Awnings are fabric stretched over a frame for additional overhead coverage and protection on the exterior of a building or motorhome. To replace your RV awning fabric, pull out the existing one and choose a thick, weather and sun-resistant fabric. Thinner single-ply fabrics are often not waterproof and tear easier from regular use.
When walking the awning across the side of the RV, slide the new fabric into place as you do. Use silicone lubricant to make the bead slide smoothly. If the fabric is torn or doesn’t open and close like it used to, sometimes you need to replace the fabric on your RV awning.
To find the best type of RV awning fabric, consider using cotton covered corespun, bonded polyester, and polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE) threads. These threads have high UV resistance, excellent chemical and heat resistance, making them ideal for use in awnings. Cotton covered corespun, bonded polyester, and polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE) threads have high UV resistance, making them ideal for use in awnings.
There are various types of RV awning fabrics available on the market, and it is recommended to use UV treated polyester thread for outdoor cushions, upholstery, sails, canvas covers, boat covers, awnings, tents, and tarps. Sunguard Thread matches Sunbrella Fabrics and works great for outdoor projects such as bimini tops, marine/boat cushions, awnings, patio furniture, and gazebos.
In conclusion, choosing the right fabric for your RV awning is crucial for its durability and weather resistance. Choose polyester or PTFE threads for your awning needs, as they are more durable and weather resistant.
📹 Fastest RV Awning Fabric Replacement I’ve Seen
This is not a sponsered video. I Was at Power RVz in Mesa, AZ and my good friend Stacy of Awnings R Us was there replacing an …
What stitch length for Sunbrella?
Sew with the longest stitch length allowed by your sewing machine, typically around 4 millimeters. Heavy-duty machines can reach 8-10 millimeters, while regular machines have a 4 millimeter maximum. For upholstery applications, 7 stitches per inch is recommended, in line with Fabric Joint Industry Standards. For more information on sewing Sunbrella fabric, refer to the blog “How to Sew with Sunbrella Fabric”.
Can you sew outdoor fabric on a regular sewing machine?
It is possible to sew Sunbrella fabrics on a domestic sewing machine, although the specifications may vary depending on the specific fabric in question. For further information on the sewing of Sunbrella fabric, please refer to the blog entitled “How to Sew with Sunbrella Fabric.”
What thread should I use for outdoor fabric?
Polyester is a popular thread for outdoor applications due to its strength, durability, and low shrinkage and stretch. It has superior resistance to UV rays and moisture compared to nylon thread, but much of its strength is lost after prolonged exposure to sunlight. Outdoor applications require traits such as UV resistance, high strength, and resistance to abrasion, mildew, and saltwater. For indoor applications, UV resistance becomes less important, and abrasion resistance and stretch become more important.
There are four common types of thread: lifetime threads, which are made from Tenara® and Sailrite® (formerly Profilen®), which are unaffected by UV rays, harsh cleaning agents, pollution, saltwater, rain, snow, cold, and rot. These threads offer performance benefits but are more expensive upfront but require less re-stitching over the lifetime of the project. They can be trickier to sew than traditional thread materials, so it’s important to consider these factors when choosing between lifetime threads and UV treated polyester.
Polyester thread comes in various colors to match fabric, but they fade to white over time in the sun. UV treated polyester thread is recommended for outdoor cushions, upholstery, sails, canvas covers, boat covers, awnings, tents, and tarps. General-purpose home threads like Coats Dual Duty XP® are lighter in weight and not treated for extra UV resistance, making them ideal for crafts, drapery, and lighter home sewing projects.
What stitch length for outdoor fabric?
In order to utilise Coats Outdoor thread, it is necessary to employ a needle of size 18 or 20, to set the stitch length at 6-8 stitches per inch (4 mm), to increase the top tension, and to sew at a slow pace due to the thread’s thickness and reduced flexibility in comparison to all-purpose thread. A reduction in speed has the effect of improving the quality of the stitches.
