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Old 09-28-2013, 07:39 AM   #1
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Bang! Woke up to the sound of my bedroom awning losing spring tension suddenly

2001 Jayco Designer XL model 3230.

Thought a branch had fallen on the awning. Found no branches, but the fabric was loose, like the spring had lost its tension suddenly.

Ay ideas on how to fix this, or am I looking at replacement?
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Old 09-28-2013, 08:14 AM   #2
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I just went through this with mine. You have to purchase a spring assembly. I ordered mine from a local dealer. The replacement isn't too difficult if you are a little handy with tools. I should add that my cover is from Carefree of Colorado.
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Old 09-28-2013, 07:25 PM   #3
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Oh, your serious!

I thought " Bang! Woke up to the sound of my bedroom awning losing spring tension suddenly", was a metaphor for something else. I was going to suggest a little blue pill.
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Old 09-28-2013, 08:49 PM   #4
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That's way too funny!
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Old 09-28-2013, 10:44 PM   #5
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Bang! Woke up to the sound of my bedroom awning losing spring tension suddenly

Yeah, shooting pool with a rope never works well.
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Old 09-29-2013, 02:52 AM   #6
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Old 09-29-2013, 03:13 AM   #7
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I had one let go around 10 years ago. I let my mechanic handle the repair because the new one will need to be adjusted to the proper tension. The springs can be dangerous if you do not know what you are doing. It might also only need a part and not the whole spring replaced.
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Old 09-29-2013, 08:26 AM   #8
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Don't bother replacing the springs. Instead, buy and install the Carefree of Colorado Pioneer upgrade Kit. It eliminates the springs (and their problems of rusting and breaking) and uses a simple, worm-drive, crank system to open/close the awning. Honest, once you convert to it, you'll keep asking yourself why Carefree never used this system originally. The worm-drive allows you to really tighten the awning against the side of the coach and IT WILL NOT UNROLL- even if you forget to close the plastic locks on the arms.

The instructions recommend two people to install the kit, but with a little "Yankee ingenuity" I was able to install it myself. You don't have to remove the awning, but it has to be fully extended. You do have to be aware that there two springs in the awning tube and while one is "dead" (broken), the other is as live as a rattlesnake waiting to strike so be extra careful and alert when you do that side.

As an added bonus, the kit eliminates that ornery locking mechanism used to set the awning to roll/unroll (or lock/unlock). This was always a PIA to move on my awning.

Good luck!
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Old 09-29-2013, 09:03 AM   #9
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I just wrote to Carefree of Colorado about my side awning and read the post about the upgrade kit. I have not heard back from Carefree so I would believe that will be their answer. Being I'm the second owner of this coach and the Carefree Installation Manual found in the Jayco Package looks like it's been rainsoaked, I believe the first owner had stow-away problems as I generally do. I fear every time I pull the awning out that it won't close and on many or most camping trips it takes several attempts to get it to roll back in. I also have slack in my slide awnings so here are three questions. Replacment seems a great idea so what is the cost for the side awning (porch) upgrade? Do they have the same for slide awnings? I'm assuming my problem is that a srpring may not be tight enough or broken. And worm drive crank means manually stowing (?) which doesn't bother me. Also in advance thanks to FPM III for the answer. What I hate is camping and having problems. I don't camp to get frustrated. I camp to relax.
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Old 09-29-2013, 12:59 PM   #10
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Actually my spring broke a year or two before I installed the upgrade kit. There never was enough power in just the one spring so I had to roll the awning up by hand. I needed a ladder (which I always carry with me anyway) to roll up the last several feet.

Shop around for price. If Tweety's doesn't stock it, try RVupgrades. That's where I purchased mine. To give a price wouldn't be relevant as I bought this about four or five years ago.

Yes, you use the supplied crank to open and close the awning, but it's just as quick in operation as the springs.
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Old 10-02-2013, 04:49 AM   #11
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This awning in the original post is over the bedroom slide.

Pretty sure this crank-out upgrade won't work in my application.
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Old 10-02-2013, 07:15 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sea Six View Post
This awning in the original post is over the bedroom slide. Pretty sure this crank-out upgrade won't work in my application.
Ahhh... The truth be known now. The "awning" that you specified in your OP is commonly referred to as a "slide topper", although, there may be other terms for it. From the description and symptoms as described in your OP, it matched the problem I had with my "awning" perfectly. Now that we have the correct item described, maybe someone else can provide some assistance as my TT isn't equipped with "slide toppers".

...And, no, I've never seen a crank-out slide topper. Logically, it doesn't even make sense. You'd have to crank it in synchronization with the opening/closing slideout. If you forgot to or cranked too fast/slow while the slide is moving, damage could occur to the topper and/or RV.
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Old 10-04-2013, 04:37 AM   #13
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Sorry, just got this, my first fifth wheel. Didn't know the terminology.
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Old 10-04-2013, 11:22 AM   #14
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No need to apologize, It happens all the time- and not just with the topic of RVing. Everything's a learning experience, and for as long as I've been around, it still is (and always will be) one- especially in today's fast-changing world. I don't know how many times I've gone into a store to buy something that I didn't know the technical or "official" name for it.

BTW- If you haven't already, try Googling "slide topper" and maybe you'll be able to find some help for your dilemma there.
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Old 10-04-2013, 11:32 AM   #15
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Or he could try reading the comments to see if his problem has been addressed already. Just sayin'........
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