Instruction Manual and Maintenance Tips for your dwt ... - dwt-Zelte

050139_dwt_Au bau_GB 10.10.2005 08:50 Uhr Seite 1 

GB 

Instruction Manual and Maintenance 

Tips for your dwt Awning 

Before the Assembly 

Assembling different types of awnings 

Full- and partial awnings and sun canopies 

Free standing caravan awnings, 

motorcaravan-, bus- and frame tents 

Annexes for caravan awnings 

(awning extension) User information 

Equipment Details 

Care 

User Information


Dear dwt-customer, 

thank you for your trust! 

This leaflet explains step by step the assembly of your awning and offers important care tips to maintain its quality. Please keep it in a safe place! 

Competent specialist production and quality control staff, together with the selected materials, of which some are especially made for dwt, guarantee 

a constant high quality. If you follow our advice, you can enjoy your dwt awning for many years. 

We would like to wish you many relaxing and exciting holidays with your new awning! 

Please make sure that you have ordered the right size 

awning! 

When ordering an awning or sun canopy, you must check 

the awning size of your caravan. Compare your awning 

size with the sizes stated in the prospect and compare 

with the size of the delivered awning. 

Important note! 

Please keep the invoice, guarantee- and service card, pole 

plan and this instruction manual in a safe place. 

These documents identify your awning and are needed 

for inquiries, ordering spare parts or changes.


Before the Assembly 

Good planning is half the battle! 

Please read the instruction manual thoroughly and check that all accessories 

are there. 

� The delivered accessories are designed for normal weather conditions. 

In the case of storm, heavy rain, hail or snow you should use extra 

poles and additional guide lines. For some types of ground you may 

also need special fixing materials like special pegs, ground nails or lines. 

Please ask your specialist supplier, he will be happy to give you advice! 

With the right tools it works! 

Screw driver to fasten the wall-eyelets to the caravan 

Sealing material for the eyelet drilling holes 

Rubber hammer for the pegs 

Sand paper for smoothing the edge of the piping profile 

Piping brush to clean the edge of the piping profile 

Small ladder/stool makes it easier to put the awning on / stretching 

the roof 

Small range of tools (pliers etc.) 

Tape measure or measuring stick 

Trying is better than studying! 

Before you take the first trip with your new awning, we would strongly 

advice that you conduct a trial assembly, so you can get to know the 

technical details and accessories. 

This is how you measure correctly: 

Use a tight cable or string (non flexible!) and make sure that your caravan 

is on a horizontal surface. 

� When you use a raised awning floor and the caravan is on the level of 

the awning floor, you must measure – as described overleaf – from 

the top side of the awning floor surface. 

If the caravan is lower than the upper surface of the awning floor, you 

must measure from the ground. 

Here your awning is in the right place! 

A flat surface, free of stones and sharp objects is ideal. Avoid resin secreting 

or flowering trees – this may damage the awning material. Position the 

entrance on the off weather side and protect your awning from dirt on wet 

ground by using a floor underlay (tarpaulin). 

MEIN ZELT ! 2–3 

GB


Complete Awnings and Sun Canopies 

Determine the awning size 

� Measure, through the caravan edge piping profile, from point A to point B – this is the awning 

size; A and B are the awning tensioning points. 

Fixing the wall eyelets to the caravan 

� BStarting at the front of the vehicle, pull the awning roof in the piping profile until both sides of 

the roof have the same distance from the ground (measured vertically down). 

Approx. 10 cm above the horizontal zip in the side walls left and right, are the points C and D for 

fixing the wall eyelets to the caravan. Now pull the awning roof out of the profile and fix the wall 

eyelets to the caravan. 

Now determine the middle position between C and D (=E). Fix the middle eyelet (F) horizontally 

approx. 2 cm underneath the piping profile 

Partial Awnings 

Determine the awning position 

� Measure, through the caravan edge piping profile, from point A until the point on the vehicle 

� where the awning ends (B). Here is the position of the vertical wall. 

Fix the wall eyelets for a partial awning 

positioned in the middle. 

� Starting at the front of the vehicle, pull the awning roof in the piping profile. The wall eyelets 

(C and D) are fixed approx. 2 cm underneath the piping profile on the side wall, at the rear of 

the pole pocket openings. 

