Slideout Awning Instal ?
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Forum Name: Podmods, Maintenance, Tips and Tricks
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URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=2060
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Topic: Slideout Awning Instal ?
Posted By: furpod
Subject: Slideout Awning Instal ?
Date Posted: 24 Aug 2011 at 10:37am
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OK, so here is the deal, we have friends, who in the first 18 months of ownership, discovered that their slide had been leaking, apparently since day one. By the time they realized it, the ENTIRE slide had to be replaced. Was not an R-Pod or Forest River product. The dealership went to bat for them and got it covered under warranty. Took about 6 weeks to get it done. So we are sure we don't want any chance of that fun and adventure if we can help it. Ordered a Carefree Sideout Kover II to fit a 72" roof. Trailer already has an awning rail in the right place. BUT.. looking at it, right where the awning itself should mount, there is a trim piece that runs all the way around, with a plastic insert that covers what I assume to be the screws that hold the "flange" to the "room".. It looks like that will need to be cut and removed in the area where the mounting brackets for the awning need to go.. Anyone else done such a thing and how did you handle it?? Thanks in advance for any help.. |
Replies:
Posted By: TerryM
Date Posted: 25 Aug 2011 at 4:06am
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I haven't done it but I don't think it would be a problem. Personally, I think all slide outs should have an awning over them. Terry ------------- RP-175 W/Lift Kit 2011 Ford F-150 4X4 Saint Augustine, FL: The first permanent European settlement in the USA: 1565 |
Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 29 Aug 2011 at 7:02pm
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OK, update on progress.. The trick is in getting the mounting brackets in the right place, so the brackets will be screwed into the room framing. That framing is directly under the flange track.. Having to build a filler piece to go inside the flange "track", and a spacer to go below it and support the brackets. I am using .250" x 1" aluminum bar stock to build them. The spacer I just drilled holes to line up with the bottom bracket holes and painted. But the filler for the track area of the flange I am fitting.. it needs to be .610" x .180".. that should make it flush, +/- a couple .001's with the spacer.. Once they are done, I will remove the track filler strip, a couple screws that the factory put in there, put in my filler and line up the bracket, mark, remove filler, drill it, then use the self tapping screws provided with the awning to mount the brackets. There are also two corner filler/cover doohickies that will need to be modified.. all easy from there. ------------- |
Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 29 Aug 2011 at 8:03pm
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Couple pictures to show what I am talking about.. (this is the right end of the slide out, the left is just a mirror image.. The starting point..  The plastic trim removed..  The fillers in place..  And, the fillers and the spacer.. The bracket will screw over these..  ------------- |
Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 30 Aug 2011 at 12:21pm
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Its too bad they didn't include mounting points from the factory. ------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual 
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Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 30 Aug 2011 at 12:57pm
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I think part of the problem with that (factory installed brackets), after rolling over to my local(ish) RV store to see how they were done is.. there is no standard. Each awning manufacturer uses a different kind of bracket system. and not all slides are "flanged" the same.. Got my brackets up this morning.. going to need a second pair of hands to get the awning in the track and mounted.. I think feeding that awning welt bead into the track past the scupper is going to make putting on the Rdome look like childs play.. at least vocabulary wise..lol   ------------- |
Posted By: TerryM
Date Posted: 30 Aug 2011 at 1:33pm
It looks good so far. Good job! Terry ------------- RP-175 W/Lift Kit 2011 Ford F-150 4X4 Saint Augustine, FL: The first permanent European settlement in the USA: 1565 |
Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 30 Aug 2011 at 3:39pm
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OK, so, awning up. Need to run it in and out several times to settle the fabric, then secure the fabric to the track. And modify/replace the corner cover thingies.. It was actually pretty easy to feed in there myself.... once I broke the scupper  superglue will fix it I am sure..In:  Out:  My buddy who had to have his slide replaced happened to stop by yesterday, He noted the 4"-5" roofing/sealing tape across the outside of the slide roof. He said his first slide didn't have that, but the replacement did.. He thinks that was probably where the water was getting in. All I know is I feel this a good thing. Water is the ENEMY. ------------- |
