How To Replace RV Patio Awning Fabric - Carefree of Colorado

[@RVgeeks]

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[@paulhannant9501]

Asked if they'd send to the UK and got a flat 'no' 😣

[@NancyRitchey]

I have watched hundreds and hundreds of "how to" videos over the past many years. Have never seen a more perfect presentation ever.

[@RVgeeks]

Thank you so much, Nancy! You just made our day. ☺️

[@montegb2951]

Your editing skills are outstanding. To make a 10 min video out of this project, without repeating things, or leaving details out is fantastic.

[@RVgeeks]

Thank you so much for the nice comment, Monte! You just made our day. :)

[@AlanBuckner]

Thank you so much for this video! It saved my life! I’m one of those guys who bought fabric before they had any idea what they were doing, and all of the videos I saw before this looked like a freaking nightmare. It helps to have a Carefree awning, fabric replacement went just like the video and I did it almost all by myself and I’m 72 years old. I cannot thank you enough!

[@RVgeeks]

That’s awesome Alan! It’s always great to hear we’ve been helpful. Thanks for letting us know. Nice job!

[@MovingForwardAdventures]

We would just like to say how Awesome our experience was with Tough Top Awning and Tyler. We purchased a privacy panel from them and made the mistake of not measuring our awning properly making the panel too large when it arrived. We contacted Tyler and explained what we did wrong, He told us to go ahead and ship the panel back to them and they would make the necessary changes and ship it back to us free of charge. That was so kind of them, the mistake was completely ours. We can not say enough good things about our experience with Tyler and the Company, they went above and beyond to help us out. So thank you Tough Top Awning and thank you RVgeeks for introducing us to such a great company. Kenny and Sabrina

[@RVgeeks]

+Moving Forward Thanks so much, Kenny & Sabrina, for sharing your experience. Great to hear, but not a surprise. The reason we've been talking about Tough Top Awnings for so long now is because our very first experience buying a replacement slide topper from them was so impressive, and that confidence has never waned. They're one of those great companies that supports the RV community in all the best ways: great products, great service, great people. And that Tyler is an awesome person, for sure.

[@stacyrowell5707]

Thank you for this video!! It was so detailed and easy to follow! My husband & I got it done in 2:15. AND…. you saved us $500 and a month’s waiting time to get it done at a local RV place!

[@RVgeeks]

Excellent Stacy! Great to hear!

[@arockin55]

Got to admit, I have watched many videos on replacement of fabric, and hands down, this one is the best I have seen. I have to replace my left spring anyways on my carefree, so I thought it would be a great opportunity to replace my fabric. Most videos show, taking off the right spring, so this one working from the left, was a super bonus. Now to figure out how many turns to reinstall the left spring. My old left spring broke and has no tension, and suggestions??

[@petereisma8200]

We followed the directions, and it work awesome.......these fellows really know what they are doing........👍

[@RVgeeks]

Thanks so much, Peter! So glad to hear this was helpful.

[@slirving]

Thanks for the How-To guide, I just successfully replaced my awning thanks to you guys.

[@glegipon]

I just did this! God bless you guys for making this video. I totally watched it from start to finish. Very good instructional video! Better than the replacement instructions btw!! I ended up turning the left spring about 22 times to where it would retract well almost to a slam unless I slowed it down.

[@RVgeeks]

Thanks Parker! Great to hear.

[@andyjude]

Thank you so much for your help! On my awning, the spring stopped working and I used this video to help me fix it and it is now working better then it has ever before!

[@RVgeeks]

That’s awesome, Andy! Thanks so much for letting us know. 😊

[@birgitrussell8331]

Just love our new awning, thanks guys. Great video once again. Had a great time getting to know Tyler too🤗

[@RVgeeks]

You were the real star of the show here, Birgit! Your residual check is in the mail. ;-)

[@ourv9603]

GUYS, GOOD JOB !!! I would recommend replacing all of those rusty fasteners with stainless steel. With all of the ugly stains & marks I have gotten on my awnings over the years I wonder that they don't make awning material all black or chocolate to hid said stains & marks. instead of the mostly white. !

