RV Repair: RV Awning, hornet travel trailer, spring tension

Question
Hi Bill!  We recently purchased a gently used 1998 29' Damon Hornet travel trailer and love it.  However, on its trip to us, the awning was unrolling at the back and becoming damaged in high winds.  The shipper removed it under less than ideal circumnstances.  We have been able to reattach the awning to the trailer, but are having difficulty engaging the spring/tension so that the awning will retract.  We have to manually roll it up.  Can you advise us on how to reset the tension?

Answer
Hi Jennie:
There is a tensioning mechanism at both ends of the awning. It is locked with a pin or a bolt. I do not know what kind of awning you have but you nrmally tension the springs a little when the awning is rolled up and it then tensions the spring more when you unroll it. The spring may have come loose from the machanism or maybe the spring is broken. You may have to take it all the way apart befor you can see what is wrong. Good luck.
Bill