Do Awning Arms Need To Be Secured To The Wall Framing?

Question:

I am interested in installing a Solera awning on my dining room slideout 2016 Prime Time Crusader. Do the vertical arms that are secured to the trailer need to be secured where there is a frame directly behind the outer wall? Or can the vertical arms be secured to the outer fiberglass wall at a location where there is no frame directly behind the mount location? Thanks

asked by: Trinidad M

Expert Reply:

When installing an awning like the Solera Smart Arm 12V Power RV Awning # LC517486, the arms will be secured to the wall framing. When the awning extends there will be quite a bit of leverage, so it is important to mount the awning to an area where there is support behind the wall.

That said, awnings are mainly supported by the framing at the top of the RV, so it isn't crucial to have the arms line up with vertical studs. The top part of the arms will be secured to the top framing and then the lower parts of the arms are essentially used to stabilize the awning. It is really just a matter of measuring where you want the awning to go and making sure you have adequate room. It may be possible to place the arms directly over the vertical wall studs, but it is not necessarily required. You could use a stud finder to get a really good idea of what size awning will fit with the stud placement/spacing.

expert reply by: Jesse M