Trillium Shadow Awning (tension springs) - Page 3 - Fiberglass RV
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Old 04-27-2014, 11:09 AM   #41
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Name: Sandy
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Lyle that would be AWESOME, thank you! We're not even sure if we have a complete set of the poles or if they function the right way etc so any help is so appreciated!
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Old 04-27-2014, 11:14 AM   #42
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Thank you Roy! We have seen those trailer dollies (the 75 year old gentleman we bought the Trillium from used his to turn the trailer from his backyard into his driveway for us to hitch, lol) but we were worried about using it on our driveway since it is an incline? My husband thought it might get away from him and roll down through our backyard fence, ha!
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Old 04-27-2014, 02:00 PM   #43
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Sandy, here's the first set of pics.
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Old 04-27-2014, 02:05 PM   #44
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Old 04-27-2014, 02:08 PM   #45
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Next. The poles are twist lock. Check that the disk at the bottom will turn freely.
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Old 04-27-2014, 02:10 PM   #46
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Old 04-27-2014, 02:12 PM   #47
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Old 04-27-2014, 02:13 PM   #48
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Old 04-27-2014, 04:14 PM   #49
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Wow! These are great, thank you soo much for these Lyle. I am going to go look at our poles and see if they are all the same/complete and come back, with more questions no doubt! Do you assemble it yourself or do 2 people have to do both sides at once since the awning is tension/retractable? Any helpful tips?
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Old 04-27-2014, 04:54 PM   #50
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It takes a bit of practice, but you can do it single- handed. Two people make it much easier of course. I lay out the brace poles and the bunji-cord guylines first. Most times I don't use the vertical poles. The little cam-disks at the end of each pole need to be checked periodically so they turn freely or the poles won't twist lock. Oh, and check the awning to make sure there is no water trapped inside or your torsion springs may rust and break
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Old 04-28-2014, 05:47 PM   #51
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Good news: we have a complete set of poles, thanks to your pics! Bad news: I broke the little pin point on the top of one of the vertical poles, AND one of the vertical poles does not twist/lock.

However, my husband fixed a screw to the end of where I snapped it off and we're hoping this will work. And the one vertical pole that does not twist lock we came up with the idea of drilling holes through every inch or so that we can adjust the height and insert a locking pin/wingnut of some sort.
We have a steep learning curve since we've never owned a camper before, nor gone camping so it'll be an adventure for sure!

How do you keep your awing so clean? Our Trillium had been through Hurricane Sandy before we bought it, and sat unused for 3 years or so. There was a lot of dried leaves/debris and I'm sure sitting water inside the rolled awning. Below is a picture of us trying to clean it last week, you can see all the black areas that so far just don't seem to come off. Do you have any advice of what to clean it with to get it shiny new as yours? Or how to get all the wrinkles out?
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Old 04-28-2014, 06:30 PM   #52
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Might just try spraying break away which is a penetrating lubricant and corrosion remover, or similar product down into the cam lock. Put a high powered blow dryer on it first to get it hot, spray, grab with pliers and try to rock the twist back and forth a few times.

Repeat. And if it's still not free to turn after a few attempts, spray it well inside and let it sit over night.

Heat causes the metal to expand lubricant causes sharp contraction and tends to follow the receding heat in. Once managed to slowly break free a steel rod going into an aluminum transmission case that was totally seized like this. Could not put torch on it for heat because of seals that would melt if the rod got too hot.

Someplace there is an engineer that ran steel transmission shift rod directly through aluminum case that is burning in a hot place. I doubt people that knew him would let him live this long.
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Old 04-28-2014, 08:45 PM   #53
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Originally Posted by lunachix View Post
Bad news: ... one of the vertical poles does not twist/lock.
Try taking taking the pole apart and see if everything is there. If not, hunt around for something else that has a twist lock in a pole of the same diameter. Like a painters pole, winter window scraper etc. and scavenge the parts.
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Old 05-01-2014, 11:25 AM   #54
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Here is the latest (and perhaps last) update on the original purpose of this thread (the broken springs in my original Shadow awning).
After much, too much work trying to find replacement springs the solution was simple and relatively cheap.
Helical Thread Inserts.
They're used as a replacement for stripped threads and are right-hand thread.
The primary difficulty was that the threads on the end caps (which the springs wind onto) are left-hand thread.
I found a company that makes left-hand thread inserts (3/8 - 16 x 1 1/2D.
Threaded them onto each end-cap.
Cut the torsion springs down to about 3 feet from their original 4 foot plus length to remove the damaged ends.
Threaded the springs onto the end caps and inserted the springs into the awning rod.
Put 23 turns on the springs (clockwise in front, counter-clockwise in rear).
Good as new!
Cost? About $70 for the LH inserts incl shipping (small orders from a wholesaler ain't cheap), plus a lot of effort and general running around.
Cheaper than having custom springs made ($500) and I get to keep the original Shadow awning.
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Old 05-01-2014, 11:32 AM   #55
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Sandy - Time will get the wrinkles out and effort will get it clean. Check the little disk looking cam-thinggy at the bottom of the "inside" pole. They get corroded/dirty and won't turn. Clean it and work at it till it turns again and it will lock. You should be able to find a replacement "pin" for the pole or a replacement pole.
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