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Old 05-15-2019, 11:34 AM   #1
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Awning Brackets

I found this issue a while back when washing the Sunny. I lifted up the awning bag to clean underneath and found that the brackets were loose. It looks like at some point wind got a hold of the awning and the brackets were ripped out. I removed the brackets and put Eternabond tape over the holes as a temporary bandaid. I am not familiar with awnings since this is my first trailer. Are the brackets needed to use the awning? The instructions talk about using the awning in carport mode. Not sure if the brackets are needed for that. According to the manual, it is supposed to be a Carefree Campout Awning. The holes are unusable unless I use bigger screws. I plan to pull the awning out this weekend to check the condition. The previous owner said it has a hole about the size of a golf ball.

Thanks in advance for your advice/input.

Tommie
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File Type: jpg IMG_2981.jpg (57.4 KB, 4 views)
File Type: jpg IMG_2982.jpg (85.2 KB, 63 views)
File Type: jpg Campout Page1.jpg (153.6 KB, 9 views)
File Type: jpg Campout Page2.jpg (120.7 KB, 4 views)
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Old 05-15-2019, 02:53 PM   #2
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From what I see with the amount of rust on the screws and the second set of holes I would take a small screw driver or whatever else you can find that would be smaller than the holes and probe at an angle to see if there is soft wood.
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Old 05-16-2019, 06:33 PM   #3
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Hi Tommie,

What you have is called a "bag awning". Means it stores in a bag. These are common on pop ups but can be used on small TT's.

It sounds like you covered the holes up to stop water from getting in, good.

And as Dave said, did you check if there was soft wood behind that area? If forget if you had the front wall apart enough you could tell if that was a wet area or not. Or check with your moisture meter.

Now to the brackets. It "sounds" like you may not have used the awning yet. OK understand. And yes, unroll it and dry it out. It may need a good cleaning.

I "think" the prior owner or whoever installed the awning put the brackets in the wrong place. OR I'm miss reading your pictures. These holes look like they are right under the awning rail up by the roof. Please confirm.


This bracket sure looks like the Carefree Campout awning "bottom" bracket. Even your instructions calls that looking bracket the "bottom" bracket.


See here on Carefree's site for a new one. https://www.carefreeofcolorado.com/p...s/campout.html

Under tech documents tab is has updated instructions including install instructions and it shows the bottom bracket down on the camper (56 to 60" down" for the arm to connect to like an A frame setup. Your instructions are only "operating instructions". By any chance is there another cut sheet in your camper manual on the install instructions? Yours may be a slightly older awning then the one on the web site or they just updated the instructions.

Like this is how it hooks to the bottom brackets.


The carport method is when the poles are vertical and not hooked to the camper. Heads up, if you do this, you have to rope the poles down to the ground with good stakes or any wind will send it flying. The best is to have it hooked to the camper but I have seen and used these bag awnings on our popup years ago and there was no bottom brackets back then. So carport does work but it has to be roped and staked down well. Rope from the top of the vertical support to the ground. If needed, I might be able to hunt up a pic of my sons PU with the Carefree bag awning setup carport style if needed. Let me know.

Hope this helps

John
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Old 05-17-2019, 09:12 AM   #4
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I've the same issue (it's actually detached thanks to my pregnant dog). It was lose last Summer when I redid all of the leveling jacks (new). It also was part of the wind damage last Spring (201 where the awning flipped up and broke everything on the roof (ac shroud, vent covers, skylights, etc). So all that stuff is new. The awning itself is rolled up on top of the roof still but the arms are completely off the thing now as they're a bit broken.

However, the first thing I need to do is fix the lower back mounting point (which is where the water storage is, so now I have a feeling I need to look under the lift-up bed for extra water damage from my water heater, will post shortly on that). After the lower mounting bracket is somehow secured, then I would ideally like to find new arms to mount on the relatively good condition awning. Can those be found? I think one of mine is good, but if I recall the other has some very badly bent and broken metal from the wind storm snap that sent it to the OTHER side of the camper when I collected the parts.

-KJ

PS: What's the remedy for the holes if soft wood vs not soft wood? Replacing the wood vs adding a wood glue or something and letting it harden for a week?
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Old 05-17-2019, 10:49 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnB View Post
... did you check if there was soft wood behind that area? If forget if you had the front wall apart enough you could tell if that was a wet area or not. Or check with your moisture meter.
I did not check but can check this weekend. At the time, I was headed out on a weekend camping trip and did not have time to mess around with it. Went to wash it again and the tape reminded me. I did not have the front wall apart enough to see that area. May have been able to see a little on the right side when the window and door was out if I had known. Ugh!

I "think" the prior owner or whoever installed the awning put the brackets in the wrong place. OR I'm miss reading your pictures. These holes look like they are right under the awning rail up by the roof. Please confirm.
The brackets were mounted at the top under the awning.

This bracket sure looks like the Carefree Campout awning "bottom" bracket. Even your instructions calls that looking bracket the "bottom" bracket.
This is what I saw in the installation instructions too. There are no holes at the bottom indicating that they had ever been installed there.
I wish I had somewhere I could take all the siding off that side and the confidence that I could put it all back together. I may be able to see the left side when the back is opened up. That is coming this fall.

Thanks for all of the input.

Tommie
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Old 05-17-2019, 03:03 PM   #6
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As JohnB stated we had the Carefree awning on our popup camper. I never installed the side bottom brackets we always used with the poles staked to the ground and ropes stakes out at the corners. 20151018_132329.jpg
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Old 05-17-2019, 09:46 PM   #7
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Hi Tommie,

Yup, your instructions clearly show that vintage has a bottom bracket. No top bracket. They mounted it wrong.

I see BenB came along to show you the "car port" method on a bag awning. When we had our PU, that is how we did it too. There is no top bracket.
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Old 05-21-2019, 09:19 PM   #8
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Hello all,

I was able to poke around the holes where the front bracket was installed. What it appears to me is that when whomever tried install the brackets there was not enough room left on the top board to install both screws. Only enough room for the top screw. The bottom screw only screwed into metal siding. During the front repair, I had almost the entire area to the right of the door open. The window and door had to be removed to get to the frame in that area. Most of the wood was still solid with the exception of the corner. Any water stained solid wood was treated with RotDoctor. This does help explain some of the water stains. I will address the back bracket holes when I work on the back repair in the Fall. All of the holes are still covered by Eternabond tape. (sigh of relief)

I hope this all makes sense.

Thanks,
Tommie
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Old 05-22-2019, 09:21 PM   #9
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Hi Tommie,

Yes, what you show in the pic where the holes were now all fits. And it has a lot better chance the water did not yet get a chance to do a lot of harm.
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