Awning decision

[Stella]

I just got a little check for a freelance assignment, and it's burning a hole in my pocket.

Stella really wants an awning. I (Jo) also want an awning. I've had one pre-cancerous melanoma mole removed, and two others that popped up over the winter that I might have to have cut out, too. I figure an awning is WAY cheaper than cancer treatment or a mole surgery.

Problem is, I can't decide between buying a nice $600 awning from VTS or another company, or a cheaper alternative. I fear that making one myself wouldn't last as long, look as good or be as functional.

I'm not crazy about the VTS colors, either. I'd really love purple or fuschia, or something other than a staid stripe. Ideas? I wonder if those Fox people would custom-order a sweet fabric for me.

[Silvertwinkie]

I think the Zip Dees are way cool.

[overlander63]

Does your trailer have any of the old awning on it? Did it ever have an awning? I don't know how mechanically inclined you are, but you may be able to piece together all the hardware for an awning, and get new fabric for it.
The older trailers had a slightly different roof contour, but pretty much any awning from a pre-1969 unit would fit, and you could cut down the tube to proper length. I know I make it sound easy, but it's not horribly tough.

[Mel]

We used this kind for a couple of years on our Safari - inexpensive and it kept the sun and rain off of us! This year we upgraded to a VTS awning. I agree, the color choice is limited, but since Sparky is decorated in yellow and turquoise, the yellow striped awning worked fine for us. The VTS rope and pole awnings are very high quality and I can recommend them. Others have had awnings custom made, which would probably allow you a greater fabric choice. Good luck!

[utee94]

Terry, it sounds like you're talking about one of the roll-out awnings like brand-name ZipDee, rather than a so-called "vintage" awning, is that correct? If so, where do you normally find these pieces? Are they listed regularly on ebay or Craigslist, or do you scavenge them from donor units?

I'd be interested in a ZipDee (style) awning as well, and would love to spend less than they cost new if at all possible...

Thanks!
-Marcus

[BIGED52]

Jo/Marcus, The problem with Vintage trailers and new awnings is that the awning arms do not conform to the curved sides of the trailers. I was told by my local A/S dealer that the ZipDee awning arms must be custom bent (by the owner) to the shape of the trailer. That voids any warranty that I am aware of on a new awning so used becomes more desireable. Find a used Carefree awning from a salvage yard like Colaws or Cherokee. If all the mechanical parts are serviceable you can always buy a canvas from Carefree of Colorado or have one custom fitted by a local canvas awning shop. Carefree charges about $200.00 for canvas to fit a '67 Safari. I know as I spoke with them last fall about going this route as my main awning only needs canvas. Check them out! Carefree longer makes awnings for the curved trailers but do stock some parts to repair older Carefree awnings. Their customer service folks are very knowledgeable and helpful. Hope this helps. Ed

[InsideOut]

Stella might like one of these from TCT & A Industries. They offer awnings in all the Sunbrella (even solid purple shades named "Concord" & "Plum") & Dickson fabrics rather than just a few pre-selected colors. The cost is about the same as one from VTS, but the fabric selection is much better. Zip Dee awnings tend to run a bit more dollar-wise and as noted previously, they don't fit the curves of vintage trailers as well as new trailers. I know for ours, another problem was that because out door is hinged on the right, we would not be able to open the door more than 90-degrees with any kind of arms attached to the body. I believe a '67 Safari door is hinged on the left, so it wouldn't be a problem like with our '64 GlobeTrotter. We got a true vintage awning with the fringe & everything for our '56 Safari...otherwise, I would be ordering a second one from TCT & A.

We've used ours 3 summers now (35-70 days per year) and it is still going strong ~

Here's some more discussion (several years old, but still accurate) that you may find helpful:

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f442...gs-5397-3.html

Good luck in finding what you're looking for ~ I'm right there beside you with the chunks of missing skin...too much sun as a youngster in CA!

Shari

[overlander63]

Ed's response was pretty much what I was thinking. If you can find them you could get the arms from a retired (read junk) unit, and get all the other stuff new. The arms don't wear out, and you can still get everything else for them. My idea has the added advantage of not having to find a spot to stow the awning when not in use, it just rolls up.

[Stella]

Does anybody have a photo of a zipdee on a 60s model trailer?

I don't know how far it would slant, how it would look, etc. I like how the vintage awnings come straight out and have lots of room underneath, but I also appreciate the ease of a zip-dee.

She has a rail for a rope-and-pole awning. Shari, I like your setup a lot. Seems like Stella is taller than Maxwell, somehow, and definitely has a longer rail, I think almost 12 feet, and I would love the awning to extend 9 feet.

If I did Zipdee, I'd probably hire my Airstream fixit guy to install it. He's reasonable and nice. Drilling into Stella makes me cringe. Now, to find those poles...

[overlander63]

The 1969 and newer trailers are somewhat taller, and have a slightly different curve where the awning arms would go 'round, up to the rail.
There are other options, if you can find an EZ Awn, they were sold by the Wally store, and fit Airstreams through 1968. We had one on our '63, and it works very well.
Another option is Colaw, and the other RV salvage places.
Also, that rail will work for virtually all awnings, not just the rope-and-pole ones.

[Jim Foster]

Zip Dee makes new awnings for Airstreams and the arms come bent to go over the curve.

I like Zip Dee for window awnings, but much prefer A&E made by Dometic for patio awnings. They are much easier to put up and down than Zip Dee and have much heavier/stronger arms, and are also bent in a nice curve to fit the side of the Airstream. The Zip Dee has a hard bend near the upper end, rather than a curved arm to fit the contour.