Now pull the roof out, measure the exact middle between C and D and fix the middle eyelet, 

also 2 cm underneath the piping profile (point F) 

� 

� 

� 

� 

� 

A B 

h 

C 

F 

C/D 

= E 

2 

D 

h 

A 

B 

h h 

B 

C F D 

A


Left or right partial awnings 

� Pull the awning roof in the piping profile and start 

at the rear with a left partial awning at the front with a right partial awning 

The wall eyelet fixing point for a partial awning is on the awning side (C), 10 cm above the side roof 

seam. The vertical wall has a pole pocket. Here you can fix a wall eyelet at position (D) on the 

caravan, 2 cm underneath the piping profile. 

� Now measure from eyelet C on the awning side, horizontal as described, to the wall 

eyelet D. fix the middle eyelet exactly in the middle between these points, 2 cm 

underneath the piping profile F. 

from the left for a left partial awning from the right for a right partial awning. 

Our Tip: 

� Seal the drilled holes to keep moisture out. Your specialist supplier will be glad to advice you! 

� A very practical alternative to wall eyelets are the vario-clip elements, that you 

can easily click on to the second roof profile and save you a lot of assembly work. 

The vario-clip elements are 100% stable and reusable. Ask your specialist 

supplier! 

� 

� 

� 

C 

C 

F 

D 

F 

D 

D 

C 


GB


This is How You Assemble Your Awning 

(Complete- and Partial Awnings and Sun Canopies) 

Preparing everything 

� Check that the poles set is complete and lay out all the poles in front of the caravan, as described 

in the pole plan. Fix the screws and pole clamps to the poles; put the vertical poles in the corner 

pieces. Ridge- and gable poles can be pre-assembled, but do not assemble them to the corner 

pieces yet. De-bur the caravan piping profile so that the awning roof can not be damaged. If 

necessary, you can bend open the piping profile a little at the beginning. 

� Lay out the roof, side walls and front wall parts of the awning. Now pull the roof in the piping 

profile, starting at the rear. With awnings that have several parts, the front wall and the side walls 

are pulled in later. 

� Hook the middle ridge pole in the wall eyelet and pass the middle angle piece through the roof 

pole pocket. Connect the middle angle piece and ridge pole and slide the bottom part of the 

middle angle piece out. Now you can easily assembly the rest. 

� Repeat the same procedure with one of the corners and connect to the middle angle piece. This 

way the awning is more stable. 

� Fit the other corner and connect this also to the middle angle piece. 

� Pull in the front wall first and then the side walls. The roof can be tensioned later in order to 

keep the zips from being over tightened. 

� 

� 

� 

� 

�


Now you can tension the awning roof 

� Close all the zips and adjust the height of the side- and the front walls so that the zips are horizontal and 

vertical – the telescopic poles can be adjusted to suit all uneven surfaces. Now tension the ridge poles 

slightly, starting in the middle. Then put in the roof front supports. 

� Most of the awning models are equipped with hollow seams in the roof front. Here you can push in the 

front roof tensioning poles (when ordered). Attention: the place where the screw is, is not to be pushed 

through the hollow seam! 

Tension the front roof supports so that the gable seam is in front of the gable pole – not on the gable 

pole! 

� Observe when tensioning the gable poles that the middle angle piece is in the middle of the pole 

passage. When you follow the right procedures, the roof front pelmet should be tight and straight. 

Now you can re-tension the ridge poles. 

� Now you can assembly the eventual extra poles (i.e. ridge- hurricane- or veranda poles) and connect 

the protective skirting to the clamps to protect the awning from being damaged! 

The last part is the ground tensioning 

� Hook all the tensioning elements that are not sewn in, to the ground skirt. Adjust the poles so that the 

vertical seams are exactly over the vertical poles. Awning corners and guide lines are to be tensioned 

with pegs, the zip ends and other fixing points with ground nails. Start by tensioning the rear corners by 

the caravan. 

� Pull the corner poles outward and tension the front- and the side walls. First secure the front awning 

corners to the ground, then fix the zips ends crosswise to relieve the zips and then secure the other 

fixing elements to the ground. 

� 

� 

� 

� 

1 

3 

4 

1 

3 

2 

2 

5 


4 

GB


Free Standing Caravan Awnings, Motorcaravan-, Bus- and 

Frame Tents 

Prepare everything 

� Check that the poles set is complete and according to the plan. Fix the screws and the pole clamps 

to the poles. 

Lay out the poles and corner pieces according to the plan on the ground and assembly the roof 

ring (corner, ridge- and gable poles). Roof front supports are not to be assembled yet. 

� Now put the upper vertical poles in the corner poles to make the further assembly easier. The 

lower vertical poles are fitted when the tent lies over the pole frame. Screws must always be 

directed downwards or inward. 

