Replacement Wind Out Awning Help

[Chriswoody]

Well I'm not a terribly happy bunny tonight. At the weekend we were in Wolfsburg when I noticed a pool of brake fluid under the rear wheel. Turns out the calliper had sprung a leak. So we borrowed the brother in law's car and came home in that and left the ADAC to tow the van to a VW dealer in Wolfsburg. Tuesday I get a phone call from my father in law to say that the garage has sheepishly called to say the've bumped the casing of the wind out awning and broken a piece off.

A little peeved, but no major drama. Anyway Father in Law picks up the van, knowing nothing about wind out awnings, so thinks all is well. This afternoon he brings it back and I take a look. Broken plastic bit my backside! The've rammed the awning into something and completely smashed the plastic casings either end as well as buckled the aluminium casing along the length. The mounting screws are visibly bent backwards, testament to the hit it's taken.

Now I could possibly replace all of the broken bits, but it's a big job and maybe there's more damage I'm unaware of, or I replace all of it. I'm more inclined to replace the awning. Now which ever option I go for, that garage is footing the bill, no matter what.

Now after that rambling start the question is what do I look at buying? The existing awning is a Fiamma F45 Plus 280cm. Now sod's law, it appears to be no longer made. On Fiamma's website they do F45s awnings for a T5 and 6 in 260cm, which will be fine, but will they fit the brackets on my T4? @sidepod I know you recently fitted an awning to yours, but I can't find the thread, which awning did you fit?

Thanks in advance for any help here.

 

[Meoncoast]

surely the garage should fix at their cost if they damaged it.

 

[Chriswoody]

Anything I do will be at their cost, however, I think fixing the amount of damage caused will not be the best idea. However I will look at possible repair costs.

I also need to research the correct replacement awning, and then present them with the cost and a demand to pay.

We're about to embark on a four week tour in three weeks time so I need to get moving on this ASAP, because we'll need the awning for that.

 

[sidepod]

https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/threads/awning-brackets.17334/page-2#post-202097

Bad news there Chris. Thank folk it's only the awning and not bodywork.

I fitted the F45S 260cm long.
All you should need to do is remove the old awning from the brackets and hook on the new one.

Alarmingly easy to do. Just a few small screws through the bottom of the brackets up into the inside of the awning casing. Once out, the awning pivots up and towards you and unhook from the top edge of the brackets. Install is the reverse.

S.

 

[Chriswoody]

Thanks sidepod, that's reassuring. I thought the F45s would do. Looking at the close up picture of the brackets in your post, there exactly the same as mine, only I don't have the spacers.

So phone call to the dealer tomorrow and see what they have to say.

As you said, thank folk they missed the body, but quite what they did do is a mystery. Looking at the mounting bolts in the casing, they are canted forward at an angle, which suggests a fair hefty wack from the back has shoved the whole thing forward. Idiots.

 

[sidepod]

You say you don't have the spacers?

How many brackets do you have, two or three?

I instalked mine exactly as per the Westy installation PDF here

http://www.westfaliat4.info/1992CaliforniaSunAwningMountingInstructionsWM.pdf

This was also exactly as it was on my previous van.
The spacers only fit at the front and rear, not the middle bracket.

S.

 

[Chriswoody]

That's interesting, I've only got the two brackets, front and rear, minus the spacers you have. Looking at Fiamma's website I appear to have their recommended set up for a F45 awning on a T4.

Westfalia run contrary to this and recommend a third bracket and spacers on the outside ones to lift it further from the body. I wonder if this is because of the pop top?

I've never actually had a problem with the set up though. It's all nice and sturdy and doesn't foul the roof or any part of the body work. I presume my set up must have been done after purchase and not actually fitted by Westfalia at point of sale.

 

[sidepod]

I guess Westy being Westy just like to make sure anything they build can withstand a direct hit from an anti-tank round.

The spacers are outboard of the brackets so don't affect the pop top at all.
They're simply there to align all three bracket faces. Due to the slight lengthways curvature of the van side, it's impossible to get all three aligned.

Reading stuff T5 owners have posted, some feel their twin bracket setup lacks stiffness. I've never had an issue with stiffness - oooerrrr Mrs!

If you haven't already got them, I'd recommend fitting the leg brackets to the van side. (They come with the awning).

 

[Chriswoody]

Well we spoke to the dealer today and there quite apologetic and willing to chat about compensation. We just need to pop in next Thursday and explain the damage. Their 50km away in Wolfsburg, so we can't find the time to do it before then. Hopefully they'll agree with me that it ultimately needs replacing at their cost.

I've also spoken to a really good camper van dealer nearby, who stock a wide range a accessories and they've said they can have a new F45s delivered within a week as soon as we order. So let's see what transpires.

Sidepod, I think I'll stick with the Fiamma brackets for now, being as I've had no problems with my old arrangement, but it's good to know I can upgrade if need be. I'll also look at fitting those foot brackets, if as you say, they come with the new awning.

Just one last question, does the F45s have a channel on the front of the casing for the kador strip and is it 4mm diameter, like my existing one?

 

[sidepod]

Just one last question, does the F45s have a channel on the front of the casing for the kador strip and is it 4mm diameter, like my existing one?

Confirm.