By Chris Dougherty
Certified RV technician Chris Dougherty received this question from an RVtravel.com reader when he was our technical editor.
Dear Chris,
The awning over my slide out is sagging on one end, the other end is tight as both ends should be. Is there a way to adjust the tension on the end of the awning? -Jim Wiles
Dear Jim,
Well, Jim, it depends on the size and make of your slide topper. Many, if not most, slide toppers have only one spring, which is probably the side that is tight. Really long toppers will have two. The first thing is to determine which topper you have and how many springs you have.
It is not uncommon for the fabric to become stretched out over time, especially on the ends. Sometimes the fabrics will stretch in the middle if they are exposed, for example, to snow and ice. On occasion, the roller tube can become slightly bent allowing the middle to sag. Lastly, another possibility, although a bit remote, is that the room is out of square, and one side is extending further than the other.
If the fabric is stretched, the best fix is to replace the fabric. If there is a spring problem, is it an tension issue, or is a spring broken? If it is a tension issue, the best thing to do is to re torque BOTH sides to factory specs. If you have to change a spring, then I would still do this on both sides.
If the room is out of square, the room needs to be fixed… an easy way to see if this is a possibility is to feel the room seal on the inside of the coach when the room is completely deployed. Are the seals equally tight on both sides? Measuring the flange of the room to the outside wall is another way of determining this.