- 1). Pull out the awning by about a foot by releasing its travel locks and positioning it to its "roll down" setting. Prop the awning in place with a board if its cam lock isn't working. Lock the spring tension in place by inserting a cotter pin through the top hole in both end caps; rotate the inner shaft so the holes line up.
- 2). Remove the lag bolts holding the awning's rafters to the vehicle and the screws attaching the fabric. Disconnect the arms from the bottom of the vehicle and, with another person's help, use the arms to "walk" and unwind the fabric off the awning rail. Place the outer awning tube on a flat surface and rest the arms on the ground.
- 3). Clamp vise grips on the attachment plates inside the ends of the awning arm; have your assistant insert a clamp up through one arm while you do the other. Disconnect the arms by removing the bolts holding them to the plates you just clamped. Remove the cotter pin you inserted earlier and unwind the spring to relieve the tension; count the number of times you unwind it.
- 4). Mark the cam handle's position on the awning tube for replacement later. Drill out the rivets holding each torsion assembly to the awning tube (it usually requires a 1/8-inch bit) and remove the assemblies with the end caps. Remove each end cap and cam lock by driving out its pins with a hammer and punch and fasten the new caps in place with the same pins.
- 5). Unroll the fabric off the tube and mark where the fabric is inserted in the tube before sliding the fabric off. Slip the new fabric within the tube, making sure you don't tear it. It may take two people to remove and replace the fabric. Make sure the fabric is centered within the tube and tuck the cords at the ends of the fabric on the tube.
- 6). Connect the torsion assemblies to the tube, lining them up with your markings and fastening them with new rivets. Grasp the same end pieces with the vise grips and have your assistant prepared with the cotter pin. Wind the spring by the same number of turns you unwound it and reinsert the cotter pin. Reconnect the arms to the awning.
- 7). Connect the awning back on the vehicle's rail. This may take a third person to feed the awning cord into the rail while the other two hold the arms. Reconnect the arms to the side of the vehicle and remove the cotter pin to roll up the new awning fabric.
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