Now the erecting starts 

� If you have an awning with removable side walls, the walls should be taken out first. 

� Put the awning roof over the pole frame. Be careful with the corners and parts that stick out; they 

may damage the awning material and the windows! 

With frame tents the sun pelmet is assembled last. 

� Tents with a sun pelmet have pelmet supports that fit in the corner pieces. Tension the pelmet so 

that the gable seam is in front of the gable poles – not on the gable poles! 

� Now put the walls in and close all the zips. If there are telescopic poles you can now tension the 

roof. 

� Now fit the lower vertical poles in the upper vertical poles. If the poles are telescopic, you can 

adjust them to the desired height. With frame tents you fit the lower poles in the upper poles. 

� 

� 

� 

�



� Hook all the tensioning elements that are not sewn in to the ground skirt. Adjust the poles so that 

the vertical seams are over the vertical poles. Tent corners and zip ends are to be tensioned by 

using the pegs and the other fixing points with ground nails. You can tension the walls by pulling 

the corner poles outward and securing the corners to the ground. Then tension the vertical zips 

crossways to the ground to relieve them. Then secure the other fixing elements to the ground. 

� With frame tents the sun pelmet can now be assembled and the inner cabins (depending on the 

parts delivered) can be hung inside. 

Our tip: 

� Check the tension on a regular basis, for material flexibility, temperature changes and other 

influences can lead to less tension. 

� Fixing materials for ground skirts are not standard; though some types of ground need special 

pegs, ground nails and lines. 

Ask your specialist supplier. 


GB


Annex for Caravan Awnings (Awning Extension) 

Prepare everything for the extension 

� Before the assembly of the annex, the awning must be completely tensioned! Open the side wall of 

the awning on the annex side – you will find it much easier. 

� Check that the pole set is complete and lay out the poles on the ground according to the plan. 

Assemble the screws and pole clamps to the poles, fix the bottom parts in the corner pieces and 

connect them with the poles for the width and the depth of the roof. Lay the poles next to the side 

wall to which the annex is going to be fixed. 

� Assembly of an annex with double piping profile 

Connect the awning side wall piping and the annex roof piping with double piping profile. Slide the 

double piping profile on both the horizontal and vertical piping on the awning side wall. Push the 

annex piping in the double piping profile of the awning, starting at the roof. 

Then the front wall and back wall piping are to follow; now annex and awning are connected 

together. Now put the annex poles under the tent. 

� When tensioning, please ensure that the seams of the annex roof corners are over the pole 

corners. Now you can fix the tapes to the poles. 

� 

�


� Assembly of an annex with a zip 

Take out the right awning side wall, connect the annex zip to the awning zip ends and close the zip. 

Now the awning and annex are connected. 

� Put up the annex poles under the tent and fix to the outer ridge poles of the awning. 

� When tensioning, please ensure that the seams of the annex roof corners are over the pole corners. 

Now you can fix the tapes to the poles. 


� First assemble the extra poles. Hook all the tensioning elements, which are not sewn in, to the ground 

skirt. Adjust the poles so that the vertical seams are over the vertical poles. Tent corners and zip 

ends are to be tensioned by using pegs and the other fixing points with ground nails. 

� Adjust the poles so that the vertical seams are over the vertical poles. First tension the corners of 

the awning, then pull out the corner poles and tension the front-, back- and side walls. Now secure 

the remaining corners to the ground and tension the zip ends crossways to relieve the zip. Then 

secure the remaining tensioning elements to the ground. 

Our tip: 

� Check the tension on a regular basis, for material flexibility, temperature changes and other 

influences can lead to less tension. 

� Fixing materials for ground skirts are not standard; though some types of ground need special 

pegs, ground nails and lines. Ask your specialist supplier. 

� 

� 

2 

4 

1 

3 


GB


Tips for dealing with the different equipment details 

(are different depending on the awning model!) 

Curtains… 

… are attached with curtain runners, fixed in the curtain band loops, 

to the curtain rail over the window. The curtains are pulled on to the 

sewn-in curtain rail. 

Hollow seams… 

… are used for extra poles, that we recommend for more stability. 

The vertical hollow seams inside the awning are for storm- and 

hurricane poles, the horizontal seams in the side walls and front wall 

are for veranda poles, the seams in the roof front are for the roof front 

tensioning poles. 

Tightening of storm elements/storm poles… 

… are on the outside underneath the windows in the front- and side 

walls and minimise the „pounding“ of the walls in severe storms. 

Tighten these elements/poles with a pole tensioning tool (steel hooks 

with rubber rings). Your specialist supplier will be happy to advise you. 

