'71 Rear Zip Dee Awning

[Lumatic]

Can anyone tell me the width of a Zip Dee awning for rear window on a 71?

Also can someone post photos of a rear awning especially the position of the awning rail and the awning arm base hinge

Thanks

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by Lumatic

Can anyone tell me the width of a Zip Dee awning for rear window on a 71?

Also can someone post photos of a rear awning especially the position of the awning rail and the awning arm base hinge

Thanks

Zip Dee makes a special size rear window awning for both the regular size and the wide body trailers.

Their width for the regular size is 47 inches.

Andy

[Ganglin]

I can't give you the width until I go out to winterize. Maybe someone else has access to their trailer at home and will list that. The rear awning is actually listed as a door awning on the Zip Dee site under the parts listings. I presume that would be due to the trailer not having a rib to attach the window awning hook to or, the hook would interfere with the battery vent or rear compartment door. A door awning is held out by two rods that flip up and seat in brackets attached to the windows outer frame.

[Lumatic]

Started to get organized and went through my parts pile. I am going to put on 2 window awnings from scavenged parts on my 25" Tradewind. One about 12' long roadside and a rear window awning. This is what I have to work with:

• A 20 something foot long alumagard with a solid metal L shaped awning rail and hinge where it attaches to the trailer
• A 14 something foot awning fabric that I will cut down to 12 foot something for the roadside awning, and a matching rear window fabric.
• Another 5ish foot section of alumagard with the fabric bolt (flex key) connection
• A newer complete rear window awning with fabric flex key and anodized aluminum sections. The fabric does not match and it will need to be cut down as it is for a wider Airstream.

So I have some decisions to make:

1. Should I use the metal awning rail J type hinge that does not use the "flex key"?
2. Or the awning rail that uses flex key

Is one type awning rail any better than the other? I have enough awning rail that does not have a flex key for both windows. But only enough awning rail that uses flex key for the rear window and would need to find mome more. (It looks like the flex key might also fit into the awning rail but I am not sure)


I think I have decided not to use the newer window assembly because the anodized aluminum alumagard would look out of place.


Any thoughts?


Thanks

[Lumatic]

Maybe I made things too complicated. Also have some better photos.

Here's the nitty gritty:
1. Should I use the awning rail pictured in photo #1 and #4 or get a new awinng rail from Zip Dee?

2. Should I use the flex key (fabric) in photos #2 and #3? ( I would need to get some more from Zip Dee)

3. Can I use flex key with the awning rail in photo #1

[Lumatic]

Zip Dee installation instructions call for installing the awning rail 2 3/4 " above the window frame. The rear marker lights are about 2" above the window frame. So I guess I install the awning rail just below the bottom of the marker lights?

Thanks

[Lumatic]

Just talked to Zip Dee and thsy said to install the awning rail just below the clearance lights. They said I could also install the awning rail upside down.

[geezernbabe]

When I put our rear on I moved the lights up and it fit way better. I moved them up to where the wire coming out of the trailer is still under the light but put new screw holes for the lights. A little sealer in the old holes and you will have more room. When I held the awing up in place the round part hit the lights and covered part of them.

[Lumatic]

Zip Dee instructions call for different measurements for mounting the hinges for the rear window awning vs. the roadside window awning (27" and 24 1/2" respectively) are the awning arms different lengths?

[Lumatic]

Got my roadside awning on now for the rear.

1.Are rear marker lights a legal requirement?
2. Is there a strip LED that I can use instead of the separate marker lights?
3. Any reason I can't mount the marker lights on the Alumaguard of the Zipdee?

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by Lumatic

Got my roadside awning on now for the rear.

1.Are rear marker lights a legal requirement?
2. Is there a strip LED that I can use instead of the separate marker lights?
3. Any reason I can't mount the marker lights on the Alumaguard of the Zipdee?

1. Absolutely.

2. Don't know.

3. The wiring on the backside will damage the fabric.

Andy

[Lumatic]

OK. I have decided to try and put the rear window awning in without moving the marker lights, or at least when I get it cut to size I can hold it in place to see how it will work. What I need to do first is decide on the awning width. I have more that enough parts to work with, most of which are longer that I will have to cut down:

• Awning rail- one piece 43", one about 5 feet long I can cut down
• Awning fabric approx 45"
• Several rollers which are too long andwill need to be cut down

Andy (above) says the regular rear awning with is 47". As you can see from the photos a 43" awning rail will end at a point where the AS body panel begins to curve around the side. A 47" awning would have the ends extending out past the curve on both sides of the window.


