Bent Zip Dee Awning

[Wsmith]

I was able to straighten mine with it on the trailer. Put the bow aligned to the support kickers and blocked them with 2 x 4's and then put the bent tube under my armpit and gently nudged it out with short forceful bounces. It still works and its been about 7 years ago. PS I didn't have the bottom supports out all the way.

[texascanuk]

Yup. Price os 7.90/ft + 25 for shipping tube + shipping fee +/- 300.

[arcamedies]

Originally Posted by texascanuk

Yup. Price os 7.90/ft + 25 for shipping tube + shipping fee +/- 300.

had to replace mine, even though the bend wasn't to bad, couldn't get it straight, and $300 was the number for the tube.

[dznf0g]

If any of happen to be passing through the Chicagoland area, the Zip Dee rep also told me they could do a complete bend, reshape and adjust the whole setup for about $100 an hour, and it takes about 1 to 1.5 hours. Parts, if required, would be extra.

[SilverGate]

Last month I was sitting under our main awning in the desert when a sudden, unexpected, renegade dust devil lifted one end of the awning and bent the rafter arm bar and put a slight bow in the arm tube.

Upon return home, I ordered the appropriate replacement rafter arm bar and tube from Awnings By Zip Dee (See details in my posting, "Desert flowers and devils".)

I installed the new rafter arm bar and tube.

The slight bow in the old rafter arm tube self-corrected itself when the bent rafter arm bar was removed from it.

Larry used a Black & Decker Workmate workbench vise and PVC pipe to straighten the bent arm bar. The photos below were taken after he straightened the bar and are presented here to show how he did it.

First he placed the bar on the flat workbench surface to check for straight (true) bar alignment and used a marking pen to mark the bent section.

He marked the bar in 3 places and placed the bar in the workbench vise at the 1st mark for bending with a PVC pipe (See post below).

[SilverGate]

A PVC pipe was used as a lever to gradually straighten the bend. The bar was advanced into the vise to each succeeding mark and the PVC pipe was applied until the bar was straightened and easily slid into the arm tube.

Now we have an extra rafter arm bar and tube on hand for that next dust devil!

[Too tall]

Those Rafter Arm Bars are very strong. Mine had a bend nearest the top and took some serious persuasion to correct. The (above) video is on the money, just hook it in the trailer frame and spring it back into shape. Use a fine flat file to remove the score marks left by the trailer frame and spray lube with Boeshield.



For those of us who are less industrious the part is only $39 from Outofdoorsmart.com


*Note* I will never go out to dinner and leave the awning extended again.

[Ray Eklund]

A common mistake. Understand how to set your awning in wet or windy conditions.

There is a lengthy Awning list under Boondocking 101... it will save you future grief.

[AtomicNo13]

Go to a muffler shop and get a new tube cut to length.
They offer galvalum so it will not rust.
Cheap and no truck freight fee.

[snappykelly]

I’m sorry I don’t know how to start a new post. I have an ‘86 Sovereign new to me. The door-side awning part 3B (see photo) seems broken. There is an end in the tube and I can’t open the awning entirely, even though I received pictures of it “Perfectly open” before buying in “ready to camp” condition but also of course “as is”. One month later, one new converter and fuse box, new lug bolts on one wheel, I haven’t camped YET! Is 3B broken? Attachment 1

[snappykelly]