1)One person climbs the ladder with the folded awning weight supported on their shoulder.
2) Another helper on the ground to pull the cord.
3)The fabric covered part of the cord is what feeds into the rail. It needs to be a tight fit or the first wind or rain will pull it out through the slit.
4)The pull cord with the tassel dangles forward through the slit in the rail. You may need to twist the cord tightly to narrow it, so it will fit through the slit in the rail.
5)You may need to very slightly widen the circular opening to the awning rail, to get the fabric covered cord started. The fabric is folded over for about an inch, making it a tiny bit thicker.Once you get it started, it should pull easily. So it is just the fabric covered cord that you feed into the channel, with the rest of the cord dangling forward through the slit. Slide it along as far as you can before the other person pulls the cord.
6) I should have said to clean out the awning rail before starting, and you can also spray Blaster Dry Lubricant into the channel if necessary. Dirt, and debris, can keep the awning from sliding along the awning rail. We had nuts, from squirrels, clog ours up last year! A test tube brush works great.
7)The person on the ladder lifts the weight and guides the fabric into the channel, while the other person pulls the cord. Unfold-pull-unfold pull-about a foot at a time, lifting and guiding. You get the hang of it and it actually goes up quickly.
8)Have the adjustable height tent poles extended and set out on the ground approximately where the grommets will be. Have a tent stake and tie down line already there with a hammer.
9)I would add springs to the tie down line for extra tension and easier set up.
10)The whole set up should take less than 10 minutes.
11)Have the tie down lines angle off the corners, not straight forward or out to the side. That will give better lift underneath.
12) To slide it back out of the rail, you generally don't need a helper or even a ladder. However, I have found that if I do climb the ladder, I can fold it as I am taking it off the rail. But if it is wet and you need to pack up quickly, just slide it off and clean and dry it when you get home. We hang ours off of our back porch railing, when we get caught in a rain storm on check out day!
Copy-Paste-Print and keep with the awning in a clear plastic bag. You can refer to it at set up time.
If you have more questions, just email me for more instructions. Kristi dfoster@bellsouth.net
Attach a line to the pull cord and use a pulley system to set up an awning when camping alone.
https://vintageawnings.blogspot.com/2012/09/how-to-set-up-vintage-trailer-awning.html
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