Dear Dave,
My RV awning on the top edge where it attaches to the gutter is starting to get small holes and cracks from sun deterioration. I’m wondering if I could use seam tape or Flex Seal tape or something else to repair it to make it last longer? It is only the first 2-3 inches that is exposed to the sun when retracted. —Michael, 2018 Winnebago FE32
Dear Michael,
I cannot find an FE32 model in the Winnebago lineup; however, there is a Sunstar YE32? According to the specs on the website, it is a power awning, but I cannot find a brand or model. It looks to be Carefree of Colorado or Lippert Solera, both of which use a vinyl material rather than acrylic.
We had a similar situation with a Carefree of Colorado awning on a 2015 Thor Challenger that had thinning vinyl that you could see through and was slightly leaking.
If you go online, you will find dozens of products that claim to be designed for RV awning repair, such as Camco, Incom, XFasten, and the traditional duct tape and Flex Seal. We chose to use black EternaBond, as the awning material was black and it matched extremely well.
Clean the awning
We cleaned the awning with Dawn Dish Soap (Blue) and water, top and bottom, rinsed it off, then let it dry for a day. Our issue was very close to the seam that slides into the awning rail. We decided to run a 4”-wide strip the entire length to reinforce the vinyl at the seam. We did both top and bottom, just to be safe. What I really liked was the flexibility of the tape, as it rolled up. However, it was a little difficult to apply without getting wrinkles in the tape. Once you lay the EternaBond down, it is very difficult to get back off. We used a heat gun in a few spots and had to settle for a few wrinkles here and there.
After two years, the RV awning is still working well and the EternaBond is holding well. One thing that helps is it does not get opened more than a couple days on a few trips, so it is not exposed to the sun and elements full time.
I did some research on forums and websites about other products. It seems duct tape does not last long as it is not good when exposed to the sun and heat. Other products like the Camco brand had very poor reviews, with several stating the product only lasted a couple of days. I do believe that some of the issues might be related to how well the vinyl is cleaned and allowed to dry. Plus, no amount of tape will help vinyl that is deteriorating or pulling apart in large areas.
I would think that your smaller 2″–3” area could be reinforced with a vinyl repair kit or EternaBond. I’m not a fan of Flex Seal tape. I have used that on some trailers and it dried fairly quickly and pulled off. Let’s see what success others have had.
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My wife and I have a Jayco North Point 5th wheel. I am going to retire in 2022 and we are planning to live in our RV in Florida. Do you have any idea what I can use to protect the awning and slide toppers from the sun? Thanks. —Tim
Dave Solberg is a leading expert in the RV industry and the author of the “RV Handbook.”
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My black Gorilla duct tape work is still doing well. The trick is to add a thin smear of clear silicon adhesive to the exposed edges. Most duct tape failure is due to moisture wicking into the embedded fabric mat.
The Solera awning on our now 14 month old Forest River had hundreds of pin holes all over from the very beginning. Dealer says this is normal?
Thanks for the tips, Dave👍👍
Our awning started to deteriorate along the top edge we used goop and and other silicone stuff and it held for years and was still good when we sold it.
Thank you, Dave.