Our current RV is over 11 years old, so our patio awning has seen better days. In this video tutorial, we’ll share the step-by-step directions as we swap out the old fabric for new.
We’ve replaced a lot of awnings and slide toppers with Tough Top Awnings fabric, so we know we’re installing quality material that will hold up and look great for years.
This is the first time we’ve worked on a WeatherPro, so we’re happy to be in Vancouver, WA, where Tyler and Ray of Tough Top Awnings will take the lead and show us how it’s done. The great thing is that even though we have professionals helping us, we’re creating this video so that our fellow RVers will now be able to see how to do it themselves. With this video as a guide, we could easily have handled the job ourselves, even if we hadn’t watched Ray & Tyler do it for us.
If, after watching this (or any of our other tutorials on slide topper and awning replacement), you still don’t feel that you’re up to doing it yourself, Tyler handles awning and slide topper installations at their shop in the Vancouver, WA area. He’ll also be making his annual pilgrimage to Quartzsite, AZ during the January, 2017 RV show, where he’ll be available for slide topper installations all week. As a matter of fact, we’ll be there with him this coming year, shooting some video of the excitement! We’ll have a more formal announcement about that in a couple of months, but let this be your early warning that we’ll be there!
In the meantime, if you have the same A&E / Dometic WeatherPro power patio awning that we do, this video provides all the detail needed for any fairly handy RVer to tackle the job. If you’ve put off replacing your awning due to the high cost (and mediocre quality) of paying a shop to install OEM fabric, you’ll be thrilled with the results of a new Tough Top Awning. You’ll save a ton of $$ (especially with the RVgeeks discount!) and enjoy the satisfaction of having done the job yourself, with better results to boot!
Visit www.toughtopawnings.com and enter the
Discount Code “RVGEEKSROCK”
for a 5% discount on your entire order!
Recent & Related Videos:
- Complete List of Awning & Slide Topper Fabric Replacement Videos
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Featured & Related Products & Services:
- ToughTopAwnings.com (use coupon code “RVGEEKSROCK” for a 5% discount!)
- 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
Darrin
Monday 8th of July 2019
Dave, I have the a&e dometic power patio and the top mounting bracket is different than the one shown in the video of the weatherpro. Do you have any tips to help deal with this different mounting bracket in trying to replace the awning material? Thanks,
TheRVgeeks
Monday 8th of July 2019
Hi Darrin. We'd recommend you contact Tyler at Tough Top Awnings. He's got experience working with virtually every make & model of awning, and can surely help guide you to make sure everything turns out OK. Plus, their replacement fabric is top notch! You can check out their website here (https://toughtopawnings.com) or you can call: 360-953-3299 (and if you order fabric, be sure to use the "RVGEEKSROCK" code to save 5%!)
- Peter & John
Martin
Friday 16th of June 2017
I just love your videos. Saw the one where you installed your "Elite Series" window awning with the metal shroud on the passenger side but for the life of me after hours on the web looking for that unit I can't find it anywhere. So where can I order these units? I need 4 of them.
TheRVgeeks
Friday 16th of June 2017
Hi Martin. Thanks for your comment and question! If you're looking for replacement fabric, you can of course contact Tyler as he mentioned in his reply to you (thanks, Tyler!). But if you're looking for the complete window awning, not just for replacement fabric, that's a different story. There are a couple of places online that list whole awnings... but we found it easier to deal with a local dealer, who was able to help us decipher Dometic's somewhat confusing array of options (size, fabric style, fabric color, mounting hardware, etc). Plus, we needed a fabric color to match our factory-installed awnings (we think it's called "Spruce"), and it wasn't offered as part of most online dealers' systems
We used Dometic's Dealer Locator to find a dealer near where we were at the time and ordered from them. Our window awning is the A&E Elite (acrylic/woven fabric) which comes with the metal wrap (ours is "Champagne" color)... but if you'd prefer, the A&E Deluxe Plus has vinyl fabric and the option to include/exclude the metal weathershield. Either way, you'll also need to order the accompanying "hardware" (arms) package in the correct color (again, ours is "Champagne") and length. If your window is 36" or taller, you need the "tall" version of the arms AND the window awning itself... so that it extends far enough to shade the window.
