RV Repair: awning repair/replacement, upper brackets, lag bolts

Question
Hi Gary.  Our Dometic A&E 8500 awning needs to be replaced due to damage in a storm.  We have to replace the roller tube and the fabric.  The arms are ok.  Dometic is shipping the parts to us.  What is the easiest way to reinstall the awning and tube to the trailer and the arms?

Answer
This will be easiest for you with the help of 3 or 4 people.  First, remove the set screws from the rail where the awning slides on the trailer. Remove the lag bolts from the upper brackets at each end, there should be 2 each.  Unclip the arms from the bottom brackets and slide the awning off.  This will take some balancing.  Remove the small bolt from the top front face of each arm and remove the arm from the roller assembly.  Re-attatch the new roller tube assembly to the arms using the small bolts you removed earlier.  un-wrap about 2 feet or so of the awning fabric.  At the end of the awning rail, on the trailer, flair out the end so that the awning will slide into the track easily with out catching the new fabric.  Balance the awning and have a third person guide the edge of the new awning through the awning rail on the trailer.  Reinstall the lag bolts in the upper brackets. Pull out on the awning slightly and remove the pins through each end of the spring assemblies.  You should now be able to roll up the awning and set your awning to the proper side to side position.  Reinstall the set screws in the awning rail.  You should now be able to test the awning by reversing your cam lock and operate as normal.

Garry