[@RVgeeks]

Thanks for the suggestion on the fasteners. Good idea! I think a lot of the staining on OEM fabrics comes from the fact that the material is 2 layers bonded together, and allows a moisture to cause mold and mildew stains in between. One of the best things about Tough Top fabric is that it's one single sturdy piece, so that never happens.

[@eddiewilson4291]

I have looked at several awning installations, and this may be the best , and possibly easiest yet. I have a new awning to install, and I will let you know how it went.

[@RVgeeks]

This one really was easy, wasn't it?! Keep us posted on your install, Eddie.

[@hurdbuilds]

Just what I needed to know for my DIY replacement! Thanks for sharing, thanks for offering a discount (though I’ve already made my purchase previously), and thanks to Tyler @ ToughTop for making these videos! 😃👍🏼

[@RVgeeks]

Thanks so much! Happy to help!

[@Blakgun]

Fantastic video. My wife and I were able to swap out our manual Carefree awning fabric in about an hour. The only thing I found was the description of winding the awning. I routinely work with my hands doing metal work, welding, and carpentry. My hand strength is well above average. So it may be my novice technique, but a few times I nearly lost my grip while unwinding the spring. The screwdriver trick made rewinding much more secure, especially since I decided to add a couple of winds to the spring. Also, while the spring was out, I lightly sprayed it with some lithium grease. Now that we have a working awning we've realized that we much prefer the electric version. Y'all should make a video on how to install one. 😊

[@RVgeeks]

Thanks so much for sharing! Will keep your suggestion in mind for a future video! 😁

[@ElGreengo]

Thanks for providing a great video on how to do a replacement awning.

[@chrisandsamlivingthedream]

Wow you guys made that look so easy .. I would tackle that job with my lady ... cheers Chris & Sam

[@RVgeeks]

This was definitely the easiest awning we've done so far. You could do it for sure!

[@iamsource4me]

I can't imagine anyone making a more instructive video than this. Well Done! Until I happened upon this presentation I viewed (wasted my time) watching a dozen or so videos that shouldn't even have been made much less published on KZbin.

[@RVgeeks]

Thank you so much! 😊

[@AlexRamirez-qw9vq]

Thank You RV Geeks for this video! Made my installation a piece of cake!

[@RVgeeks]

That’s awesome. Thank you so much for letting us know Alex! It’s always great to hear we’ve been helpful. ☺️

[@howardlunsford3140]

I have been wanting to get my awning replaced I'm going to do it myself and save a few dollars good video thanks for sharing

[@RVgeeks]

That's awesome, Howard! Be sure to let us know how you make out!

[@HVUNIT13]

Thank you so much for the video. I have had nightmares about replacing my awning. I now feel that this is something I am gong to be able to do. I am going to be able to avoid the dealer.

[@RVgeeks]

Excellent! Please let us know how you make out.

[@robbrandenburg6541]

This was a great DIY video. Followed the directions and did a 16 Foot Replacement by my self,,, No Help. Had no trouble ... Thanks...

[@RVgeeks]

That's awesome Rob! Great to hear! 😊

[@juliuscanaleii2401]

Wow, this is great. I have been searching for a tutorial for this exact awning. Wasn’t sure about removal and spring tensions. Awesome

[@RVHabit]

Love the video guys. This is a good DIY project for most RV'ers and a discount to boot.. Awning looks great. Stay safe.

[@RVgeeks]

Thanks so much! Safe Travels. :)

[@joeyhartemink900]

i love your videos my grandma has a small campervan and i love your tips and videos greetings from holland

[@RVgeeks]

Thanks Joey! We LOVE Holland. We took the train from Amsterdam to Maastricht and back and loved our time there. You live in a marvelous country. :)

[@PhotoAlbert]

Terrific video as always guys! It definitely looks like an easy enough DIY job!

