In our humble opinions, replacing awnings and slide toppers is the absolute epitome of the perfect DIY RV project. When we’re deciding between hiring a professional vs. doing a repair or upgrade ourselves, fabric replacement hits a grand slam in the Do It Ourselves! department.
Each make and model is just a little bit different. So today we’re with Ray and Tyler of Tough Top Awnings showing exactly how to replace the fabric on an A&E / Dometic TwoStep manual pull-down patio awning.
Replacing worn out awnings or slide toppers fires on all DIY cylinders:
- Substantial savings on parts (OEM fabric is considerably more expensive)
- Avoids the entire cost of labor (other than the requisite food or drink for any helpers)
- Superior results. After all, the OEM material is what failed in the first place, and it really pales in comparison to the high-quality replacement fabric available from a company like Tough Top Awnings.
- Doing the job on your own schedule. This is especially important for us full-timers. Having to coordinate a service appointment for our anticipated arrival in a particular location, and then being off the RV for the day, are our least favorite things. We figure that service appointments are no fun for part-timers either.
- Provides what is possibly the greatest satisfaction of all for any handy RVer: not paying someone else to do something that we can do perfectly well ourselves… and do it better!
The thing about awnings and slide toppers is that if you’ve never replaced one before, it can appear daunting. There’s a giant spring in there waiting to kill you, right? The spring tension is actually so easy to handle that it’s surprising.
Once you see how manageable the whole job is, you’ll probably agree that any self-respecting DIY RVer would kick themselves for paying someone else to do it for them. Especially when you see the difference between the cheap OEM fabric and the far superior products we use from Tough Top Awnings.
When we recommend products to our friends, we look at a lot of factors. First and foremost, what has our personal experience been with both the product and the company (customer service and support can be just as important as the product itself). We also research their reputation online, in RV forums, Amazon reviews, or other places where consumers can voice their unbiased opinions.
When we bought our very first slide topper several years ago, we chose Tough Top because their reputation was so good. When we had questions, Ray, the owner, was as responsive and helpful as we’d heard. When we received our order, it was obviously superior to the original.
Now, after having replaced all of our slide toppers, we know just how dedicated Ray and his operations manager, Tyler, are. And so is their staff. We’ve seen in person how meticulous and thorough they are in crafting their custom-made products. We have tremendous respect for them, and a renewed appreciation for “Made in America.”
Having visited their shop in Vancouver, WA several times now, we’ve become good friends. So we’re honored and grateful that they’ve offered to provide a special discount to our viewers. And we’re proud to recommend Tough Top Awnings without hesitation.
To save 5% on your entire purchase, check out using the discount code “RVGEEKSROCK” (can you tell that we have a mutual admiration society with Ray & Tyler)? ;-)
Complete details on measuring and ordering replacement slide topper and awning fabric are available at ToughTopAwnings.com.
Related & Recent Videos:
- All of our Awning & Slide Topper Replacement Videos
- How to Replace the Fabric On A Dometic/A&E WeatherPro Awning
- Replacing A&E / Dometic TwoStep Awning Fabric
- Towbar Unbound! “How It’s Made” — RV Edition!
- LED Your RV – Part 8: RVer Toys — Off-Roading Fun, Day or Night
Featured & Related Products:
- Tough Top Awnings (Get a 5% Discount at checkout using code “RVGEEKSROCK“)
- Locking Oil Filter Wrench
- Folding 7′ Step Ladder
- Dewalt Cordless Drill
- Tape Measure
- Silicone Spray
- Utility Knife
- Pop Rivet Tool
- Pop Rivets
- Cable Ties – 11″
- 8″ Wire Cutters
- 10″ Flat File
- Torx Bit Set
George H. Woodley Jr.
Saturday 1st of February 2020
I have an older Dometic 16' awning, Two Step, and I need a torsion spring replacement. Part number 958302924. It's old and is going to be hard to find. The rest of the awning is OK. Any ideas? Thanks
TheRVgeeks
Saturday 1st of February 2020
Hi George. We didn't have an answer on this one... so we asked Tyler of Tough Top Awnings. He had a couple of thoughts/tips/hints that we hope help:
Because A&E was bought by Dometic some time back, lots of part numbers have changed... so searching on the part number you listed may not get you what you need. Try doing a Google search for "Dometic 2 step awning torsion spring"... and add to that "left" or "right", depending on which side of your awning the spring you need to replace is on. Look for eBay listings (or just search that phrase on eBay directly) and you'll likely find what you need. (just be extra sure that what you're ordering is a direct replacement for your awning) Tyler also suggest you try contacting Gary at http://rvawningrepairs.com... he's a wealth of knowledge and MAY even have a direct replacement spring for you. Lastly, Dometic says "Look for the data label that is placed inside, underneath or on the back of your product. Find the (1) PNC/Product number or (2) SKU if PNC is missing. Once you have retrieved the information from the data label, contact your local Dometic service partner or dealer, to place your order." Then you can use their Dealer Finder to locate your nearest dealer.Hope all of the above helps!
Chris
Friday 26th of August 2016
Not ready to replace awning but it does have some small tears. How do we repair for some more longevity?
TheRVgeeks
Friday 26th of August 2016
Hi Chris. We haven't used it before, but we've seen awning repair tape that is pretty well reviewed on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2bNIX2g
Greg
Thursday 30th of June 2016
Great video love the stuff you guys do you make it look so easy thank you
TheRVgeeks
Thursday 30th of June 2016
You've seen in person that the video shoot is the real challenge, right Greg? ?
Darlene Leon
Thursday 30th of June 2016
This video explains what I need to do perfectly. Thank you so much.
Darlene Leon
Wednesday 29th of June 2016
Any suggestions of how to clean the white underside of the awning? It looks like mold (black) from being rolled up wet.
TheRVgeeks
Wednesday 29th of June 2016
Hi Darlene. Our good friend Brian from RVwithTito.com made a video with what sounds like a great trick for solving your problem. We haven't tried this ourselves (never needed it), but we trust Brian, and think it looks like a great idea. If you try it, please let us know how it works for you. You can watch that video here: http://www.rvwithtito.com/videos/easiest-way-clean-your-awning