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Old 05-21-2012, 08:52 AM   #1
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Manual Awining Help!

Hi all….This weekend my son and I took a trip out to check on the camper. You know the normal stuff…looking for water and making sure no one has run off with my battery and hitch head. The guy next to me was gone (Awing Side) so I decided to take a closer look at my awing. (Dometic 8500 manual ) Since purchase it has the funny habit of rolling up all wrinkled. See photo. I read a manual stating that there may be a number of issues that can contribute to this one of is that the fabric may not be square….So I attempted to adjust it with little luck. During this in and out process of checking I snapped off the black Travel lock….seems to be easily replaceable. But the reason it snapped seems a bit more troublesome. The rear arm seems to not fit over the inner arm. Basically it appears that it is being hung up and not “nesting” at the top of the assembly. One would assume that this mount needs to be adjusted. Other than the awing smelling like rotten eggs and full of water everything else checked out ok. Any one replace the travel lock on their units…..It seems pretty simple and not worth the gas and time to take it in for repair. I have found the part locally for about 10 dollars.
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Old 05-21-2012, 09:06 AM   #2
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It has been my experience with awnings that they get crooked on the roller. I have found out that if you deploy the awning just about to its limit and then measure the distance from the end of the roller to the fabric and make sure it is the same on both ends and then put a large head pop rivet in the hem on each end it will then roll up nice and straight. The arms should also align properly.

Before anyone comments, this awning is overextended just to install the pop rivets. The empty slot should be pointed down and the awning material going straight over the roller so there is no valley formed with the roller.
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Old 05-21-2012, 09:30 AM   #3
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May I add that the awning must also be centered on the camper wall, equal spacing between the awning arms, or whatever it takes to line it up with how it is on the roller.
One could also cross-measure the awning itself, while extended, just to check to make sure it was made square.
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Old 05-21-2012, 10:16 AM   #4
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How to correct

My awning is not centered either on the roller or on the trailer wall track.. it is about 2 inches to the left... how can this be corrected or can it?
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Old 05-21-2012, 10:39 AM   #5
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It needs to be slid over on bottom roller.
This sometimes happens when it windy and deployed.
Roll out awning then slide it back till its even on both sides of the roller then rep stow and check for straightness.
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Old 05-21-2012, 10:40 AM   #6
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Once you have it right, may want to use dunnnc's rivet idea. Looks like a good idea.
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Old 05-21-2012, 10:54 AM   #7
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To center it on the trailer track, you have to get on the roof or a ladder and remove the screws in the track holding the awning, deploy the awning just about to the end of the travel and then start moving the awning at the roof to get it centered between the arms, then go down to the roller, check that it is centered and repeat the process. Roll the awning up to check, unroll and if it is centered, drill new holes and re-install the screws in the track. Go to the roller and drill 3/16" dia holes in the top of the roller thru the hem of the material and install a large head pop rivet in both ends. Problem should be solved.
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Old 05-29-2012, 09:51 AM   #8
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FYI-

To all of those withthe pre 2011 Dometic units....parts are no longer being produced for the arms of these. The old design is the rounded tube and the new design parts will not interchange.....The "Travel" Locks that broke on my unit are not being produced. FYI- I bought 4 locks just in case.
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