[@RVgeeks]

Thanks Al! This was indeed a surprisingly easy awning to replace. :)

[@jeffmangin906]

Video was perfect. Step by step worked exactly as presented. Thank you!

[@RVgeeks]

Great to hear, Jeff! Thanks. 😊

[@jchiar]

Awesome details and great instructions. Made for simple installation

[@RVgeeks]

That’s awesome, Joe! It’s always great to hear we’ve been helpful. Thanks for letting us know.

[@davehester3409]

You guys are awesome, was preparing to replace the fabric in my awning thanks so much for the video.

[@RVgeeks]

That's great, Dave! We must have known! ;-)

[@ryandammarell3461]

Thank you guys. Great job!

[@richardminogue6451]

As usual, a great video. I will likely replace my awning within a year. Thank you.

[@tmgibbons]

Love your channel, God sent

[@RVgeeks]

Thank you so much!

[@off2adventure353]

Love your videos, you do a great job in explaining how too's. thanks and keep them coming.

[@RVgeeks]

Thanks Richard! Will do. :)

[@Assassin1959]

I already watched this video, so I don't know why was coming as a new video. Did you guys posted it again? Anyway, I watched it again. Nice Job!!!

[@RVgeeks]

Hi Hector! While we have published similar videos for similar awnings, this is the first time we've showed how to replace a Carefree of Colorado awning (the others were various A&E models). Hope you liked it the second time! :)

[@Windkisssed]

Very good information! Thanks! Love all your lessons!!!! Thanks, Lauri

[@RVgeeks]

Thanks Lauri! :)

[@johncranfordpersonal4146]

Very good video, I am no longer intimidated.

[@jimmydeen58]

A+ Video.. thanks I need to do this soon..

[@PRACERZ]

GREAT video, thanks !!

[@sandpitbull]

Thank you guys for the videos, helps a bunch.

[@Pamela-ro8vh]

Great video. I'm not very handy but I bet I could do this if I had to after watching your vid. Thanks!

[@RVgeeks]

Thanks Pamela! We bet you could, too! :)

[@bdarne1]

Excellent video. Thanks for posting.

[@RVgeeks]

+Bill Darnell Thanks Bill! 😊

[@mrkrause3]

Thanks for sharing!

[@jamiesonetakewonders475]

On average, how many turn on the tension bracket? Mine was an unassembled heap when I got it...gonna make it work with this great video. Thanks.

[@RVgeeks]

Hey Jamie... it depends on two things... the length of the awning (longer awnings need more turns) and whether the awning is rolled up/retracted or extended (retracted is fewer turns). If yours is a Carefree of Colorado manual awning, look at page 8 on this service manual from CoC: www.carefreeofcolorado.com/documents/Patio-Awning-Service-Manual.pdf Hope this helps!

[@kevinj8258]

Love the privacy awning addition. But how about some kind of draping bug mosquito netting that can be attached to the awning to keep out creeping flying critters ?

[@RVgeeks]

That's a great idea, Kevin, but it might be hard to actually close up all the openings to keep them out. We've seen a lot of people using these portable bug screen enclosures, which might be an easier solution: amzn.to/2tQN9Y8

[@kevinj8258]

The awning company says they have something in development. Speculate that they will have some magnetic Velcro solution some day.

[@RVgeeks]

If you're in a place where the bugs are really bad (like down south where we keep hearing about how bad the no-see-ums are), maybe an inexpensive screen room will keep you alive until they come up with their product. ;-)

[@kevinj8258]

I have THE CLAM screen room. It works great. But it's big to keep stored. Just need to determine some configuration optimization.

[@FreeSpirits]

Fantastic tutorial. Does this method work on most awnings like most dometic and a&e?

