolled the awning, removed the front control arm. (Taking careful measurements) and cut 4 1/2 feet off the tube and off the fabric.. Moved the fabric back 4 1/2 feet.
I dug the spring assemble out of the bent portion of the tube and carved a wood "End cap" for the tube. (Since this one is not load bearing it's not a problem.. just holds the roll centered on a shaft, no torsion load)
Re-attached the spring assembly to the rear control arm (also re-mounted the rear arm, making a new bracket for the one that broke)
Got it all up and centered so it rolls up nice, then I re-routed power from the controller to the motor so it rolls up by remote control.
Next job was cutting down my "Sun Screen" (Quick, one knife and a few grommets.. Where it used to be too short, it's now too long.. I still need to hem it (And the awning) but that will have to wait till after payday.
The improvement... The original awning extended past the door.. Thus when the door was open for ventelation the awning arm and the door competed for space. this has caused damage. It also ran right up the passenger side window partially blocking the view to the right.
now it's along the edge of a window, not blocking it at all and behind the latch side of the door so it does not get in it's way either.
All in all.. I'm kind of happy with how it turned out.
