Have you needed to replace/repair your wind out awning fabric because of the 'weld'?

[Baldrick]

Our late 2016 Ocean wind out awning has just split along the fabric weld. Having just provisionally been told by the service team at our local VW that they only replace the entire awning unit rather than just the fabric, I would be very grateful to hear how many of you have/had a wind out awning - with a seam - and whether or not you have needed to replace it? This would really help get some ammunition for my subsequent discussion with them.
Thank you!

 

[WelshGas]

Our late 2016 Ocean wind out awning has just split along the fabric weld. Having just provisionally been told by the service team at our local VW that they only replace the entire awning unit rather than just the fabric, I would be very grateful to hear how many of you have/had a wind out awning - with a seam - and whether or not you have needed to replace it? This would really help get some ammunition for my subsequent discussion with them.
Thank you!

VW will only replace the whole awning, whether within or outside the warranty period.
Rose Awnings will supply spare parts and may be able to give information on companies who can fit. But it won't be VW Dealerships.

Spare Parts | Pg.1 | Caravan & Motorhome Spares | Rose Awnings

Browse through our wide range of spare parts including van, motorhome and caravan spares.

www.roseawnings.co.uk

 

[Baldrick]

Many thanks WelshGas. Very much appreciated. I’ll take a look. I’ve seen that the Club shop also do the individual parts.

Ideally, I was hopeful of a deluge of confirmations that this happens to most/a lot of ‘Vans awnings, with a seemingly idiotically placed weld. There looks to be a lot of discussion over that period of time and multiple replacements for some.

 

[ArunAlec]

Many thanks WelshGas. Very much appreciated. I’ll take a look. I’ve seen that the Club shop also do the individual parts.

Ideally, I was hopeful of a deluge of confirmations that this happens to most/a lot of ‘Vans awnings, with a seemingly idiotically placed weld. There looks to be a lot of discussion over that period of time and multiple replacements for some.

If you do a search for, eg, “awning split” there are quite a few posts from people who have suffered the split. It seems to have been a problem triggered by hot weather which caused the weld to fail.
A domestic awning company may be worth a try.

 

[Marc Oldman]

Yes, had the same issue. Manufacturer warranty was out, but I had a 1 year used warranty on mine. They said this wasn’t covered, but after negotiation replaced the whole item under goodwill (ie as I was a good customer) if I paid 10% of the cost. Informed me that because I was making a small contribution myself that the part would get a new warranty on it, which it’d not have had I not contributed.

 

[iamchucky]

Our 2016 Oceans awning also split down the seam, this was in 2018 and VW replaced the entire awning under warranty with the newer 'seamless' one.

 

[WelshGas]

Many thanks WelshGas. Very much appreciated. I’ll take a look. I’ve seen that the Club shop also do the individual parts.

Ideally, I was hopeful of a deluge of confirmations that this happens to most/a lot of ‘Vans awnings, with a seemingly idiotically placed weld. There looks to be a lot of discussion over that period of time and multiple replacements for some.

My 2014 Awning with join in fabric is still in 1 piece despite 38c + temperatures in Italy.

 

[rpevans99]

Mine split along the weld just two weeks ago. 2017 California.

Having read a number of threads it seems possible to replace with a new one-piece fabric with no welds. I'll check out Rose Awnings.

 

[acer]

Many thanks WelshGas. Very much appreciated. I’ll take a look. I’ve seen that the Club shop also do the individual parts.

Ideally, I was hopeful of a deluge of confirmations that this happens to most/a lot of ‘Vans awnings, with a seemingly idiotically placed weld. There looks to be a lot of discussion over that period of time and multiple replacements for some.

Maybe not the deluge you were hoping for, but +1 here.

A minor tear about 3 years ago was repaired with superglue and duct tape. I returned to van to find whole seam fallen apart when on holiday in south of France this year.

Have you replaced the whole cassette or just the fabric? / Done something else? Obviously very interested here.

 

[Shadrack]

Our late 2016 Ocean wind out awning has just split along the fabric weld. Having just provisionally been told by the service team at our local VW that they only replace the entire awning unit rather than just the fabric, I would be very grateful to hear how many of you have/had a wind out awning - with a seam - and whether or not you have needed to replace it? This would really help get some ammunition for my subsequent discussion with them.
Thank you!

my 2016 split on a hot summers day few years back. Whole unit swapped out under warranty
replacement was just one piece of fabric with no welded seam.

 

[Amarillo]

I’m considering a replacement of our awning fabric and a custom redesign of side panels which would extend the usable space of the Safari room using an open driver’s door and open tailgate.

 

[Baldrick]

Sorry to hear that Acer.

Indeed it only takes a couple of well intentioned 'assists' for a simple question to go sideways - interesting that it didn't make the weekend list - without which it just drops down list list under a tonne of excited new Vanners - who knows why...

Anyway, after the young girl at VW cheerfully estimated £1500 for something they should take ownership for, I took a step sideways as we needed it asap* The Club Shop supplied a replacement fabric for £300 albeit a thinner 'weight'.
Replacing the fabric is quite straightforward, provided you have a few pairs of hands for an hour (three, ideally four people) and take photo's of every piece as it's removed, if you drop anything highlight it as possibly needing switching round.

It may assist to have a big piece of cardboard which you can cut & push each piece removed into / draw the shape / direction of every part and spacer as you take it out perhaps you won't spend an hour trying to put back something with a spacer the wrong way round as I did.

n.b. Slower free postage option isn't available on this oversized package - although the website doesn't show that.

* if anyone else sees this thread who's had the ridiculous weld break on their awning please add some weight to all of our subsequent discussions

 

[Baldrick]

I’m considering a replacement of our awning fabric and a custom redesign of side panels which would extend the usable space of the Safari room using an open driver’s door and open tailgate.

