Here are easy methods to replace the canvas on your Pop-Up camper at home. We have also added the cost of this process along with the required tools.
How to Replace Canvas on Pop-Up Camper? Replace the canvas on a pop-up camper with high-quality tools. Consult with the professionals for a well-reputed canvas. The process of replacement is a part of the industry since 1974. Remove the bolts, and remove the old canvas, place the new canvas, adjust its edges, secure it with stripes and bolts on the pop-up camper.
How to Replace Canvas on Pop-Up Camper?
Canvas on the pop-up camper can be damaged due to various reasons. Many people try to replace it without any knowledge and it can cause more damage.
Tools required
- New shade
- Screwdriver
- New bolts
- Drill machine
- Tape
- Thread (optional for direction)
Lose all the bolts
The first step is to lose all the bolts of the already existing canvas. The direction is up to you, and use a screwdriver of accurate size. Use multiple screwdrivers in terms of bolt size. Always follow the anti-clockwise.
The unscrewing is always the opposite of tightening. Locate all the apparent and hidden screws by reading the manual.
Identify and make them with a non-permanent marker. It prevents the excessive consumption of time.
Follow the pattern and move one by one. Lose the bolts appropriately without leaving any of them on the body of the pop-up camper.
Few of them contain rust and corrosion. These bolts are difficult to open. Apply extra force with the help of a friend.
Remove corrosive texture with technical methods. The cleaning reduces the rigidness of bolts. Lose them with screw devices and rotate with fingers.
Collect them aside if you want to use them again. Assign them numbers according to the name or marks of holes on the camper.
Remove old canvas
Removal of the canvas is a tricky process. It requires professional insight into the camper and its internal structure. Look inside the camper’s body and find the connecting edges.
A canvas settles with the bracket, and it is a rigid connection. The connecting tools are metallic naturally, and they remain bounded with the walls of the camper.
The clamps and other metal clips allow the maximum adjustment with the inner side of the walls. They provide a lot of strength to be in their original state. The security enhances due to the clamps on it.
The attachment allows flexibility, and the system becomes rigid than ever. Removal of clamps is essential in the detachment of it from the whole camper. Remove them one by one by splitting the screws from the holes.
Detach the whole canvas structure and put it aside. Discard the metallic body, or you can also sell it to a workshop.
Gather all relevant parts
The canvas of a camper is not a complete structure. Multiple parts join with each other and make a whole piece of equipment.
These parts include the metallic tools for the bed area. It is a stable and setting surface, and two metallic pieces join together to make its bed. The door side area also requires two to three parts.
They are usually two in number, and they cover the entrance area of the canvas. In some situations, the door side area is moveable.
The rigidness depends on the quality of the material. One metallic part covers the backside area.
All of these things join together, and they shape such equipment. The size of these portions depends on the size of your camper. Purchase high-quality products because it is a bit expensive investment.
-
Settle the new canvas
Select an appropriate position where you perform the installation process. Read the manual and follow all the possible instructions.
Take the help of a friend or bring the camper to a mechanic. There are the least chances of errors when you prefer professional skills. If you want to install it on your pop-up camper at home, then follow the guidelines step by step,
- Take the camper to a garage or any other working place.
- You cannot install a crowded public place.
- Park the vehicle on a stable surface.
- Avoid the bumps and height variation, and it makes the installation difficult.
- Join all the parts to make a visionary plan.
- Never join them with screws and take an idea about the settlement.
- Start the process with the bed area.
- Multiple rods help in pulling the structure on the pop-up camper.
- The rods are metallic or plastic naturally.
- Settle these rods in the side portions of the camper’s upper body.
- There are panels of metal that allow free movement of rods.
- Push the rods in these panels for protection.
- The panel area lies over the surface of the bed.
- Settle them with maximum force and allow a rigid structure to stay in a firm position.
- Adjust the backside area with the bed portion. It is a small metallic portion but requires expert skills. Adjust it with the bedside portion. Settle them with new screws, and tighten them with a screwdriver.
- Settle the door area with clamps so it can move with flexibility.
- Adjust the four to five parts together and check their adherence.
Adjust the edges
The edges of the shade should adjust inside the body of your camper. The edges have several screws and holes. Use screwdrivers according to the size of the shade. Push the edge towards the relevant opening.
Tight all the screws with maxim force. Always complete the process with care and control. There is no need to tuck all the edges at once. Take your time and handle the camper carefully.
Settle the edges in their specific places. Move the canvas to check the flexibility. If the structure moves with a slight touch, and it directs that the installation is inappropriate.
