An RV awning is one of the most overlooked, but valuable items for any coach owner in Dallas/Fort Worth. Think about it: it provides shade and protects you from the hot Texas sun, and it protects you from rain, all while allowing you to remain outdoors.
Of course, like most good things, there are a few drawbacks. Namely, awnings are known to wear down, tear, and develop holes, which will give any RV owner of any experience headaches. We wanted to provide some useful tips on how to repair hole damage to your awning.
Repairing Small Holes in Awning Fabric
Small holes developing is the most common problem an RV owner will find with their awning. While they might not seem like much, they can lead to bigger problems down the road, including ruining your entire awning. Luckily, there is a simple, DIY solution to fix it.
Before you do any repairing, you want to follow these steps:
- Open your awning completely
- Rinse off the awning to get rid of loose dirt
- Check for leaks
Small holes (1/4 inch in diameter or less) can be repaired with a vinyl liquid patch product. You can apply the vinyl liquid patch by dabbing it with a cotton swab around the area until the hole is filled.
This is an easy repair, for those who are worried about the paint, the vinyl liquid patch will melt the paint on the fabric as it fills the hole, and so it will match perfectly with the awning color. After it dries, you awning should be good to go!
Repairing Bigger Holes
If you are seeing holes bigger than ¼ inch in diameter, then you will need more than simply vinyl liquid patch to fix it. You’ll need to look into some caulk.
Now, keep in mind that you will need to match the caulk to your paint. For example, if the awning has light colored fabric, you should probably use white silicone caulk, as opposed to dark colored fabric, which should be met with clear caulk.
Once you have your caulk colors situated, its time to start repairing. Put a dollop of caulk on the bottom side of your awning fabric, and using your finger, lightly smear and smooth the caulk over the hole. Repeat this process on the topside of the awning as well once the caulk is dry on the bottom side.
After finishing that, you’ll want to apply a tear-aid awning repair strip. These can be found in many department stores such as Wal-Mart and Dick’s Sporting Goods, so no need to worry about going on an adventure to find them.
The first step is to clean the patch strip with rubbing alcohol. Once they have dried, apply them to the sticky silicon caulk on the topside of the awning and smooth out any air bubbles. Give the patches at least an hour to dry before retracting your awning.
If this all seems too daunting, you can also look into awning repair tape, which is an easier repair than caulk. If you use the tape instead of caulk, you’ll only need to apply it to the topside of the awning; however, it will not create a seal on the bottom, and we cannot recommend using the tape on the bottom side of the awning, because it will stick to other fabrics once the awning is retracted.
RV Awning Slides Problems/Solutions
Let’s not forget about the awning on your RV’s slides. While slides prove to benefit an RV, there tends to be one main problem with the awning: they tend to form a water pocket in the middle.
A DIY solution could be to build a support structure using a 3/4” PVC pipe, as pictured below:
It’s not the easiest hack, but can be useful in eliminating water pockets from building on your awning.
Try Coach Specialist!
If you have any issues fixing your awning that are beyond your skill, please do not hesitate to set up a meeting with us. We have an extremely experienced staff of specialists, especially for awning troubleshooting, that will get your RV in, out, and good as new quicker and more effectively than any other RV repair company in the DFW.
Not in Mansfield? We have drop off locations in Plano and Denton that can save you a trip. Just make an appointment for a pick up, and we will personally transport your RV from the drop off points to Mansfield for repair. After it is fixed, you’ll inspect it in Mansfield and drive it back, good as new.