Bag Awning Blues

jimmoore13 · 09-06-2018, 12:36 PM

So, the bag awning on my PUP is disintegrating. After nearly 5 years in the brutal CO sun, it's pretty much toast(ed). (I do cover in the winter, but I'm too lazy to use the cover during the season. I'm out in this thing almost every weekend.) The photo depicts the beginning of the deterioration more than 2 years ago...but it's still hanging in there.
Like pretty much everything on the camper, it's a Dometic...13'.

Dilemma:
Do I just buy a brand new complete awning, or does it make sense to just buy the "canvas"?

My frame is in great shape, and I've customized it with additional drill holes on the vertical legs to accommodate uneven terrain and to get the side away from the door to be enough lower to allow for good drainage. No big deal, but this one's to my liking.

Has anyone ever just replaced the awning canvas and bag? If so, how'd that go?

TIA for your insights.

Keystoner · 09-06-2018, 02:22 PM

When the zipper went bad on mine is removed the awning and took it to an Auto Upholstery shop. They replaced the 12 foot zipper for under $50. Repairing or replacing the bag should be a snap for them.

oadago · 09-06-2018, 07:08 PM

There is a blog on here that talks about a retracting awning that mounts on the side of your pop up

tom39 · 09-07-2018, 09:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keystoner

When the zipper went bad on mine is removed the awning and took it to an Auto Upholstery shop. They replaced the 12 foot zipper for under $50. Repairing or replacing the bag should be a snap for them.

A few years ago I had a popup with a bagged awning that was damaged by wind while camping at the shore in NC. The wind caught it and ripped the entire bag and awning from the popup, leaving only the awning rope attached.
Like Keystoner, I took the entire awning assembly to a automotive upholstery shop and they were able to make me a new bag, sew the awning rope back on that got ripped off and I was back in working order for under $100.
The only downside was that the awning was now 4" shorter.

jimmoore13 · 09-07-2018, 10:57 AM

Hmmm. Hadn't seriously considered a repair....but more than a year ago I'd asked, via social media, for suggestions on a commercial shop that repairs canvas, and I received no recommendations.

Perhaps I should try again! I'm planning on trading the camper for a hard-side (maybe a GeoPro or similar), and this awning won't pass muster for trade-in. But I wouldn't need a new one...just an awning suitable for a 5 year old camper.

OADAGO: As for replacing it with a more sophisticated unit, the trade-in plan precludes that.

And I must confess that I have little faith in the structural strength of the roof "side-wall", which I know to be particle board.

Lance, for example, uses a scissors-style retracting awning that has no diagonal bracing

, on its campers, but then again, Lance is in another league. I have no doubt that the structural strength of their mounting point is vastly superior to that of this PUP roof sidewall.

To illustrate: There is a 2" x 2" angle bracket inside that holds the foot of the main door when traveling folded. I do lots of off-roading with my PUP (now lifted nearly 4") on miles and miles of washboard gravel roads. The shaking, even at low speeds of 15 to 20 MPH, literally ripped the bracket off the wall...4 screws into - particle board. Bigger screws didn't last one trip. I finally went to stainless thru bolts with nylock nuts. The door was held in place by a nylon turnbutton held to the door with a long aluminum rivet. Also destroyed and replaced with a stainless bolt and nylock nut. Lastly, I installed a solar panel on the roof. I was stunned at how flimsy the structure is. The roof appears to be a sandwich of the outer skin, 1/8" plywood, a super-light wooden frame (perhaps 3/4" or 1" sticks), another layer of 1/8" plywood and the inner ceiling finish...a heavy plastic film. There is nothing to it. Once again, I used stainless thru bolts, lots of silicone, plastic fender washers inside, and nylock nuts to hold the panel to the roof. The idea of using a screw was out of the question.

I love my PUP, but this thing does not seem to be built to a standard that would hold ANY awning that didn't have really stout diagonal or vertical legs. A bag awning is the only thing that makes sense, because the rope rail is attached with dozens of screws into that flimsy particle board. No single screw has to do that much work.

I always setup the awning with the legs to the ground, firmly staked (not plugged into the sockets on the tub. The first time I setup the awning, I used the sockets on the tub, and one of them failed, and there's no way to secure them in place other than the friction of the plastic ball and socket.
Then I add parachute cord guy ropes to additional heavy duty steel stakes to secure the awning.

Lifted as it is, there's no way in hell I can retract and store the awning in the event of a fast-advancing thunderstorm (common in Colorado). It has to ride out the storm...or not. I'm 6'6" tall, 250#, and I have a 3-step folding ladder in the camper, and I can just reach the bag to open the awning - especially if we're on a side-slope on the shores of our favorite lake, and the door-side is elevated 4 to 6" on ramps to deal with the slope. I have to lower the camper roof to put it away. Attempting to do this on a ladder during a wind event would surely have me on the ground and the awning blown into the next site.