I'd like to see a pic of the finished article. The safari room is certainly the best solution for us, for a few days away, so much more space yet take up so little in the boot.

 

[Cali4nia-Dream]

We also have a late 2016 Ocean, the awning started to split summer 17, whole unit replaced under warranty with a seamless one. We were given some feeble excuse that they couldn't make the fabric wide enough for it in one piece, but if you looked at both Thule and Omnistor catalogues at that time they all listed awnings much bigger without seams. We also pointed out that our old van had a bigger seamfree awning.
The new awning has been fine, but if you wind it out too far the arms lock and the fabric continues to wind out and goes loose.

 

[Amarillo]

I'd like to see a pic of the finished article. The safari room is certainly the best solution for us, for a few days away, so much more space yet take up so little in the boot.

I’ve just returned from a three week tour of England Wales Ireland Northern Ireland and Scotland .

It was just me and my two boys (ages 7 and 8), they slept on an extended rear parcel shelf, and I slept in the roof tent. All I took with us was Outwell’s front panel and two side panels.

I have the front arm moved fully forward, but with the front support leg almost fully extended the front door clears the arm and fully opens.

So I think that the open front door can be used as an additional support for a side panel, and a side panel tailored to create extra space at the front an awning room.

Similarly, at the rear, a side panel tailored to use the open tailgate to extend an awning room at the rear. For further support, a spar might be needed, sitting across the two awning arms.

I need to try to mock something up using cheap plastic sheeting to see how practical the idea might be, but an awning room extending all the way from the back of an open tailgate to the open front door would create a very useful covered space.

 

[Baldrick]

We also have a late 2016 Ocean, the awning started to split summer 17, whole unit replaced under warranty with a seamless one. We were given some feeble excuse that they couldn't make the fabric wide enough for it in one piece, but if you looked at both Thule and Omnistor catalogues at that time they all listed awnings much bigger without seams. We also pointed out that our old van had a bigger seamfree awning.
The new awning has been fine, but if you wind it out too far the arms lock and the fabric continues to wind out and goes loose.

Two good points, thank you

 

[kave]

Ours split this summer in Italy. Van is from 2016. Will try to glue it first or hand it over to a saddle maker.

 

[Baldrick]

Ours split this summer in Italy. Van is from 2016. Will try to glue it first or hand it over to a saddle maker.

Sorry to hear that. I read on here that 2016 was a year where Thule particularly struggled with quality welds. Hope you get a good, working, result, there’s also reference to people using sail makers although I’m not sure how far you are from the coast

 

[kave]

Well, it has lasted six years, at least four inlcuding this summer in the warmth of france and italy. So I guess we should be lucky. On the other hand, it would have been better if it broke under warranty.

 

[Ozzy Pete]

The Thule interpretation of a “Weld” and the public interpretation is not the same. A weld is where the 2 pieces are actually fused together and cannot physically come apart without destroying them. These are actually glued together and when very hot the glue can go soft and the two pieces come apart leaving the stringy glue stuck to one side only or dangling in mid air.

 

[Bellcrew]

Our late 2016 Ocean wind out awning has just split along the fabric weld. Having just provisionally been told by the service team at our local VW that they only replace the entire awning unit rather than just the fabric, I would be very grateful to hear how many of you have/had a wind out awning - with a seam - and whether or not you have needed to replace it? This would really help get some ammunition for my subsequent discussion with them.
Thank you!

The join on our 2016 Cali awning failed after 4 years, replaced under the extended warranty we took out when the van was new, VW Totton had seen a few such cases and were totally cool about it.

 

[Ozzy Pete]

Ours (2016) split whilst on a short break in Anglesey 2 weeks ago. Nightmare! Green Flag helped me secure the awning so that I could drive home. After reading this and other threads I am really hacked off that VW appear to be washing their hands of what is obviously a known issue. I’m going to take it up legally with them but not confident of any positive outcome. In fact, all in all, despite loving my van, I’d never buy another one or recommend a purchase. There’s just too many issues around quality of build, fixtures and fittings to justify the cost of purchase and ownership.

Ours split after 3 1/2 years. Took it up with VW who at first absolutely refused to do anything. After a few months of negotiations I managed to get a Third for VW Third for the Dealer and a third for Me. In all it came to £250 each. Of coarse in reality it cost VW nothing because of their manufacturers discount with Thule.
But for us it was a brand new awning (with one piece fabric). Had to be a no brainer.
I can tell for sure that going down the legal route is a complete waste of time effort and money as you won’t get anywhere.

 

[Bluebird]

Ours split last year. Stuck it back together with stormsure and it’s holding for the moment.

 

[Ozzy Pete]

Ours split last year. Stuck it back together with stormsure and it’s holding for the moment.

Stormsure is probably one of the best adhesives For sticking it back together. I did a repair using that and would have been quite happy with it if we weren’t offered a replacement awning.

 

[Paul Davis]

Our late 2016 Ocean wind out awning has just split along the fabric weld. Having just provisionally been told by the service team at our local VW that they only replace the entire awning unit rather than just the fabric, I would be very grateful to hear how many of you have/had a wind out awning - with a seam - and whether or not you have needed to replace it? This would really help get some ammunition for my subsequent discussion with them.
Thank you!

Ours split while in France a couple of weeks ago. 38 degrees and the heat must have softened the glue as the whole seam came apart. It was a bit of an effort to wind it all back in especially with the tension in the arms. Eventually managed to tape the awning closed but now not sure on best next steps. Was going to try and get new fabric but having read some replies here, may try VW first. Mines a 2016 Beach so out of warranty.