Quote:
Originally Posted by Jerry B.
Not sure where to start on finding a replacement awning for my Vegas. I need the whole shoot’n match arms, roller, fabric etc. Any suggestions/recommendations greatly appreciated.
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Ooops. Be prepared to wait a LONG time (months) for the replacement. We (DH says I; OK I own that) damaged the awning over the slide of our 2018 Axis in mid-April. (Don't ask me how that operator error occurred.)
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We called Thor while enroute since we would come thru Elkhart on our way home. They do not sell direct, rather tell you to contact a dealer.
Cliff notes version:
Have your part number. Ours was found on the inside to the rolled up awning mechanism.
We ordered the whole assembly, based on our situation. Sounds like you will need to do same. We were able to leave the upper channel in place as it was not damaged. Our 2 mounting brackets were also intact, so we didn't need to remove those either. (We'll save spare parts for hopefully not ever needing them, but you know the Boy Scout motto...)
The saga & the success (for those with time on their hands):
So as we returned home, we stopped in Elkhart to see about getting parts. Total Value, where we bought the MH, has since been sold to Lazy Days. I have to say I was rather disappointed with the new service crew. After being told where to park so they could take a look, we were rudely yelled at by another person to move the rig NOW. We were in the way of one they wanted to bring through. After that welcome, the gal in parts seems rather unsure of what we really needed. She wasn't interested in looking at it for a part # or anything, just looking for a generic answer on her computer. We took the info and said we'd think about is and call to order after checking with our insurance.
Given the very poor service. We also stopped at General RV further north on our homeward route. They were much more thorough and professional. Came out and looked, got the part number from our awning, made some phone calls, and told us that it was a Carefree awning. They couldn't promise us a delivery date, but said anywhere from 6-12 weeks out. Carefree (like all suppliers was overwhelmed and running behind.)
We continued to check back periodically. The service rep was very patient as I became a slightly "squeaker wheel" with the extended wait. We eventually had a ship date of early August. It was delayed once in transit, but finally over Labor Day weekend DH was able to pick it up. (We live 3 hours away from this - or any - dealer, but have family close by, so at least it wasn't totally inconvenient.)
Now 6 months later, we were literally able to install it on our rig this morning. We did the labor ourselves. It was not hard. Took 2 relatively mechanically adept people less than an hour. Just in time to take off for a month long journey this coming week.
A few thoughts/tips:
Install labor would have been almost as costly as the parts and who knows how long that wait would have been. We opted to DIY with no regrets.
If this is your big awning, it may take 3 people to juggle the length, but it really isn't heavy.
Do the repair on a wind-still day.
The replacement did not come with directions. YouTube is your friend. There are many minor variations on the theme for you to watch. Do your homework.
Have all your tools, ladders, parts, and silicon spray assembled and at the ready before you start. Made life easy.
Do NOT pull the tension pin until you are sure you have everything where it needs to be and secured in place. KEEP FINGERS OUT OF THE WAY.
Our awning had a slight slack in it (which was meant to be) but tightened right up properly once the pin was pulled.
Tested deploying the awning and all seems to be as it should.
Now we can drive off into the New Mexico as happy campers.
Wishing you success with your replacement. The long waiting will be the worst part.
ETA: We will be very careful about deploying the awnings on this trip as we are NM bound. sounds like karma may not be kind there at the moment.
I was wondering the day before why no one else had there's out 
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