Invest your time and energy and read the manual for help. Move from one corner of the canvas to another corner. The flat screwdrivers are one of the best tools in this step.
They are specific with a design that pushes the edges into their place. The adherence becomes rigid than ever. Work on the top and bottom sides of the shade as well.
The stability of the metallic structure is essential on the top area of the vehicle. Carry out the process in terms of body and internal processing. Never use the same method for all models and types of campers.
Tight all bolts
It is a leading step to the end of replacement. Use wrenches for accurate force and super control. Tighten all the bolts from start to end.
Move from the door side area because it is a support system of the canvas. Adjust the bolts with force and skills. In those circumstances, when the bolts are not adjusting in the holes, replace them.
Never push them with push to make the canvas rigid. Changing the bolts with new ones allows protection from damage and sudden drop.
Push the rods of the bed area in the specific edges. Make a new opening with a drill machine in some situations.
These holes can settle numerous screws in them. The level of protection increases more than casual.
Never leave a single screw without tightening. You cannot consider any part of it as a weak point. All of them join together and make a whole structure.
Secure the canvas
Secure it on the upper side of the camper, and it is one of the essential steps. It is impossible to install the structure over a camper with security. Add extra clamps and screws to handle the system.
Never leave it without adding proper security to the area. Check the door side of the canvas and repair every issue.
The insecure structure of the channel leads to water leakage inside the camper. It is a stressful condition because repairing cost is heavy on the budget.
Use a zip strap all over the parts of the installed device. Tie them together for better adherence and control.
The equipment remains in stable condition on the jumps and un-stable roads. Few vehicles have Velcro in the upper structure. Follow the Velcro mechanism and tuck all the edges in their relevant panels.
Why would replace the Canvas on a Pop-Up Camper?
Here are the main reasons why people replace the canvas on their pop-up campers.
Dirty canvas
The replacement of canvas over a mobile home is a necessary step. The dirty surface of the shade leads to repair and replacing strategies.
Few people leave this area for long times. The weather conditions and exposure to sunlight cause damage to external surfaces. It starts shredding, and the paint becomes vulnerable.
The dewdrops and rainwater lead to the accumulation of grease on the top surface, and the sticky particles penetrate inside and the whole vehicle appears filthy.
The paint and structure of the canvas are a directive signal for other drivers about its presence. The dirty shades do not offer proper guidance, and it leads to accidents. Changing a shaded part with a brand new tent is one of the best things.
Use detergent and cleaners to remove the dirt and grease. When it becomes impossible to clean the tarp, change it immediately. It helps to get the maximum support and benefits of a mobile home.
Breakage due to sun exposure
The constant striking of sunlight on the upper surface of the mobile home leads to damages. The body melts due to heat and collision.
Change it immediately when you find out such problems. They require immediate solutions or lead to irreversible damages.
They are hot, and it is deadly for the passengers and drivers. These accidents are hazardous, and you should take preventive measures.
Cover the shaded area with a plastic sheet. Never allow sunlight exposure for more than three hours. Park it under a shelter, and protect it from environmental changes.
Vinyl damage
The vinyl damage of the shade occurs due to moisture accumulation. People cover their vehicles right after a rain.
The moisture stays on the surface; it irritates the layer of vinyl on the top area.
It shreds and damages with time. The moisture keeps on damaging it until it is off. Never cover the top area when there is water or even droplets over it.
Use a drying machine to reduce the moisture in an emergency. On casual days, remove the covering sheet and allow natural drying under sun rays.
Never bring the drying nozzle near the shade’s body. The warmth of the drying device meets the tip surface. It is another issue that causes a change in the shade.
In the absence of vinyl, the layer changes the structure immediately. The top device is useless without this layer. The protection becomes vulnerable in such situations.
Broken parts
The whole structure never breaks simultaneously. Sometimes one part breaks from the body. The door area is flexible, but it remains in more use than any other section.
The backside door side breaks by losing the clamps and moving power. The edges become weak, and suddenly they breakdown.
The process continues if you do not consider it. Change the relevant part of the whole body. You can replace the broken section, but it consumes more time and effort.
The irreverent door devices do not fit and mix with the setup. It results in disasters for the mobile home.
Cost of process
It is an expensive procedure and a once-in-a-lifetime investment. The average cost to replace the canvas on a pop-up camper is approximately $1500 – $2000. When you take professional help, and the price increase up to more than $350 – $500
Related Articles:
Can you paint Canvas on a Pop-Up Camper?
Can you move a pop-up camper by hand?
Can you open a pop-up camper easily?
Why are campers always white in color?