[@RVgeeks]

Thanks so much! Each awning make and model we've seen so far has been a little different. Check out our complete awning & slide topper playlist to see if we've done your make & model yet: kzbin.info/aero/PL57sd9ryLVgP-X_YuOjJEe54-33SZCVKH Beside this Carefree, we've shown A&E WeatherPro (power awning on our own RV), A&E manual (standard type) and the A&E Two-Step. Hope this helps!

[@FreeSpirits]

Thank you! :)

[@JustPlainCommonSense]

Great job guys!

[@yvonneluke456]

Great video tutorial guys, thanks for sharing. Your videos are always informative and interesting. :-)

[@RVgeeks]

Thanks so much, Yvonne! :)

[@jeffkerestes]

This was great! Thank you!

[@annielaurie100]

Not sure if you have made a video one changing a awning that has the aluminum wrap connected to it.

[@RVgeeks]

Hi Ann! We did actually, but it was our A&E WeatherPro power awning: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mYG2nJKsisdkgbM The steps to follow for each type of awning depend primarily on the make (Carefree of Colorado vs A&E/Dometic) and the model (manual vs power or in the case of A&E, whether it's their "Two-Step" manual model). The main difference with the metal wrap is the ordering process. When you place your order with Tough Top Awnings, they ask you to specify whether you have the metal wrap or not, so they'll know how to make the fabric. The installation shouldn't be much different, other than installing the wrap onto the fabric before putting the whole thing onto the RV, as shown in the video I mentioned above. Hope this helps!

[@TheDouglash]

I am starting on the project to replace the carefree awning on our 2009 Jayco. The head screws on both ends won’t come out. Looking at the back side of the head there seem to be a nut only what looks to be a flatwasher. What kind of fastener is this?

[@RVgeeks]

Sorry, Bo. Not sure. If you got your fabric from Tough Top Awnings, they should be able to help.

[@wanjockey]

Great video, I watch all of your videos. I was wondering, looking at the corrosion on the fasteners, would it be a good option to add new stainless steel fasteners as an upgrade to the kit? Thanks for sharing. I am sending this along to my family as they could definitely use this advise in the future.

[@RVgeeks]

Hi Gregory! I think that replacing old fasteners is a good idea, but in this case, we were dealing with an old RV where an awful lot of stuff is getting a bit weathered in general. Great idea though and probably something we should have done with our own RV. Although we're getting a bit long in the tooth ourselves, with our rig having just hit 12 years old, and replacing every old fitting might get a little overwhelming. Might have to start looking at a new rig soon. ;-)

[@Dizzee-um7yw]

Started searching for the new rig yet? Any hot contenders? Inquiring minds want to know. You have a beautiful coach but a bath and a half and 500 HP might be nice...lol.

[@RVgeeks]

LOL We're actually looking to go the other way! We're VERY interested in the just announced Newmar New Aire, which provides all the luxury of a 45' high-end coach into a much smaller package, capable of fitting into many smaller places, like National Parks. The market for high-end rigs well under 40' has been sorely neglected and we're excited that our favorite manufacturer has stepped into that void. Now if we can just find the money to pay off our current RV mortgage, and some more to buy a New Aire, we'll be all set! ;-)

[@Dizzee-um7yw]

Yep. I was at the local Newmar dealer yesterday and asked to be called when the New Aire arrives. They're expecting mid to late August. I just wish it was one foot longer to accomodate a king bed.

[@RVgeeks]

+Dizzee2020 Yup. We want a king, too. We're hoping the New Aire is a big success so many more floorplans will follow.

[@tschleff]

As always a great DIY video. Does Tough Top make an awning for an Airstream? Airstreams use ZipDee awning hardware.

[@RVgeeks]

Thanks Tom! While we're sure that Tough Top's fabric can be used to replace any brand of awning fabric, we'd suggest that Tyler is the ultimate expert. If you reach out to him at [e-mail] or by phone at [phone] he can surely provide a more authoritative answer than we can (just in case there's something about ZipDee awnings we're not aware of). Tell him the Geeks said "Hi" :)

[@sergedery7136]

In some cases, keeping a firm grip on braket to prevent spring from winding could be surely very dangerous depending the tension of spring.

