Re: [VACList] Stripping with your awning attached

["Gary Quamen" <g_quamen@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi John:

If I remember correctly (!?) you have a Carefree awning like I do.  I have
taken mine down and put it up by myself (not by choice and I wouldn't
recommend it).  The roller spring is controlled by an end cap that is
inserted into each vertical awning support arm end.  It is kept from jumping
out by a single sheet metal screw, as I recall.  To release the torsion on
the roller, you remove said screw and carefully slide the end cap up and
free of the support arm, keeping a good grip on it.  When it is free you can
slowly unwind it.  It isn't all that hard to do and not a tremendous amount
of torsion.

Then do the other end.  The roller will then tend to unroll due to gravity
and if you can get the support arms out of the way, it can be lowered down
the side of the trailer.  The idea is to take all the "pull" off the awning
in the track so that it can be withdrawn from the groove.  It probably is
pinned on either end in the groove to prevent is sliding.  If it unloaded it
SHOULD slide out the groove.  No guarentee of that as Jim Smith pointed out.
In my experience it wasn't all that hard to do, just awkward with the awning
hanging down and all.

To put it back, it's kind-of the reverse.  Start out with the awning hanging
down unrolled.  Wrestle one end of it up to one end of the groove and
finesse it in.  It is important to have someone to help you here.  To lift
up and move the whole mess as you thread the awning back on.  Unfortunately
the groove is oriented up which doesn't make it easy.

Then roll the awning back up the side of the trailer and temporarily get the
roller caps inserted in the arms again.  You will have to keep it from
unrolling (the other person?) while you wind up the cap and reinsert it in
the arm and pin it with the screw.  Then wind up the other end.  I don't
remember how many turns it takes.  Somebody told me this weekend that it is
one turn per foot of awning, whatever that means.  I would try to keep track
of how many turns you had to unwind it when you took it apart.

> Or do folks drill out the rivets on the groove rail and take everything
down without disassembly

Re this:  I thought about removing this to rebed it and found that is VERY
securely buck riveted to the trailer and there is no way I could ever get it
fastened as securely if I took it off.  So I abandoned that idea pronto.  I
ran some Vulkem down the upper edge and let it go.  Turned out that is not
where the massive leak I had was coming from anyway.  Twas the big old air
conditioner that was trying to flatten out my roof and the seal had failed.
I replaced the AC with an original vent and the "dancing waters" abated.

Good luck,

GQ '67 Safari