What thread to use for sunbrella?
Sunbrella Marine, Shade, Sling, or SeaMark® fabrics are recommended for sewing using an 18-size needle with V69 UV Poly thread. For Shade and Marine fabrics, regular Round Point (R), Round Point, Rounded Tip (RG), or Light Ball Point (FFG) needles are recommended. If you notice puncturing or cutting warp or fill yarns, consider using a RG, FFG, or other ball point needle. Lock stitch machines should use the same size bobbin thread as on top, and a lock stitch machine with a walking foot is ideal for hemming.
Double needle stitch is ideal for joining sewn panels, and a chain stitch is preferred for seaming widths of the cloth. Maintaining tension in front and behind the needle during sewing minimizes puckering and fabric gathering. Avoid too much back stitching to prevent fabric tearing. When patterning, leave extra room for long runs before finishing ends to prevent needle puckering. Set stitch tension so knots are pulled into the material but not to the top to avoid puckering and always lower tension to show knots on the bottom side.
What type of thread is heat resistant?
Synthetic sewing threads like nylon, polyester, Kevlar®, and Nomex® are heat-resistant, meaning they pass less heat through than materials like silver or copper. However, as temperatures increase, some polymers like nylon and polyester melt and lose strength, unlike Nomex®. Some threads, like aramids, co-polyimide (P84™), glass fiber, quartz, and ceramic, can resist high temperatures and remain functional in the seam. Nylon and polyester, being thermoplastic, soften below their melting point, causing seams to weaken around 350°F, while aramid seams remain at room temperature even at 500°F.
What fabric is best for RV awning?
Vinyl awning tarps are made from a PET scrim and coated in PVC, making them slightly more durable. High-quality awnings are typically made from vinyl, with most RV awnings being made from this material. To make an informed decision about your awning purchase, be aware of the standard measurements used for tarps and awning fabric materials. The thickness of the tarp is measured in mils, equivalent to 1/1000 of an inch. Lightweight tarps typically range from 5 to 6 mil, while super heavy duty tarps range from 23 to 24 mil. The thicker the tarp, the more resistant it is to tears.
What is the best thread for waterproof fabric?
To guarantee the durability of the stitching and the waterproof integrity of the fabric, it is essential to utilise a needle in conjunction with a robust polyester or nylon thread. For instance, when creating a rain jacket, it is recommended to use a size 90/14 needle and high-quality polyester thread in order to ensure the seams are secure. Prior to commencing a sewing project, it is advisable to pre-wash and dry the waterproof fabric. This is done for two reasons: firstly, to prevent the occurrence of stains, and secondly, to prevent the fabric from fading.
How thick should RV awning fabric be?
The 15-ounce heavy-duty fabric has been specifically designed for use with slide toppers, window shades, and over-the-door awnings. It has an 18-ounce capacity, which makes it suitable for use in inclement weather conditions such as heavy rains and high winds.
What kind of sewing needle for outdoor fabric?
The size 80/12 needle is a versatile all-purpose needle suitable for various fabric weights, including waterproof UV-resistant outdoor upholstery fabric and water-repellent printed canvas fabric. It works well with medium-weight waterproof fabrics like nylon or polyester blends. The size 90/14 needle is a heavy-duty needle suitable for heavier waterproof fabrics like 600 Denier Canvas with PVC Backing or Cordura Waterproof 1000 Denier Nylon Fabric, offering efficient stitching without compromising fabric integrity.
What sewing needle to use for outdoor fabric?
The size 80/12 needle is a versatile all-purpose needle suitable for various fabric weights, including waterproof UV-resistant outdoor upholstery fabric and water-repellent printed canvas fabric. It works well with medium-weight waterproof fabrics like nylon or polyester blends. The size 90/14 needle is a heavy-duty needle suitable for heavier waterproof fabrics like 600 Denier Canvas with PVC Backing or Cordura Waterproof 1000 Denier Nylon Fabric, offering efficient stitching without compromising fabric integrity.