Side wall clasps… 

… are sewn in on the left and right hand side at the rear inside of the 

roof. Relieve the zips by fastening the clasps. 

Rain gutter piping… 

… is sewn on the outside of the roof. Assemble a rain gutter to protect 

the side walls against running water. 

PVC reinforced parts (chafe protection) 

… are sewn in the roof or are in the accessory bag. The PVC parts are 

fixed to the pole clamps and prevent the tent material from being 

damaged due to chafing. 

Triangular eyelets… 

… are fixed to the side wall corners, where the corner pieces go 

through the tent, and can be used to fix the tension lines to.


Soft care keeps the beauty! 

Always pack away your tent dry! If this is not possible, please lay it out to dry after a maximum period of 12 hours. 

Your tent does not tolerate strong washing detergents! 

PVC coated material and trailtex can be rinsed with clean water. 

Uncoated materials – leacryl or cotton – can be brushed dry when 

not very dirty, or can be cleaned with an erasing rubber. When the 

material is very dirty you can use a brush, lukewarm water and a 

ph-neutral washing detergent (i.e. washing soap). 

Rinse thoroughly with clean water and impregnate – if necessary – again 

with a tent impregnating spray. 

� Please note: when it rains, do not touch impregnated, water resistant 

material (i.e. cotton) on the inside as this may lead to leakage. 

Windows can be cleaned with clean water and a soft cloth. 

Cleaners that contain alcohol can harden the windows! 

Cotton curtains can – if necessary – be washed at 30°C. 

Zips are easier to use if treated now and then with zip-spray from 

the specialist supplier. 

� Our tents are generally packed in a foil bag, to protect the tent material 

and especially the coated roof. Keep the bag to pack your tent away 

after use. 

The seams are sewn with a special cotton sheathed polyester thread. 

This extremely durable thread is water resistant: when moist, the cotton 

expands and closes the sewing hole and the polyester core makes the 

thread tear-proof. If a seam may leak, a seam sealer will help (for sale at 

your specialist supplier) 

Never pack the tent poles when they are wet! Remove all dirt with a 

neutral cleaner and pack away the dry poles in a constant temperature 

– large temperature changes may cause condensation and corrosion. 


GB


User Information 

dwt awnings are produced to the highest quality. Certain material characteristics, which may be interpreted as defects, are inherent to the materials and may occur, despite the 

experienced production- and technical processes. 

We want to inform you about these facts – the following characteristics are no cause for complaint… 

Material irregularities like knots or thicker parts are nothing to be 

worried about; they do not influence the quality and the use of 

the awning in any way. These are just quality tolerances that can 

not be changed. 

Weather- and environmental influences may, in the course of 

time, lead to colour changes. 

Condensation is formed when larger outside temperature 

changes occur and can not be helped. 

With the manufacturing of non-coated materials, i.e. leacryl, 

creases may occur that look darker in bright light. Also light 

stripes (“whitening”) are difficult to avoid. 

Light points are technically unavoidable material irregularities – 

they do not influence the water tightness. 

Zips are parts that are subject to wear and tear, exposed to 

constant use. Please open and close them with care. You can 

avoid too much tension by tensioning the ends crossways. 

Tensioning accessories, storm loops, hooks and eyelets are 

subject to wear and tear and sometimes to very heavy loads. 

Important note: If you discover, during the assembly, that you ordered 

the wrong size awning, an additional charge must be imposed 

depending on the amount of work involved.


Complaints/Return Changes / repairs / ordering spare parts 

When there is a reason to complain or to return the goods, please 

contact your specialist supplier – they will take care of things for you. 

If we recommend that the specialist supplier sends back goods to us 

for improvements or changes, please pack the parts so that no damage 

can occur during transport. Our machines can only accommodate dry 

and clean materials. When the material is dirty, your order can not be 

carried out. 

� To be able to carry out your order we need the receipt you 

received at the time of purchase of your awning. 

To be able to carry out your order, your specialist supplier needs 

The filled out receipt 

Your invoice 

A detailed description of your wishes – we can not carry out your 

order without this description – and when ordering additional 

poles please enclose a copy of the pole plan, on which you have 

marked the required parts. 

Please note: guarantee claims can only be made with the original 

invoice and the guarantee card within the legal guarantee period. 


GB


dwt-Zelte • Dieter Winneknecht GmbH • Harzweg 11 • 34225 Baunatal

Instruction Manual and Maintenance Tips for your dwt ... - dwt-Zelte

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