Posted By: FISHTAIL
Date Posted: 30 Aug 2011 at 4:40pm
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Nice job. I was going to do this also, until I read that Forrest River advised against it. They never gave a reason why they didn't want us to do it, they just said not too. My 'guess' is that they are concerned that the awning could bind and damage the slide out mechanism. I can't see any other reason why they would care. After my warranty is up, I will probably go ahead with this project anyway. I wasn't to worried about water per-say, but more about sticks and stuff getting caught up there and tearing the seal when I draw the slide back in. |
Posted By: FISHTAIL
Date Posted: 30 Aug 2011 at 4:42pm
| Off topic, but was that a 94-98 Mustang I spotted in your driveway in front of that airstream? |
Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 30 Aug 2011 at 4:46pm
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I can't hardly see how FR would be against it.. they sell the trailer with the rail already installed.. About my only concern is it's weighs about 15 pounds.. that's 15 pounds off my payload weight. I will have to carry fewer s'mores kits next trip..lol Where or how did you learn they were against it? My dealer was willing to put one on for us, I just wasn't willing to pay him to do it..  ------------- |
Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 30 Aug 2011 at 4:53pm
'95. Last year of the pushrod 302. As my wife says.. "it's completely stock from the cowl up".. 331 with a TwEECer, Tremac, full 3" exhaust with Flowmaster and offroad X pipe. Full Racecraft Suspension. '03 wheels and tires, Baer/Cobra brakes 3.55's etc etc.. ------------- |
Posted By: FISHTAIL
Date Posted: 31 Aug 2011 at 9:11am
Saw it on the "other" forum. Someone called to ask about it and they said no. Never got any real explanation as to why. |
Posted By: FISHTAIL
Date Posted: 31 Aug 2011 at 9:16am
Very nice. I have a 92GT with a 331, 5 lug 4 wheel disc conversion (13" front, 11.5" rear..same as my old 03 cobra including that cars stock wheels), full exhaust, etc. Still a work in progress though, I've been screwing around restoring it for the last 5-6 years and in the meantime have owned one other supercharged fox, 2 2003 cobra's (the second one was a 2.4kb car), and now a 2011 5.0. It's a sickness..lol. I was on the fence between race craft, griggs, and maximum motorsports, and after talking with a few of the folks that work at various places went with MM. Still not a full setup though, far from it. I'm just getting started there. What do you think of the TwEECer? I was considering getting one for the 92, but when I talked to Lund about tuning it he didn't seem to indicate that he needed it. Still think it would be fun to have though. |
Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 31 Aug 2011 at 10:05am
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Probably no need for the tweecer on an 92.. the OBDI crap on a 94/95 is a whole 'nother deal. Our very first engine mods were a "E" cam and thumper heads.. thing would start, and run too.. as long as you didn't need it to idle, or rev above 3800...lol The tweecer is pretty easy to sort out, do need a dyno and a exhaust sniffer to get the fuel/air mixture right across the whole range. But once it's there.. all is good. Idles and pulls to redline perfectly. We have been seriously tempted by the new 5.0 GT, (and not just for the engine/tranny, but I have to admit, I am finally at a place were turning the key and going, is OK with me. The Mustang lost it's odometer gear last week, it's always some little something with it..) BUT as far as the '10 and on Mustangs.. I think the body is.. well.. just not all that. I don't think you could ever make that rear fascia profile NOT look like it was stole from a Maxima or Camry or something. If I could of had that engine in a '05 -'09... At this time, we are looking (casually) for a '95 SR351.. thinking of building a 427 stroker for it if we find the right one.. We passed on a "R" we could have gotten at a very good price in '95, because we had a full tilt '86 and a very rare Teal '94 GT convertible at the time.. Both gone now.. and, Dang driftin' the heck outa' my own thread.. lol ------------- |
Posted By: FISHTAIL
Date Posted: 31 Aug 2011 at 12:21pm
