Tag: rv awning

The husband, the wife, and the holy canopy

Remember when I wrote about damage we sustained after a San Antonio hail storm back in the spring? You can refresh your memory here.

We ended up finding more damage a week or two later, when we rolled out our awning and discovered several holes along the edge closest to the RV roof, i.e. the part that would have been exposed to hail while the thing was rolled up.

The stains and mildew were pre-existing. The holes? Not so much.
The stains and mildew were pre-existing in this 8-year-old sheet of vinyl. The holes? Not so much.
Having a skylight in your canopy rather defeats the purpose.
Having a “skylight” in your canopy rather defeats the purpose.

Thanks to the existence of our insurance company, internet commerce, and YouTube, we were able to deposit a check, order a new canopy, and take care of the installation ourselves. Couldn’t have done it without the help of this video from the RV Geeks!

Step 1 was Tim's favorite: buy a new tool!
Step 1 was Tim’s favorite: buy a new tool!
The new canopy arrived in a long cardboard tube. I'm sure UPS drivers love those.
The new canopy arrived in a long cardboard tube. I’m sure UPS drivers love those.
Removing the brackets so that we could grab the old canopy by the legs and walk it forward -- across the street -- to slide it out of its channel.
Had to remove the brackets so that we could grab the old canopy by the legs and walk it forward — across the street — to slide it out of its channel.
Got it to the ground, and now we unroll it and slide it off.
Wrestled it to the ground, and then had to unroll it and slide it off.
Off with the old, and to the dumpster with it!
Off with the old, and to the dumpster with it!
Slot A, Bracket B, blah blah blah.
Slot A, Bracket B, blah blah blah. Mostly I take photos so that we have a visual record of how things are supposed to look when we put them back together.
New canopy, sliding cooperatively onto the roller
New canopy, sliding cooperatively onto the roller
This is what the riveter does: jams in the rivet thingies.
This is what the riveter does: it jams in the rivet thingies.
Tim the Riveter He can do it!
Tim the Riveter
He can do it!
That post sticking out on the left is part of the spring-loaded assembly that allows the canopy to roll in and out. There is a right way and a wrong way to wind it, as usual. We did it the wrong way first. As usual.
That post sticking out on the left is part of the spring-loaded assembly that allows the canopy to roll in and out.
There is a right way and a wrong way to wind it, as usual.
We did it the wrong way first.
As usual.
See? Wrong.
See?
Something is not right.
A few tweaks later: ta-daaaaa! It's so clean and shiny, and it smells like a new car!
A few tweaks later: ta-daaaaa!
It’s so clean and shiny, and it smells like a new car!
Yes, I helped. See? And so did the guy in the spot next door, who saw me struggling to hold up my end of the top-heavy assembly, and came over to take my place. Thanks, Bernie!
Yes, I helped. See?
And so did the guy in the spot next door, who saw me struggling to hold up my end of the top-heavy assembly, and came over to take my place.
Thanks, Bernie!

But wait. There’s more. And this one makes us look even more incompetent.

We shifted to a new spot, see? And we were in a hurry, and we convinced ourselves that those low branches were not going to be a problem, but...
We shifted to a new spot, see? And we were in a rush that day, and we convinced ourselves that we could back in just below those low branches, but…
Scrape Snap Pop And there goes the the forward AC cover. Again. Yep. Second time we've done this. Different tree, same bonehead maneuver. Sigh. But better the cover than the actual AC!
Scrape
Snap
Pop!
And there goes the the forward AC cover. Again.
Yep. Second time we’ve done this. Different location, same bonehead maneuver. Lesson: the tree will always win.
Sigh.
But better the cover than the actual AC. Not as much of a cha-ching, but plenty of self-flagellation.

Thanks for tuning in. Coming up next on the Rohrer & Wife RV Repair channel: Crappy Jobs. The toilet’s malfunctioning — again!