Most recreational vehicles are equipped with or have provisions for some sort of awning. Awnings provide shade for the RV user or for parts of the RV itself. There are two major awning brands for RVs, Dometic/A&E and Carefree. These awning manufacturers make many different kinds of awnings. The most common are manual awnings, power awnings, bag awnings, slide-out awnings & window awnings. With proper maintenance and care awnings can make RVing more enjoyable.

The awning most RVers are familiar with is the manual awning. This awning is permanently mounted to the side of the RV and rolls up for travel. There are three main components to the manual awning- the fabric, roller tube and hardware. The fabric is the material that
provides the shade for the RVer. Fabric is usually of vinyl or acrylic based material. Most awning fabric spreads eight feet outwards and is between eight and twenty-five feet in length. The roller tube is the metal tube that rolls out with the fabric when in use. Tension is applied to this tube with the hardware so that the fabric rolls straight in and out with ease. Finally the hardware is the metal arms (or commonly referred to as legs) attached to the side of the unit that allow the awning to angle and extend. Hardware for Carefree awnings is brand specific and generally requires a model number for replacement. Ordering hardware for Dometic awnings require a length, shape, and color with the exception of fabric over twenty feet which requires an extra arm for support. Manual awnings require a bit of knowledge to operate; however are quite simple to use once taught.

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