Awning Fabric Replacement with LED’s

[roush611]

Our awning pulled away from the c-channel because the tube that holds it in the channel backed out. Decided to have the dealer fix it because I thought it would be a much easier job for them than me. Here is a before picture…

The prior owner must have tried to fix it before and mangled the c-channel. Fast forward… I get a call from the dealer saying that my fabric is unrepairable and I need new awning fabric. This caught me off guard being that it looked fine before. So I asked the dealer for a picture and this is what I get… (it’s filthy been sitting in their lot for 3 weeks)

They are telling me they tried to fix it, but it was torn up before and it just got worse with them trying to fix it. (Not to mention they scratched the crap out of my 5th doing whatever they were doing) I’m not entirely buying it, but don’t really have a leg to stand on since part of it was in the c-channel.

Anyway, I need to replace the fabric and my awning has the LED built into the fabric. Are there any aftermarket manufacturers that sell an awning fabric like this? I can only find just the basic awning fabric, not one with the area for the led strip. The dealer wants $480 plus tax and freight which they have no idea how much it will cost, but advise it will be expensive. It seems way over priced to me so I’m trying to source options. Any assistance would be much appreciated.

 

[Hoopy Frood]

I like the awning fabric from Shadepro.net, but they don't have the LED lights built in.

 

[el Rojo]

You can put a led light strip underneath the awning. Then you can have light with the awning in also. Rec Pro has them.

 

[csjag1]

We had to replace our bigger awning fabric several years ago on our 315 RLST. I ordered a heavy duty fabric awning from Camping World for a reasonable price. Our local service facility replaced it for us - they used an aftermarket strip under the awning roller. In my opinion, it gives better light and is a whiter light than the OE lights.

 

[Steve Ibanez]

Our awning pulled away from the c-channel because the tube that holds it in the channel backed out. Decided to have the dealer fix it because I thought it would be a much easier job for them than me. Here is a before picture…
View attachment 190802

The prior owner must have tried to fix it before and mangled the c-channel. Fast forward… I get a call from the dealer saying that my fabric is unrepairable and I need new awning fabric. This caught me off guard being that it looked fine before. So I asked the dealer for a picture and this is what I get… (it’s filthy been sitting in their lot for 3 weeks)
View attachment 190803

They are telling me they tried to fix it, but it was torn up before and it just got worse with them trying to fix it. (Not to mention they scratched the crap out of my 5th doing whatever they were doing) I’m not entirely buying it, but don’t really have a leg to stand on since part of it was in the c-channel.

Anyway, I need to replace the fabric and my awning has the LED built into the fabric. Are there any aftermarket manufacturers that sell an awning fabric like this? I can only find just the basic awning fabric, not one with the area for the led strip. The dealer wants $480 plus tax and freight which they have no idea how much it will cost, but advise it will be expensive. It seems way over priced to me so I’m trying to source options. Any assistance would be much appreciated.

It looks like the fabric wasn't installed properly from the factory. The screw you see near the end of the C-channel is supposed to go into the rubber spline that holds the fabric to the side of the RV. The purpose of the screw is to keep the spline from slipping out as you described it did.

You can get new fabric with an attached C-channel for the LED light strip from Lippert (I'm guessing you have Solera awning).

Depending on the awning size, the price the dealer quoted you isn't too far off (for OEM Lippert fabric). A decent mobile tech can replace it at your location in an hour or two. The job goes faster if they have a second person to help. All the mobile RV techs I know charge less per hour than the dealers - and you get it fixed in a single day without having to take it to the dealer and pick it back up.

 

[Steven@147]

Yup that screw is supposed to go into the fabric to hold it into the channel and to keep it from working out. In the second pic it Kind of looks like the fabric has tore out where the screw goes into it.

We need new awning fabric after 5 years. The stitching tore out near the top channel. We have the LED lights on the end roller, so there is a pocket running down the side of the fabric for the wire that powers the LED lights. ShadePro doesn't list them on their web site but I talked to them and they said they can make a replacement fabric with the pocket for the wire, you have to special order it that way.

ShadePro seems to be a little more expensive than like RecPro but looking at them, ShadePro might be a little better fabric.

 

[Hoopy Frood]

Yup that screw is supposed to go into the fabric to hold it into the channel and to keep it from working out. In the second pic it Kind of looks like the fabric has tore out where the screw goes into it.

We need new awning fabric after 5 years. The stitching tore out near the top channel. We have the LED lights on the end roller, so there is a pocket running down the side of the fabric for the wire that powers the LED lights. ShadePro doesn't list them on their web site but I talked to them and they said they can make a replacement fabric with the pocket for the wire, you have to special order it that way.

ShadePro seems to be a little more expensive than like RecPro but looking at them, ShadePro might be a little better fabric.

I can attest to the fabric from Shadepro on our last awning. It's was very stout.