[@RVgeeks]

Hi Serge! That can indeed be true for larger awning or slide topper springs, but window awnings have a lot less tension and are generally pretty easy to handle.

[@robertosantana5211]

GREAT GOB.

[@paulhannant9501]

Great video, I assume it's a similar procedure for an electric awning ? I wish I could get it in the UK ... ;)

[@RVgeeks]

We haven't actually done a replacement on a Carefree power awning yet, but while we've seen similarities between power and manual awnings of the same brand, there are some differences too. We're planning (hoping) to get the chance to video the replacement of the power version this spring. Stay tuned!

[@paulhannant9501]

@@RVgeeks Thanks, I'll keep an eye out for it. .Would you guys post to the UK if required ? Nothing wrong with my awning at the moment, but we have had problems with them on previous RV's and there are very few people here that can provide parts etc for them.

[@RVgeeks]

We don’t actually sell awning fabric. That would be Tough Top Awnings. You can contact them through their website to find out if they ship internationally.

[@garydavis5378]

Why in one video you do not have to rewind the right spring and on another both ends have to be wound or just the opposite end ?

[@RVgeeks]

Different models have different requirements.

[@darinbarfield8738]

Trying to figure out how to accomplish this task by myself 😤 Unfortunately no friends to assist & my wife is about …… -unwilling to lift a finger.

[@GaryBoyd02]

Can you.add the ever popular LED lights in the extra channel instead of the privacy screen? Not sure how the wiring would work. Perhaps inside the tube? Just curious if you guys know. If you do I will trade you for an old time awesome spaghetti sauce recipe that will blow your socks and sandals ( socks with sandals are gauche) off!

[@RVgeeks]

Hey Gary! You can get hangars designed to hang lights from an RV awning track (this kind of thing: amzn.to/2tXJTuf ), but the challenge is getting a suitable source of power to them without stringing wires every time you roll the awning in and out. We haven't yet been motivated enough to find a solution for that one, so maybe we're not interested enough to figure it out. LOL Some newer awnings come with lights wired in already. Maybe we'll have to look for that feature next time. Sorry we didn't earn you sauce recipe. Although the way we "cook" (if you can call it that), we'd probably ruin it anyway. ;-)

[@kevinj8258]

Gary Boyd you can get battery operated Christmas string lights. The batteries last a long time. It's a solution to consider.

[@roydavis2242]

Changing out an entire awning isn't that hard at all. I've done it with my son helping. I too won't use a vinyl awning but I also scrub my acrylic one good once a years and spray it with "Camp-Dry" to help with the waterproofing. I grew up waterproofing canvas tents so this isn't a problem.

[@amandabruney3835]

my issue is Not just the fabric. the extension arms are broke. and it's manual

[@RVgeeks]

Sorry to hear, Amanda. Unfortunately, if the arms are broken, you'll likely need to buy replacement parts from an authorized dealer. Look inside the arms for a label that might have a model number and/or part number so they'll know exactly what you need.

[@amandabruney3835]

RVgeeks hello. Thank you for the response. I'm working on an idea. I'll post it when I get done

[@alanlisting2080]

Should have caulked the bolts before replacing them

[@richoliveria9829]

Sorry guys but I would never want that vinyl type fabric on my Monaco.

[@RVgeeks]

No worries Rich. As my mom would say... "That's why they make vanilla & chocolate!" LOL We hated the original acrylic fabric that came on our Newmar (hard to keep clean, and wasn't truly waterproof) and love our vinyl replacement, which you can see us installing here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mYG2nJKsisdkgbM By coincidence, we chose the same color as our friends did. :)

[@richoliveria9829]

I usually see the vinyl ones cracked. Yes our type(?) does leak a little but does not bother us I think there is a spray for that though.