It seems to make sense to have the awning width at 43" (not 47") to avoid the awning rail ends overhang. Has anyone else had to deal with this? Could this have been a standard width on the 71? The 43" piece of awning rail I had in my parts pile obviously was used for an awning at some point.

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by Lumatic

OK. I have decided to try and put the rear window awning in without moving the marker lights, or at least when I get it cut to size I can hold it in place to see how it will work. What I need to do first is decide on the awning width. I have more that enough parts to work with, most of which are longer that I will have to cut down:

• Awning rail- one piece 43", one about 5 feet long I can cut down
• Awning fabric approx 45"
• Several rollers which are too long andwill need to be cut down

Andy (above) says the regular rear awning with is 47". As you can see from the photos a 43" awning rail will end at a point where the AS body panel begins to curve around the side. A 47" awning would have the ends extending out past the curve on both sides of the window.


It seems to make sense to have the awning width at 43" (not 47") to avoid the awning rail ends overhang. Has anyone else had to deal with this? Could this have been a standard width on the 71? The 43" piece of awning rail I had in my parts pile obviously was used for an awning at some point.

The Zip Dee 047 or 47 inch window awning has been used on the standard rear window, for 40 plus years.

The closer to the top of the window that's it's mounted to, makes a straight line.

Check it out "BEFORE" you cut anything.

Or, call Linda at Zip Dee, 800-3382378.

Andy

[Lumatic]

OK, I will call Linda Monday.

In the meantime if anyone has a 70s with a rear window can you measure the length of the roller and better yet post a photo?

[Colin H]

Originally Posted by Lumatic

OK, I will call Linda Monday.

In the meantime if anyone has a 70s with a rear window can you measure the length of the roller and better yet post a photo?

The length that Zip Dee is concerned with is not the fabric or rail length, it's the distance between the mounting points of the arms. The fabric length is a function of this, based on hardware size at the ends of the tube, ie a couple of inches less. The reason they do it this way is to assure the arm mounts are attached to something structural & not just .032" skin material.
Colin

[Lumatic]

Originally Posted by Colin H

The reason they do it this way is to assure the arm mounts are attached to something structural & not just .032" skin material.
Colin

The rear window awning is the exception to this rule, and for this purpose they use a hinge of a different design ( 3 hole oval) from all the other hinges (3 hole triangular) that does just attach to the skin.

I think I can confirm the roller length by using the mounting points for the rear window support wires sockets. They are mounted on the window frame. That will in turn determine the placement of the C awning arms which, working backwards, should tell me the width of the roller. Which will probably turn out to be 47 inches (as Andy said in the first place).

Still looking for somebody to run out in the cold and measure the length of their roller on their 70 something rear awning. That's all I need

[Colin H]

Originally Posted by Lumatic

The rear window awning is the exception to this rule, and for this purpose they use a hinge of a different design ( 3 hole oval) from all the other hinges (3 hole triangular) that does just attach to the skin.

Still looking for somebody to run out in the cold and measure the length of their roller on their 70 something rear awning. That's all I need

I'll be at the shop later this evening. I'll measure one there.
Colin

[Lumatic]

Originally Posted by Colin H

I'll be at the shop later this evening. I'll measure one there.
Colin

That would be great. In the meantime I'm going to do some more measuring.

[Lumatic]

Originally Posted by Lumatic

I think I can confirm the roller length by using the mounting points for the rear window support wires sockets. They are mounted on the window frame. That will in turn determine the placement of the C awning arms which, working backwards, should tell me the width of the roller. Which will probably turn out to be 47 inches (as Andy said in the first place).

Still looking for somebody to run out in the cold and measure the length of their roller on their 70 something rear awning. That's all I need

So, I went out and checked measurements the window frame is 45" wide. If the awning arm wire support sockets are mounted to the window frame as per Zipdee instructions the arms would be flush to the outside of the window frame . Unless I am missing something this would indicate a 45" not a 47" roller. A 45" roller would also avoid having to deal with the curve of the skin which starts close to a point in line with the end of the window frame. A 45" roller would also place the hinge above a rib with better support. A 47" roller would require mounting the awning support wire socket into the skin next to the window frame and the hinges laterally off the rivet lines. Both of which only are only supported by the skin.

Not going to cut anything yet

[azflycaster]

I have an A&E awning on the rear of my 75. The roller is 47 and the fabric is 45. The zipdee has larger end pieces and could be a smaller roller.