I've straightened electric tongue jack lower units by bending them in a bench press... The roller tube is long and pretty "bendy" even on a good day...
I would suggest placing the tube on a couple of sturdy jack stands and bring the high point of the bend to the top... Then slowly and firmly apply pressure in a downward motion a little at a time... I would think you could get it pretty close this way - perhaps not perfect but close...
My tongue jacks that I straightened are darn near perfect but their length is a lot shorter than the a roller tube...
Les
2000 Ford F-250SD, XLT, 4X4 Off Road, SuperCab
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Had same problem last year when a truck side swiped us. No way to straighten a hollow tube. Needs replaced. Might contact your insurance co. Mine is 18' and going with a "cheap" awning cost around $1000 and I replaced it myself with a little help lifting it in place.
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awning tubes are almost impossible to straighten without proper pipe bending equipment... I do it by putting one end under a unmovable object putting a wood block under the beginning of the bend and applying all my weight on the other end working along the bend and back again...
I straighten them enough to not see the bend and use them to make flag poles out of them, not to be reused for a awning...
Love my mass produced, entry level, built by Lazy American Workers, Hornet
I don't want to hijack this site, but it did make me think about the bent arm on my awning. First time using it, I wasn't thinking.....or I should say, I was thinking...that I knew what I was doing (remembering what the previous owner had said to do)..and didn't bother with the instructions (yeah, I'm a guy!!)
Anyway, the left leg that runs from the awning roller, down to the side of the RV hadn't been set correctly for retracting, and it jammed and was bent a little. The inner section doesn't slide very well. I have tried bending it back with a car jack, but think I may need to have someone with a torch (heat) to do the job correctly. Any ideas...I'm thinking I'm not the first guy to do this....
As for the roller tube on the OP....I think that it might be impossible to fix, and need replacing, but I'd give it a try....what have you got to lose?? The trouble is, it does appear to need to be just about perfect, so you'll need to spend some time with it, as mentioned above. If it works, GREAT!! If not, well, you're just out some time.
If the awning is fairly new, you might be able to contact the mfgr. and just get the parts you need, as compared to getting a complete awning system. Of course, you might want a new one, to get it a little longer or shorter, depending on your needs.
Bill & Claudia / DD Jenn / DS Chris Dogs: Sophie, Abby, Brandy, Kahlie, Annie, Maggie & Beau RIP: Cookie (Sheltie) & Gidget (Lab-mix) over the Rainbow Bridge.
2000 Winnebago "Minnie" 31C, Ford V-10
Purchased April 2008 FMCA# F407293 The Pets
my home park is one of the largest in the country, maybe the largest...
a lot of awnings are replaced by insurance and the old ones put in the garbage area...
I strip the good parts as someone always needs something, a arm, or a spring assembly...
if a tube is bent near the end I cut the bent end off and make a smaller awning out of it to be used on the side of a storage shed to park the bikes under...
the material cut in strips is good for covering fire wood...
I quit collecting the stuff now, but I still have parts for A&E, Carefree, and Falkner...
you could check a local dealer and see if they have a used arm for a couple of bucks... they usually just throw them away...
PPL has good prices on the A&E, 800 bucks for an 18 footer. Delivered to my camp site, I installed it and the insurance wrote me out a check. I tried to straighten it and (I think) it's impossible unless it's a very slight bend.
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A cousin had this happen and he went and bought a middle support bar for the awning. Every time he puts it up it is with the bend towards the trailer. The support bar then pushes against the bend and after a year it is a little better. Would depend on the degree of bend. Not as good as a new roller but cheaper.
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