Most D's come equipped with a 21' 9" A&E 9000 acrylic fabric awning. The awning fabric is supplied by Glen Raven Mills and is designed for easy care and cleaning. With proper care and cleaning, this awning will remain water-resistant and like-new for many years.
Routine maintenance involves nothing more than hosing it off monthly. It is also recommended that you try to NOT roll up the awning while it is wet, since storing the awning wet may foster mildew growth. Also, even if the awning is rolled up, it is a good idea to roll out the awning and let it dry as it will get wet even while closed. This is especially true if it is raining while you are travelling. The fabric dries quickly, so this won't take long.
If more thorough cleaning is necessary, just use a mixture of water and natural soap. Note that "natural soap" is something like Ivory Flakes - do not use a detergent-based soap. If you have mildew present, make up a mixture of four ounces Chlorine bleach, two ounces natural soap and a gallon of water. The procedure for cleaning the awning is as follows:
Note that the awning fabric must NOT be placed in hot water, run through the hot cycle of an automatic dryer nor taken to a dry cleaner to be steam pressed. The fabric should be air-dryed only.
NOTE: If your D came with this awning and it did NOT come with a center (third) awning post OR a center support cradle, I strongly recommend that you have installed an awning cradle to support the rolled-up awning. This will help prevent your main awning tube from bowing and eventually breaking.
The DISCOVERY OWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC, was formed to promote the sharing of information and the camaraderie of fellow Discovery motorhome owners. Membership in the club is limited to owners of Fleetwood Discovery motorhomes.