[InsideOut]

Originally Posted by Stella

Shari, I like your setup a lot. Seems like Stella is taller than Maxwell, somehow, and definitely has a longer rail, I think almost 12 feet, and I would love the awning to extend 9 feet.

Yeah, a Safari is longer than a GlobeTrotter so the awning rail would be longer too. Essentially, the end caps are the same and the length is added to the middle where the rail is. It also is probably taller as it is a different year > thus a differnet body style to some degree. The biggest difference being the window style '66-'68 have those cool frameless windows...

The beauty of having an awning custom made (like TCT & A) is that you can have them make it whatever size you want. If you want it to come out from the trailer 9' or 10' you can order it that way. The only thing to be aware of is that the poles & ropes work best when installed at 45-degrees out from the top of the awning or about 3-1/2' to 4' in addition to the distance of the awning itself. (awning pole height of 7-8' divided by 2 for 45-degrees) No biggie if you are camped out in the middle of nowhere, a bit more tricky if you are packed in at a close-knit rally. The good news is, you can always get a bit more space on your patio side by telling the parkers you have a pole-style awning.

Shari

[goransons]

We have a brand new Zip Dee on ours and love it. Inland Andy new exactly what size and hardware we needed with just our serial number. Installed in an hour or so and would have gone faster but I was really care (and nervous) about drilling holes in the skin. (measure 30 times drill once)

[Felix'64]

I found a clearance sale on outdoor canvas - quite a bargain at $6/yard - and am having a tent/awning company fabricate the awning for our '64 Tradewind. The fabric ran me less than $100, and the quote for fabrication is $85-$100 (includes bead or welt, or whatever it is called - the piece that fits into the rail). Sinced I already own the poles, the total project will probably come in right about $200. And, I'll have an awning that matches my decor.

[utee94]

Originally Posted by goransons

We have a brand new Zip Dee on ours and love it. Inland Andy new exactly what size and hardware we needed with just our serial number. Installed in an hour or so and would have gone faster but I was really care (and nervous) about drilling holes in the skin. (measure 30 times drill once)

I've followed your thread and was really impressed with how great yours looked installed. You did a fantastic job.

Originally Posted by overlander63

My idea has the added advantage of not having to find a spot to stow the awning when not in use, it just rolls up.

Yes, I know some people might not like the way the roll-up awnings affect the lines of the trailer, but I don't mind at all, and in fact I think it looks pretty cool. Obviously a matter of personal opinion on aesthetics.

[2airishuman]

Originally Posted by Stella

Does anybody have a photo of a zipdee on a 60s model trailer?.

yep and i'll post it when i've got time and a faster connection.

it looks fine, the z-d takes 2 minutes to open and is wind or rain worthy,

while the cool vintage style are slow to put up and wimpy in rain or wind.

awnings are neat and really expand the camping experience

but awnings DO NOT significantly protect those underneath from ultra violet light.

wear sunscreen during the day and a hat and light long sleeved garments with hi sun protection factors.

and IF ya wanna try something different that is euro cool...

these folks make a very low profile retractable awning that is barely noticed when closed,

and uses folding side arms that do NOT hand down along the trailer...

Fiamma Awnings

also check their canadian and euro websites.

cheers
2air'a

[bobfowler]

Originally Posted by overlander63

Does your trailer have any of the old awning on it? Did it ever have an awning? I don't know how mechanically inclined you are, but you may be able to piece together all the hardware for an awning, and get new fabric for it.
The older trailers had a slightly different roof contour, but pretty much any awning from a pre-1969 unit would fit, and you could cut down the tube to proper length. I know I make it sound easy, but it's not horribly tough.

Terry has a good point, it shouldn't be that hard to get an awning together. If you can find a set of good arms, all of the other stuff (especially an A&E) is easy to get. Last night we ordered a new re-cover fabric from Interwest Sports. The local RV shop let my order fall though the cracks, so I decided to tackle the job myself. Our existing hardware was, for the most part, in good shape (it's an A&E 8500). I had to replace some minor hardware (nutserts and knobs) and do a bit of cleaning, but it wasn't a big deal. I got the UPS notification today that our new fabric should be here on Friday!

[centennialman]

I have the awning off of my grandparents vintage trailer from many years ago. It is still in excellent shape. My neighbor lady is an "industrial sewer" or some sort and we are re-making the awning to fit Aunt Bee. I am getting the poles from Cabella's and have to figure out yet where the ropes will come from.

I will post pics of the process when we get it completed.

[flitzwhopper]

I purchased a "vintage" awning for the camper. My buddy with the same model and year has a zip dee. His takes a couple of minutes to set up and take down (when it hasn't been bent up by the wind). My vintage awning takes about 10-15 minutes to set up and about the same to take down. The vintage awning fares better in the wind because it just falls down and is easily set back up after the wind subsides. My friends zip dee doesn't do as well in the wind. The vintage awning is bigger and has a lot of adjustment for rain runoff and the like. I have some concrete weights I use to anchor the ropes that hold up the tent poles rather than something you pound into the ground. Works everywhere.

[LHall]

Originally Posted by centennialman

I have the awning off of my grandparents vintage trailer from many years ago. It is still in excellent shape. My neighbor lady is an "industrial sewer" or some sort and we are re-making the awning to fit Aunt Bee. I am getting the poles from Cabella's and have to figure out yet where the ropes will come from.

I will post pics of the process when we get it completed.

We used 3/8" Braided Nylon line from Home Depot for the ropes and found some very durable plastic rope tensioners from REI, that work very well and are not very expensive. Additionally, the steel stakes to anchor the awning came from Cabelas when we purchased the poles and feet.