Well, in my case I could use the tweecer for my injectors. Any MAF that's "calibrated" for injector sizes larger than 24# starts to loose resolution and impact drive ability. Problem is, if my 331 makes the power it's supposed to make (I'm skeptical it will), then 24# injectors aren't going to cut it at 80% duty cycle. I'll need 30 or 36#ers. And I plan on keeping my 24# calibrated MAF. So...in order to do that, I'll need the fuel air tables re-programmed for the new voltage readings. Jon Lund is going to do it for me with a chip now I think, but I've been meaning to ask him if he'd rather I went with a tweecer. It's just been on the back burner while I finished a few other things, which are now done. I'm waiting on my intake to come back from powder coating and then she'll be back on the road again. So what kind of power does your 331 put down to the wheels, and what's your setup? I've got ~10.5:1 static compression with a custom ground cam (and I can't find my cam card to post specs...lol), AFR 185 heads with a 58c chamber, Harland Sharp 1.6 RR's, Scat crank, RPM rods, Probe Pistons, Canton road race pan, SFI balancer, roller bearing timing chain (this was a cool special order Australian piece) and all ARP hardware. Top end is a TFS intake manifold, MSD dizzy, and BBK fuel rails (these were a cosmetic mod). Car sounds nasty as hell, dunno what kind of power it'll make though. Originally started this build with the intention of open tracking it, but now that I see so few clean fox mustangs on the road I decided to scrap that plan and turn it into a clean street car instead..hence why it's taken so long. Regarding the newer mustangs, I agree. I love the front end, but could do without the rear. I hear that 2013 is getting an updated rear fascia though that should solve that problem for you...so you might want to wait. If you haven't driven an '11+ though, do it. I wasn't even in the market for another mustang, I was shopping for a late model M3 when I saw that motor trend comparison. After reading that I went and drove the 11 GT and ended up getting one. One of my favorite options on the car is the glass roof, that thing is awesome. And the car itself is a blast to drive, especially after I swapped the springs/shocks out for a steeda/koni setup. Get's pretty decent gas milage too. Go try one... Good luck on the SR351, not many of those to go around. I've got a buddy with a supercharged 95 R, not sure if he'd be willing to sell though. I'd still like to get a teal 93 cobra, I really like those things for some reason. |
Posted By: TerryM
Date Posted: 31 Aug 2011 at 5:01pm
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Mustang + R-Pod = interesting! Not on topic, but interesting. Terry ------------- RP-175 W/Lift Kit 2011 Ford F-150 4X4 Saint Augustine, FL: The first permanent European settlement in the USA: 1565 |
Posted By: FISHTAIL
Date Posted: 31 Aug 2011 at 5:55pm
| Yeah a little bit of thread derailment does the heart good now and then. Especially when it's car related :) |
Posted By: Goose
Date Posted: 31 Aug 2011 at 8:29pm
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Well furpod I have to through in my 2 cents. The job looks GREAT and I am sure that it is something that should be standard equipment, but the addition of the awning now increases the overall widith of the POD from 78 inches to 78 inches plus what the awning sticks out. This puts the trailer in a different DOT lighting class. Trailers 80 inches and greater require front amber marker lights on the top front corners, red marker lights on the rear side top corners and three red identification lights in the middle of the trailer on the same plain as the top corner lights. Forest River knows this and I am sure that in order to keep expenses down they don't offer the options. I hate to rain on your parade when I know the feeling of finishing a MOD that really makes sense, looks good and works well. Are you going to get pulled over by an officer of the law and have the trailer measured, it could happen if an officer is looking for that sort of thing. Will it happen, no one can say. I have thought of doing a couple of MOD's that would increase the width of ours but I am sitting on the fence because of the lights and the fact that we travel across the country. Great job...... Goose ------------- Mother Goose's Caboose..2011 RP171..07 Grand Cherokee 
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Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 31 Aug 2011 at 9:23pm
REALLY?? how do they figure the width of the trailer?? The awning in no way shape or form makes the trailer wider than it was. The fenders stick out 10 inches on both sides already. In fact, if "accessories" count (and somehow fenders wheels and tires don't), it's already wider than 80 inches if you count the fact that the bare body is over 77", the collapsible porch rail sticks out 3+ inches on one side when folded and the steps about that when folded and slide extends an inch or better even when "in" on the opposite side... don't even ask me about the door stop or porch light.. Any "officer" that needs that bit of excitement in his day is free to stop me and give me a fix it ticket. ------------- |
Posted By: Goose
Date Posted: 31 Aug 2011 at 11:40pm
