Need help with 4 slide-out Monterey with Omega II awning

[Stan Simpson]

A couple of years ago, we were caught in a ferocious wind storm in Kentucky. The wind caused the arms on our Omega II slide topper/window (curbside bedroom) awning combination to drop to the side of the coach. Then the wind got under the dropped awning and ripped the fabric from where it attached in the little groove at the roof line. As soon as it was detached from the roof, the tension on the roller pulled the remaining fabric in to the roller. When we got home, we took it apart and discovered there was significant fabric missing. We had a new sleeve sewn on to the end, and re-attached it to the roof line. After that, we could no longer drop the arms and extend the built-in window awning, we could only use it as a slide topper.

Now, I'm getting ready to replace all 4 slide toppers (they are 13 years old). Carefree of Colorado cannot give me the length of the fabric. They claim, based on the width of the existing fabric, and the extension of the box out from the wall, their system knows what length to make it.

I want to order the fabric from Tough Topper Awnings, however, they need the length, which I cannot measure, obviously.

If someone has a 2005/2006 Monterey with 4 slides, could you please extend the curbside bedroom awning to its full extension, and measure from the place where it attaches to the roof line to the bottom of the window awning? I don't know if all models have 2 Omega II and 2 SOKII toppers like we have. I'm attaching a picture of what it looks like.

Any help or suggestions would be very much appreciated.

[David T. Richelderfer]

1st idea>  Is the bedroom slide's topper on the opposite side of the coach the same model?  If so, then are the two bedroom slides identical relative to the distance the slides move out when fully extended?  You see where I am going with this idea...

2nd idea>  What about measuring the distance from the attachment point on the coach's roof over the extended slide to the  roller contact point with the roller pulled down and held in place with the hold-down straps.  Now the question becomes how much more EXTRA LENGTH is needed on the roller when in that pulled down position?  Now go to another same model awning on your coach and measure that EXTRA LENGTH when it is pulled down into the same position with its hold-down straps.  My guess is the EXTRA LENGTH is about the circumference of the roller - 10 inches or so.

3rd idea>  Let Carefree make the one awning for which they cannot or will not give you the length measurement.

Best idea>  Wait for a reply from someone who has the exact same coach and awning.

[Stan Simpson]

1st idea>  Is the bedroom slide's topper on the opposite side of the coach the same model?  If so, then are the two bedroom slides identical relative to the distance the slides move out when fully extended?  You see where I am going with this idea...

2nd idea>  What about measuring the distance from the attachment point on the coach's roof over the extended slide to the  roller contact point with the roller pulled down and held in place with the hold-down straps.  Now the question becomes how much more EXTRA LENGTH is needed on the roller when in that pulled down position?  Now go to another same model awning on your coach and measure that EXTRA LENGTH when it is pulled down into the same position with its hold-down straps.  My guess is the EXTRA LENGTH is about the circumference of the roller - 10 inches or so.

3rd idea>  Let Carefree make the one awning for which they cannot or will not give you the length measurement.

Best idea>  Wait for a reply from someone who has the exact same coach and awning.

Thanks, David.

1st idea: The other slide for the bedroom, on the opposite side, has no windows, thus no need for a topper/window awning combo. That slide topper is a Carefree SOKII.

2nd idea: I thought about unhooking the fabric from the roller, so the arms will come down to level. Now they won't because the short fabric is making them be at an upward angle. I could easily measure the distance from where the fabric hooks to the roller to the end of the extended arms. I don't want to do that however. I'm afraid of losing the roller tension.

3rd idea: Tough Top Awnings cannot match the original color of my slide toppers. Aesthetically, I don't want to have 3 toppers one color, and the 4th a different one. There is a significant difference in price as well.

Best idea: I thought so, too. 

[Stan Simpson]

Edit:

I used the Pythagorean Theorem and figured it out. From the bottom the bracket that holds the fold down arms, I measured to the middle of the roller. 21 inches. If the arm was dropped to a 90 degree angle it would also be 21 inches on that side of the triangle.

21 squared is 441 x 2 is 882. The square root of 882 is 29.6 something. So rounded up to 30 inches for the material needed in addition to the slide topper part, or 46 inches.

[David T. Richelderfer]

Good going!  I hope your measurement is correct.  Now... how will you keep the roller tight under tension when you remove the old awning and install the new awning?

When the pros a few years ago changed my three topper awnings, they drilled a hole in the roller down to the center metal dowel, I think with a long self-tapping screw.  He seemed to know what he was doing, but I certainly wondered at the time.  I thought there would be a hole at the end somewhere such that a device, such as a screwdriver or a nail, could be inserted to hold the roller under tension while the new awning bead is pulled down the trough.

[Bryan Schmidt]

Stan

Give me to mid day pacific time and I’ll go down to the coach to make the exact measurements for you from our same model / size slide topper/awning for the same bed slide out...  I’ll take pics of the tape measurements against the actual topper in multiple positions and try to post the photos here...

[Bill Sprague]

Stan,

It is frequently rude to make suggestions.  But...

If you don't know it already, there is a big spring in those awnings that breaks arms and eats fingers.  The look tame, but they are not.  So, again at the risk of being rude, be sure you do enough homework before you go to work on them.

Regarding measurements, mine were a foot or two longer than seemed necessary.  I don't know why unless it was intended that the same awning could be used on slides that extended further. 

[David T. Richelderfer]

Bill, I think that is a good suggestion.  Both of my garage doors' springs have broken over the years.  I remember when the guy came to replace the first broken spring.  I watched carefully how and what he did.  When he coiled the spring, I noted that he was being very careful placing the bars used to turn the spring.  When he was finished, I asked if he had ever had any slip-ups.  He turned and smiled... most of his front teeth were gone!

[Jim Edwards]

HI you might want to contact :
Dave Jones
Tampa fla
813 956 6827
davidjdrg@aol.com
www.rvawnings1.com
He is very good with legacy Colorado awnings and parts.
I got my material from them.

Best Jim

[Stan Simpson]

I'm not going to do the installation myself. I'm having my service guy do it. Primarily because he has done lots of them, and secondly, if he screws if up, he has to make it right. 

However, there is a way to get around the tension on the roller. Here is a video showing how, from RV Geeks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=45&v=_uzYmJeBJ8w

@Bryan Schmidt. That would be great. I will find out how close I was to the actual size.

[Steve Huber Co-Admin]

Videos of this and other Carefree Awning projects are available in the Video link in the Coach Assist section on the Forum (Members Only).
Steve

[Bryan Schmidt]

Stan

Actual total measurements on my topper match your calculations within 1/2”.     From the roofline bolt rope to slide out top corner edge measured out at 16.5” and from the top corner edge to the roller was 30” as you calculated, for a total of 46.5”.  As mentioned above a few extra inches would then be added for wrapping the topper part way around the topper roller.

My topper on that side was replaced 2yrs ago and mine was ordered and installed with about a half wrap of extra material for the roller and attachment to the roller...

[Stan Simpson]

Pretty cool, Bryan. Thanks for taking the time to measure your slide topper/window awning combo. I'm pleased that the method I used was confirmed. Fabric has been ordered.