17' Series Replacing 14-foot-awning-vinyl with a 13 foot vinyl. Bad idea?

[Jack Lucy & Josh]

Hi,
slowly but surely our trip is coming to an end. But before selling the van I need to replace the awning's ripped vinyl.
https://www.expandasdownunder.com/threads/rollout-awning.8595/#post-195402
BUT I can't spend 600 dollars on a new one so I was wondering if I could make a 13 foot secondhand awning from a pop-up fit to mine?
https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/war...refree-13ft-awning-to-suit-pop-top/1234009136

As one of our poles is slightly bended and the other one pretty worn out, I was thinking of replacing them as well.
The idea now is to keep my spring roll, attache the slightly narrower (minus 30 cm) second hand vinyl and replace the poles.
Can I do that? Can I replace the rivets connecting the spring barrel with the poles with screws?
Will I open pandoras box and get in a lot of troubles trying to reassembly everything?
What are my chances to succeed and to fail?

Cheers mates!

 

[Drover]

Should work, so long as you identify exactly what brand of awning you have the arms are replacable and the shorter awning will fit just be a larger gap between arms and awning. Have look here for types and spares https://www.caravansplus.com.au/awnings/

and here for instructions http://www.withoutahitch.com.au/caravan/replace-damaged-awning/

It is most important that before you remove the arms from the barrel you fit a split pin to LOCK it otherwise you will be in for heaps of trouble so read the directions carefully.... if it unravells its like a kingsize blind that pops its spring............DO NOT REMOVE the end caps from the barrel before reading the instructions.

 

[Jack Lucy & Josh]

Cheers! So best would be to roll outbreeding awning, take off the old one and attach the shorter vinyl on my barrel, undo the one mid-center Phillips screw on top of the poles and replace them with the second hand ones.
Would you do it the same way?

Have to check if the ad includes the top arms as well or just the poles. 1 arm is bended and a pain in the ***.

 

[Drover]

Sounds about right, change the vinyl with the awning out and arms tightened up, depending you may have to cut it off for ease, replacing the arms should be possible with awning housed but can't remember what I did at the time I pulled mine apart.......refer to the instruction sheets.

The scary part is if you have to pop an end cap on the barrel to pull the awning track out, that could be interesting so take care with the whole thing.

 

[Axl]

Hi,
slowly but surely our trip is coming to an end. But before selling the van I need to replace the awning's ripped vinyl.
https://www.expandasdownunder.com/threads/rollout-awning.8595/#post-195402
BUT I can't spend 600 dollars on a new one so I was wondering if I could make a 13 foot secondhand awning from a pop-up fit to mine?
https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/war...refree-13ft-awning-to-suit-pop-top/1234009136

As one of our poles is slightly bended and the other one pretty worn out, I was thinking of replacing them as well.
The idea now is to keep my spring roll, attache the slightly narrower (minus 30 cm) second hand vinyl and replace the poles.
Can I do that? Can I replace the rivets connecting the spring barrel with the poles with screws?
Will I open pandoras box and get in a lot of troubles trying to reassembly everything?
What are my chances to succeed and to fail?

Cheers mates!

@Jack Lucy & Josh get onto you tube and search for Carefree awning replacement, you are most certainly playing with fire. Looking at the second hand awning it is from a Carefree barrel so it should fit your barrel however.....

I cant see how you will be able to do what you are suggesting without removing the barrel, how are you going to slide the awning into the barrel with out removing the end caps?

Even if this could be done how would you then slide the other end of the awning into the sail track on the van with the barrel still in place?

You will need to remove the barrel and to do this you need to undo the energy in the spring, simple enough to do but you would want to watch the video a few times before you do.

UPDATE: I found a link for you to have a look at

 

[Blybo]

You could easily lose a finger or an eye doing this sort of job unless you REALLY know what you are doing. I'd simply replace the whole barrel, be safe and take the hit to the hip pocket.