Pack with disaster in mind. A little preplanning can alleviate the stress of dealing with an unexpected accident. Realize that crossbar awning repairs are designed to be temporary fixes and that the tools necessary are common household items that can be found around the house or already in the camping supply box.
Wrap duct tape around the broken crossbar to prevent injury from ragged edges.
Cut a piece of PVC pipe or 1-by-1 slat of wood to a length of 36 inches. This piece will be used as a splint to brace the broken crossbar and can be removed when the camping trip is over and the awning is put away. Find the center point of the splint and mark it with a permanent marker.
Place the splint against the broken crossbar, with the center point of the splint against the break of the crossbar. Holding the crossbar together against the splint, wrap the crossbar and the splint in duct tape. Begin at one end of the splint and wrap the duct tape tightly around the splint and crossbar in an overlapping motion so that the splint and crossbar are completely covered in duct tape. For additional strength, wrap the splint and crossbar a second time, beginning at the opposite end and overlapping the tape again from one end to the other. This should provide enough stability to operate the awning in normal weather until you can get to an RV repair shop or order a replacement crossbar.
Remove the duct tape and splint from the crossbar before retracting or closing the awning. Be careful when handling the broken crossbar to avoid injury from any rough edges or if the awning side rail shifts unexpectedly.
Close the awning as you would under normal operation. Lock the awning side rails in place and screw the tension knobs down tight. Visit an RV or awning repair shop as soon as possible to replace the crossbar, fixing the problem permanently.