📹 Keder Awning Rope or Awning Tape
Http://www.sailrite.com/Keder-Awning-Rope-Tape Use with the Aluminum Awning track, Heavy Duty awning track or the …
In my days of RV Tech I did quite a few of these. These guys made it look so easy. I had to do quite a few alone. That is another story. I love this article so much I have watched it several times. At some point I will own one of those Milwaukee rivet guns. Don’t need one since I am retired but I want one. Thanks for sharing 🙂
This article did it for us! Was going to use the “simple” method where you don’t take off the non-blocking end cap, until I realized it was not passible to lock that end as shown in some articles. Also understand why these guys use the spongy cord for the valence. I had to sculpt the tip of the very hard cord that came with our awning fabric in the shape of an arrow tip to insert it properly. Thanks a ton, made this job accessible!
Watched this article and went out this morning and followed the articles steps. Went so fast that I thought I may have done something wrong. The hardest part of the instal was having to run to the hardware store to get some 1/4 inch rivets because all I had was 1/8th inch rivets. Even my wife was impressed on the job and how well it went.
Watched and did what the two workers (seriously these guys are pros) did worked out fine you do need 3 people at times. Thanks to the camera man we watched the guys tightening of the springs directions and you guys were awsome….watch and learn we unwound it slowly and counted the number of rotations in our case 14. When we tightened our springs we counted 14 rev.
Now let’s see how fast they do it on a weather guard fabric with a permanent built deck exactly where you need to position your ladders. A customer on their 7th bud light asking you every life’s question imaginable…. That’s my experience. Impressive work, to make a living off nothing but awnings would be a dream. Tool belts are great but for a tech that all screams of scratches. I do like the use of those rollers I use a pair of saw horses but maybe a roller would be better.
I’ve watched several articles now showing how to replace the fabric on an A&E awning, none of them have the aluminum weather shield. At what point do you install the weather shield, and how hard is it to do? I assume it is the last step which means you are wrangling a semi flexible 18-foot-long metal cove and trying to slide it over 2 beads while standing on a stepladder working 11 feet above the ground.
I wish the article had a little better step by step instructions. My husband and I were able to do it in under 1.5 hours but we’re also do it yourself people and have done a bunch of remodeling on our rv’s and trailers. I think a redo of the article with them explaining the tools and steps would be better for the group of people that aren’t as handy
I love your articles and have learned so much from them. Have a question regarding this one on awning replacement… We are in the process of replacing our 15 ft. awning fabric and had to rip out the stitches on the valance loop as it was about 1/16 too narrow for our awning tube. We tried everything to get the hard vinyl spline in the tube with no luck. Do you know the size of the spline material width (I’ve seen many different sizes) and I believe they said it was “poly”? Any suggestions on brand?
Going to be sooner than I thought. Last weekend south of Safford we were in a ferocious crosswind on the highway when the awning unrolled and got ripped up before I could pull over. This is our first RV and I have been reading about this dangerous design defect which allows the awning to unroll in a crosswind. It is a 20 year old A&E 8500 with the aluminum weather guard so it is a more expensive fabric with the two extra inserts. What are your favorite reasonably priced suppliers for awning fabric? Thanks
Probably would have done it a lot faster without you trying to talk to them the entire time. You kept telling what’s going on… see, it’s a article. We can SEE what’s going on. “He’s already got the bolt in his mouth.” Thanks for that clarification, we couldn’t SEE that in the article. Best to simply let the pros work and not distract them with your presence. Run the camera, show the masters do their thing, and keep quiet.
Wow this awning tape rocks! The front edge of our sailboat dodger uses awning tape. The stiff plastic tape on the old dodger was a bear, at best, to slide the entire width of the boat! This stuff is a LOT more flexible and slides soooooo much easier than the hard plastic stuff.. So glad I stumbled upon this product!