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I did not write the rules, I just have to know them and abid my them. They are measuring the width of the trailer, that means the box on top of the axle and all attachments. No trailer can be wider than 102 inches including the width of the axles without an over width permit and the only exception is for saftey devices such as marker lights. I did forget about the amber and red lights that also would have to be added to the fenders on the POD, amber in front to the outside and red on the rear of the fender to the outside. I did not mean to upset you only to inform you on the regulations here in the US and why the PODS don't have all of the marker lights that you see on other trailers. As far as the nit-picky things that you can be stopped for, there was a post on here a while back about someone that got stopped in Utah because the fenders did not cover enough of the tires because the trailer had axle risers. Goose ------------- Mother Goose's Caboose..2011 RP171..07 Grand Cherokee
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Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 01 Sep 2011 at 8:16am
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You didn't upset me. Your post just doesn't add up to me. As I said, If they measure the "box" then as delivered, the Pod with slide is about 78 1/4", If they measure all accessories and protuberances, (again, somehow skipping the fenders/wheels/tires), the trailer is still OVER 80" as delivered. So every Pod out there is wrong from the get go. I am sure there are plenty of people who worry over stuff like this, but honestly, I don't. ------------- |
Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 01 Sep 2011 at 9:00am
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There is a recall in effect for Canada to install new marker lights on the fenders and high-center on the rear on older 'pods, so it would seem (at least in Canada) that its the total width including the axle that counts. Height must also come into play because many popups are far wider than the 'pods yet they don't have any extra marker lights, just the 4 corners. ------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual
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Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 24 Aug 2013 at 11:53am
To revisit this.. because I asked the factory directly when we were there a couple weeks ago.. Here is the deal.. Most of the time, they mount the awning to the FACE of the slide. The factory puts a "backer" in that spot to support the mounting brackets. The only slides that FR doesn't do a backer on is.. you guessed it, the Pods. In my case.. it never occurred to me that there would be a backer from the factory, so I attached to the actual framing of the slide. A FR rep said it looked great and will be fine. In fact the implication was that it was possibly better than the ones put into the backer plate.. SO.. if anyone stumbles across this and wants to do it, this is the not approved or recommended by the factory way to do it right. (or at least a field engineered way to do it safely) LOL ------------- |
Posted By: 3ofUs
Date Posted: 12 Aug 2014 at 9:01am
| Just noticed this track after a year. :( Where did you order the Carefree? I'm thinking this is a permanent roll-up type like on our previous owned motor homes. |
Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 12 Aug 2014 at 1:02pm
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Ordered from pplmotorhomes.com out of Texas. Have ordered from them several times, very happy with them.
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Posted By: 3ofUs
Date Posted: 12 Aug 2014 at 10:48pm
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Just looking for something simple, no major mod that someone else has to do. In the meantime, my Wal-Mart sunshades on my windows will work, although it sure makes it dark inside. :(
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Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 13 Aug 2014 at 9:27am
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Well.. this isn't for shade, it's to protect the slide from debris and rain/snow/etc. Wasn't a hard instal, but took some thinking and planning, and a little basic tool use/knowledge. I don't believe I have ever seen any kind of regular shade awning put on that side of a TT.
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Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 13 Aug 2014 at 2:42pm
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It wouldn't be a bad idea to get more of the pod in the shade, especially if you were boondocking. And give you more room under cover. Although it might just be easier to string a big tarp above the whole thing. I've seen that done many times for popups. A bit "redneck", but functional. ------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual
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Posted By: Marx
Date Posted: 14 Aug 2014 at 8:45pm
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Our model has the attachment ready for it, we just have to purchase. I think that I'm probably going to pick one up for it in the future.
------------- 2014 R-POD 177 |