I truly appreciate the suggestion, but I think a more sophisticated awning would destroy my PUP roof....unless it was heavily reinforced AND fully automated to self retract in a wind event.

JohnD10 · 09-07-2018, 11:08 AM

Maybe a boat cover shop or the like (AKA - canvas shops) could help you out.

I know there are plenty of them around Denver (just moved away from there earlier this year after 26 years).

My 5'ver, which I purchased 3 years and 3 months ago in Loveland CO, started to develop little pin holes along the top edge where it was getting the same Colorado sun after about 1 1/2 years.

They are still there, but is something I'm keeping my eye on since I expect them to get worse down here in the desert southwest.

You can see some of them in this photo...

Johnfort · 09-23-2018, 11:19 AM

jimmoore13, if your willing to drive to Loveland, Irwin Auto Upholstery is the best there is.

Amartin453 · 09-23-2018, 10:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimmoore13

So, the bag awning on my PUP is disintegrating. After nearly 5 years in the brutal CO sun, it's pretty much toast(ed). (I do cover in the winter, but I'm too lazy to use the cover during the season. I'm out in this thing almost every weekend.) The photo depicts the beginning of the deterioration more than 2 years ago...but it's still hanging in there.

Like pretty much everything on the camper, it's a Dometic...13'.

Dilemma:

Do I just buy a brand new complete awning, or does it make sense to just buy the "canvas"?

My frame is in great shape, and I've customized it with additional drill holes on the vertical legs to accommodate uneven terrain and to get the side away from the door to be enough lower to allow for good drainage. No big deal, but this one's to my liking.

Has anyone ever just replaced the awning canvas and bag? If so, how'd that go?

TIA for your insights.

I had the exact problem and went to a local auto Upholstry shop and had a new seam sewed on, it cost $150. It took one day and it’s much better quality.

Spaceace · 09-27-2018, 11:52 AM

You have the bag awning blues, but I just have the awning blues. One of my poles is bent and the pole that connections to the awning has broken off (was like this when I purchased the pop up). I would like to replace these parts, but I've had a hard time finding the parts. Does anyone have any suggestions?

I assume all these pop ups have the same domestic awning?

jimmoore13 · 09-27-2018, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spaceace

You have the bag awning blues, but I just have the awning blues. One of my poles is bent and the pole that connections to the awning has broken off (was like this when I purchased the pop up). I would like to replace these parts, but I've had a hard time finding the parts. Does anyone have any suggestions?

I assume all these pop ups have the same domestic awning?

Sorry,
I did a very quick Google and didn't find a parts supplier at first glance. But the awnings are officially called: Dometic Trim Line Case Awning. I searched: "Dometic Trim Line Case Awning Parts" and came up with lots of awnings, but no significant parts like poles, etc.

There is some hope with this Google search: but some of the parts prices make repair a poor option compared with just replacing the whole awning, and the parts available hardly seem to be comprehensive.

Even generic parts such as "push button aluminum extension pole" turn up little that would fit or be a reasonably affordable option in place of just buying a new awning. Most items are for painting or pole trimmers, and both costly and incorrect sizes.

Perhaps contact Dometic directly?

kraftengr · 09-27-2018, 01:08 PM

I recently tried to purchase a new pole for our awning and was told that I could only purchase a “half frame”. In other words, you must buy the post/top brace/end rail assembly for the right or left side. They don’t market the individual components.

jimmoore13 · 10-05-2018, 01:42 PM

I just want to thank everyone for the inspiration to find a canvas/awning repair shop. I got a quote for about $150 from a shop that specializes in boat canvas.
Paul's Custom Canvas
303-289-6707
Boat Covers, Tops, Enclosures and Flooring | Home | Pauls Custom Canvas

Denver.

They come highly recommended. I'll wait until the snow flies before I bring it in.

dfazzini · 10-08-2018, 07:25 AM

A couple of mods I did was to put plastic buckles on the ties, makes it much eaiser to roll up by myself wolith a ladder. Also I installed d-ring hooks on the vertical legs at the top and use cam straps to attach to water bags. Usually about 1-2 gal is plenty in each.

dfazzini · 10-08-2018, 07:16 PM

Here are my water bags for the awning.

jimmoore13 · 10-09-2018, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dfazzini

Here are my water bags for the awning.

Thanks. Clever adaptation of tactics used by street vendors at outdoor fairs to hold down their canopies...especially on pavement. Great idea.

dfazzini · 10-09-2018, 12:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimmoore13

Thanks. Clever adaptation of tactics used by street vendors at outdoor fairs to hold down their canopies...especially on pavement. Great idea.

Exactly, was going to use 2x 3gal storage containers, then saw these...

Fold up well to tow anywhere. The d-rings are https://goo.gl/5meoT7 used with Jeep hard tops. Screw in near the top with the legs folded in so they stow well. I did the top as the bottom d-rings my pull the legs out of the poles and create needed stress on the legs and you can tighten the strap this way.

You may also like: