Putting holes in shademaker awning bag to drain water

[CampyTime]

Hi FGRV Friends,

As I've read here from others and experience myself, my Shademaker awning bag collects water in the rain. This requires either taking it off between trips or frequent deploying to keep mold/mildew and potential staining to a minimum.

I was thinking of running to Harbor Freight today to pick up a cheap soldering gun to cleanly burn holes in the bottom portion of the bag below the zipper.

Has anyone here ever done this, and if so, any tips for me? Did it alleviate the problem?

I don't want to do this if I'll just end up with a bag with holes and results that are mediocre.

Thank you!

Wendy


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[mary and bob]

We have the same problem with water in the bag. Holes may drain some of it but the awning will still be wet. IF I was going to make holes (but I'm not) I would use a hole punch. If it will be considerable time between camping trips, I remove the awning. Remove the end screws and it slides right out.

[CampyTime]

Hi Bob,

I wondered about exactly what you wrote: that some water would drain out, but awning would still be wet. So you've confirmed my suspicions.

Ya know, I had this exact awning on my pop up and never had this trouble. All I can deduce is that the awning has to be placed slightly horizontal due to the proper placement of the rail on our campers. This must be the issue.

Thanks for saving me from a mediocre result!

Wendy


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[Jon in AZ]

Have you experimented with liquid seam sealer and wax on the zipper?

[CampyTime]

No I have not, Jon. I have a wax type crayon called Door Ease" that I use on my door hinges. Did not know there was any such product as a liquid seam sealer. Of course I tried silicone...😊. We all know what happened there, yup.


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[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by CampyTime

...Of course I tried silicone...😊. We all know what happened there, yup.

Must have missed that post… Some liquid seam sealers are silicon-based. Is that what you used? What went wrong?

Here's an article you may find helpful. It's more geared to backpacking tents (which is where my previous experience with seam sealers comes from). It's also clear that technology has changed since my backpacking days, so I'd hesitate to recommend a specific product.

As to waxing the zipper, I'm not familiar with the product you describe. I always just used an old candle and rubbed it on the zipper.

[mary and bob]

The source of the water infiltration is not known for sure, but most likely is through the stitching on the bag. The problem is probably worse because like Wendy says, it does not hang on a vertical surface, but lays on the curve of the roof. Jon's idea of a seam sealer is a good idea and worth trying. Thanks Jon.

[CampyTime]

Hi Jon,

No, you didn't miss anything. I used a silicone caulk with a caulk gun last year. I didn't post about it here till just now. The silicone peeled and shredded.

I am running to homey d today so I'll keep my eyes open for a liquid sealer. If I find something, I'll try it and post results and pics for all.


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[Jon in AZ]

Liquid seam sealer penetrates into the stitching rather than sitting on the surface like caulk. That's what you want. Your problem now may be removing enough of the caulk so the sealer can penetrate. You might be able to apply sealer from both the outside and the inside to maximize penetration.

If you don't find anything at HD, you might try an outdoor recreation store that sells camping and backpacking equipment. If I understood the linked article correctly, some sealers are silicon-based and some are polyurethane-based. The correct choice depends on the material being sealed. I'm guessing your awning bag is cloth-backed vinyl? That's not typically used in tents, so I'd read the fine print carefully and test in an inconspicuous spot first.

We'll all be waiting to hear your results…

LATE THOUGHT: An upholstery shop that does a lot of auto & marine work might be able to point you to a good product.

[CampyTime]

Went out to homey d tonight to get weed killer and Concrobium, but no luck with seam sealer. However, Kmart was nearby so I found a urethane and water based liquid seam sealer made by Coleman. $5.99 and it has a sponge applicator. I'm going to put it on all the seams tomorrow as awning is in my basement with the dehumidifier on.

I'll put awning on the trailer sometime this coming week if weather changes. Supposed to be beautiful all week.

The following week I'm in Texas as my son Is graduating basic training with the Air Force!

Here's a pic:




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[CampyTime]

Sorry it took so long to update on the status of the bag awning dilemma.

Well...even with the liquid sealer painted on the stitching of the bag, the inside and awning got wet....just not as much. I can't think of where else I could paint that sealer on as I did both upper and lower seams.

Perhaps when I take it inside I can paint the inside, right at the top of the bag where the awning begins. As I said earlier, never had this problem with the bag awning on my pop up, but it sat completely vertical. Due to placement of awning rail, bag has to rest slightly horizontal on top of trailer.

The annoyance is unless you take bag awning off I between trips or keep it open and aired out, eventually they start to get slimy and then mold or mildew or whatever it is starts to grow and stain awning fabric.

Ah well! I tried!


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[Jon in AZ]

That's a bummer, Wendy. Doing the inside as you are thinking couldn't hurt, but beyond that I'm out of ideas.

[CampyTime]

Yeah. Whatcha gonna do. I will try sealing the inside of the bag too, as you say can't hurt. All said and done, I still love the bag awning as was cheapest and easiest way for me to go. Thanks for following up Jon. You're the bestest.


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