Our Airstream’s original patio awning served us well. For twenty-one years, and especially the last ten years, it has provided shade and shielded us from rain. Over the past few years, however, the stitching in the seams started to disintegrate, sun filtered through in some worn spots, and rain penetrated a little more easily.

So, we decided to replace it this year.

Our first idea was to order it directly from Airstream, but since we weren’t planning to have them do the service work to replace it, they weren’t inclined to order it for us.

We contacted Awnings by Zip-Dee in Elk Grove Village, Illinois (outside Chicago). They supply awnings for Airstream and many other RV brands. We were able to order the same color our Airstream has for awnings – solid blue – in the length we needed. The total cost for a 23-ft patio awning was $1,661.00, paid via credit card (yay points!). Carl told them when we would be coming through to pick it up so it would be ready when we arrived. We ordered it about one month before we picked it up.

When we ordered it, we were in St. Clair, Michigan. We had planned to travel north, visit Mackinac Island, and then journey into the Upper Peninsula. Luckily, as full-time RVers, we had plenty of flexibility and could replan and reroute our trip into Indiana and then into Illinois to pick up the awning.

We thought that once we got to Gary, Minnesota, for Carl’s harvest job, we could recruit a couple of guys to help remove the old one and install the new one.

So, how did we transport it? For long-forgotten reasons, our back window didn’t have a screen, so we slid the long cylinder containing our new awning into the back window. It was bulkier than it was heavy. We could move it in and out of the Airstream as needed. And we did need to: when we arrived at our RV park in Wisconsin Dells, then when we stayed at a Harvest Host location in Monticello, Minnesota, and finally when we arrived at our spot in Gary.

We had been in Gary for a few weeks, and Carl had talked with a couple of guys about helping us. The planets aligned one Sunday – he wasn’t working, the weather was sunny and in the low 70s, and we both were inspired to get it done. Carl’s friend couldn’t come over until 3:30, but we both got a bee in our bonnet, so to speak, and started working on the project.

First, Carl removed the arms at either end of the existing awning. Then he had to UNWIND (COUNTERCLOCKWISE) the big roller tube so the awning wouldn’t automatically rewind itself.

Once it was unwound, we removed the awning from the roller tube. It was riveted in, so Carl removed the rivets; the seams ripped apart easily, and we pulled the awning off.

Setting the roller tube aside, Carl climbed a ladder to unscrew the bottom slat cover (there are five total on our Airstream). The bottom slat cover holds one long edge of the awning – it’s crimped in.

When we unscrewed the slat cover, it slid out of another slat cover that stayed on the Airstream. This took just a few minutes.

The new awning already had its own slat cover installed, so we just needed to slip the new slat cover with the awning into the slat cover on the Airstream. Again, we did it in just a couple of minutes.

Next, we slid the roller tube through the correct opening on the new awning, and Carl started reattaching the arm mechanisms.

KEY: We had to REWIND the roller tube CLOCKWISE, so it had enough tension to roll the awning to and from the Airstream.

Once it was rewound, Carl had to screw the awning into the roller tube. We didn’t have the right type of rivets, but fortunately, Carl had previously devised a system using snaps on the roller tube so we could attach a sunscreen. He simply reinstalled the snaps, and they held the new awning securely in place.

He finished reinstalling the arms, and voila! Our new awning was now in place.

It took longer to make sure we had the tools we needed to detach the arms and remove the rivets than it did to complete the project. A couple of times, holding things was awkward or heavier than I wanted, such as holding the roller tube high enough while Carl unwound and rewound the arm. Other than that, everything went smoothly.

Zip-Dee is reportedly starting to offer installation. However, they hadn’t started that when we went to pick up our awning (August 2026). Still, as DIYers, we appreciated the chance to save money by doing it ourselves while learning something new. And to think, we originally planned to recruit a couple of guys to help us! No need!

For other Airstream repairs, see: Rear-End Separation – Repaired! and Giving Our Airstream a Lift…with Dexter Axles