How to Replace the Fabric On a Dometic / A&E RV Window Awning

Are your RV window awnings cracked or torn and need to be replaced? If so, this is the post for you because we’ll share exactly how to replace RV window awning fabric yourself with our easy-to-follow step-by-step guide.

Since they’re smaller than main awnings (and even most slide toppers), window awnings are particularly easy to replace at a very reasonable cost, and the labor is free when you do it yourself.

Let’s get right to the details, photos, and video so you can see just how easy it is.

How to Replace the Fabric On a Dometic/A&E RV Window Awning

As we mentioned in our post 5 signs your RV awning needs replacement, awnings and slide toppers take a beating in the sun. Over the years, we’ve shown how to replace the fabric on many different models. It’s easy to do, saves lots of $$, and provides better-than-new results (after all, it’s the cheap OEM stuff that failed you in the first place).

The following steps show how to complete one of our favorite DIY projects — replacing the fabric on a tattered RV window awning.

What You’ll Need to Replace RV Window Awning Fabric

Here are the tools and items most commonly needed to complete the job:

• Cordless drill 
• Torx Bit Set 
• Two small straight picks or long nails
• Silicone Spray 
• Flat File 
• Felt-tip marker
• Pop Rivet Tool 
• Pop Rivets 
• Tape Measure 
• Diagonal Wire Cutters 
• Step Ladder 
• Replacement Fabric (Tough Top Awnings is the best… details and discount below)

Retract the Awning and Remove the Set Screws

Fully retract the awning so that it’s up against the side of the RV. Then remove the set screws on the side of the RV at each end of the awning. Those screws hold the awning in place to prevent it from sliding side to side.

Insert a Straight Pick to Secure the Spring

Pull one awning arm slightly away from the side of the RV and insert a straight pick or small screwdriver into the end. This prevents the spring from unwinding.

Disconnect the Arm from the Roller Tube

Remove the single bolt (seen in the photo above) that holds the end of the awning arm to the bracket at the end of the roller tube. Then lift the bracket and tube out and lower the arm down. This will leave the arm sticking straight off the side of the RV, with nothing attached to the end of it.

Disconnect the Other Arm

Repeat steps 2 and 3 on the other side of the awning, inserting the pick, removing the bolt, lifting the bracket and roller tube out of the arm, and lowering the arm down. Be sure to hold the fabric and roller tube in place so the awning won’t unroll down the side of the RV.

Slide the Awning Roller Out of the Track

Carefully maintaining your balance on one of the ladders, slide the entire roller tube, with the fabric wrapped around it, to one side. Remove the entire assembly from the horizontal mounting track on the side of the RV. Then carefully descend the ladder with it or hand it down to a helper.

Unwind One Spring

Keep a firm grip on the bracket at one end of the tube since it’s attached to a spring that is still under tension. Slide the pick out and unwind the spring, counting the exact number of rotations while noting the direction in which the spring unwinds. The spring isn’t all that strong, so it shouldn’t take much grip strength to control it.

Mark the Cap and Tube

Use your felt-tip marker to make two small dots near each other — one on the cap and one on the tube. This will allow you to match them up properly during reassembly.

Remove the Spring Assembly From One End of the Tube

Drill out one of the pop rivets in the end cap, then rotate the roller 180° and drill out the second rivet on the opposite side of the same cap. Now you can remove the spring assembly from the tube by simply sliding it out.

Remove the Old Fabric

Now you can pull the old fabric out from the end of the tube. If your awning has a decorative valance, be sure to note whether it’s on top of or underneath the awning material. In our video below, it was on top, which makes it clear which way to orient the new fabric when it’s time for re-assembly.

Install the New Fabric

Slide the new fabric into the same track from which you removed the old awning. Be sure to place the decorative valance in the same position as the old one (on top in our video, below).

Slide the fabric all the way onto the tube, leaving the bead cord extending slightly from the end. Before reinstalling the end cap, trim the bead cord down to about an inch and then slide the fabric fully onto the tube.

If you purchased a new pull-down strap (available from Tough Top Awnings), now’s the time to install it, too. Simply slide the old strap out and slide the new one into the same track.

Reinstall the Spring Assembly and End Cap

Insert the end cap and spring assembly back into the roller tube, lining up the two small marks you made earlier with your felt-tip pen. Make sure the holes in the cap and the tube are lined up. Insert a new pop rivet and squeeze the tool until it pops. Then, roll the tube over and install the second new pop rivet.

Re-tension the Spring

Re-tension the spring by winding the fitting in the opposite direction from when you removed it. Be sure to rotate it the exact number of times you counted earlier. Reinsert the straight pick to hold the fitting in place.

PRO TIP: If your old window awning wasn’t staying tight up against the side of the RV when stowed, this would probably be a perfect time to add a couple of extra turns to the spring to increase tension.

Center the New Fabric

Measure the distance between each edge of the new fabric and each end cap. If the fabric isn’t centered, slide it left or right in the track until both sides of the material are the same distance from the end caps.

Roll the Fabric Onto the Tube

Keeping in mind that the top of the material is smooth and the underside is more textured, roll the fabric onto the tube with the smooth top surface on the outside of the roll.

Prepare the Awning Rail

If the awning rail has sharp edges or corners, you can file them a bit to prevent snagging the new fabric. You can also cover those edges with two small pieces of masking tape to ensure the new awning won’t get cut as you slide it into the track. Then spray the awning rail with silicone lubricant along its entire length to ease installation of the bead cord and new awning.

Install the New Awning

Insert the bead cord at the end of the new fabric into the track and slide it all the way into and along the track. Once the new awning is in, swing one of the arms back into position, insert the fitting at the end of the roller into the end of the arm, and reinstall the bolt.

Now do the same thing at the other end of the roller tube. Then you can safely remove both straight picks.

Extend the Awning

Extend the awning and check for wrinkles. If the awning doesn’t lay perfectly flat, slide it left or right in the upper track until it does. Then retract/stow the awning to confirm the correct position. If it rolls smoothly in and out without wrinkling, it’s square, with the position of the upper bead cord correct.

Reinstall the Set Screws

Reinstall the two set screws into the upper awning rail, one at each end of the track. That will prevent the assembly from sliding side to side. Now, enjoy your beautiful new window awning!

The best replacement awning and slide topper fabric is also available with a special discount:

If you’d like a visual guide to replacing the fabric on a Dometic/A&E window awning, check out our video:

You may also be interested in our posts on how to replace Dometic WeatherPro awning fabric, how to repair or replace a failed Dometic Oasis Elite door awning motor, and an easy DIY guide for a pull-down Dometic awning fabric replacement.

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