If you already have a Dometic/A&E window awning installed on another window, extend the awning and look inside the arms AND on the roller tube for labels. These have information that will tell you what style & color your existing arms & awning/roller tube are. Or, at least, that info will help a dealer help you determine a match! ;)
Hope this helps!
Tyler Hammack
Friday 16th of June 2017
Hello, Follow this link for info and a link to get pricing. http://www.toughtopawnings.com/windowawnings.html We just need to know if you have the flexible metal guard or if the fabric attaches direct to the side of the coach? Then we will need to know the total depth of the fabric you need from bead to bead. That is the bead that attaches it to the coach or guard to the bead that attaches to the roller tube and how wide you will need your new fabrics. Call me if you have any questions at 360-980-0537 Best Regards, Tyler
Richard Hawley
Saturday 17th of September 2016
I have watched and bought a lot of products you have recommended, but Tough Top Awnings was not one of them sorry to say. I called two different numbers and emailed them and never got a response to either. I do enjoy videos.
Tyler Hammack
Saturday 17th of September 2016
Hi Richard,
I'm sorry about the difficulty in getting in touch with us! I spend 10 hours a day trying my best to help everyone and I know I am human and never 100% perfect. We are expanding our facilities and staff to keep up with all our customers!!! Call me on Monday Richard and I will personally make it my mission to help you with a discount for me dropping the ball and get you whatever you need ASAP!
All my Best! Tyler Tough Top Awnings
TheRVgeeks
Saturday 17th of September 2016
Hi Richard. We can't imagine why you wouldn't hear back if you're using the correct e-mail and phone number. We constantly kid Tyler about the fact that we almost never see him without his bluetooth ear piece in, and he's constantly on the phone helping customers and replies to e-mails faster than anyone we know (except maybe us LOL). ToughTopAwnings.com has this message posted on every page: "For questions call Tyler at: 360.980.0537 email: tyler@toughtopawnings.com" because he's eager to help, and very accessible. Maybe if you haven't already purchased somewhere else and still need an awning or toppers, give him another try. This is literally the first time we've ever heard of anyone saying that they couldn't get hold of him. Maybe a phone number or e-mail issue? In case you had the wrong info, the ones we just provided are correct. Sorry you had trouble. The quality of Tough Top's fabric alone is worth making another call! Please let us know how you make out.
Pat and Rita
Friday 16th of September 2016
You two made it look easy. Great video. Thanks
TheRVgeeks
Friday 16th of September 2016
Thanks, Ladies! Glad you liked it!
Ronald Poulin
Friday 16th of September 2016
Great video! My awning is 3 years old and already shows wear. Noticed your new awning is one piece, mine, from A&E has a seem in the middle that has stretched and now shows fabric of a different color in the seem. I will get a new awning the next time I drive through Vancouver WA.
Question: at 5:10/11 I see a sequence where your tire covers are in view. I have been looking everywhere for covers like these. Can you run a piece about them or publish the name of the vendor/distributor for these?
Thanks again for the great videos!
TheRVgeeks
Friday 16th of September 2016
Hi Ron,
It's not uncommon for the OEM fabric to be assembled from multiple pieces... and for that to be the failure point over time. Tough Top only manufactures their slideout and awning fabric from a single piece, so it doesn't suffer from that problem.
As for our tire covers... we get LOTS of questions about them, but we're sorry to report that they are no longer manufactured (we're especially sorry since ours are now getting old enough that we may need to replace them in the near future). MCD Innovations used to make them, but long ago stopped since their roller shade business took off. We're still looking to find something comparable to what we have, but haven't found anything we like as much as what we've got. If we find anything, we'll be sure to let you know here.