WINNEBAGO EKKO – Awning Mechanism Repair and Fabric Replacement

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Awning Mechanism Repair and Fabric Replacement for WINNEBAGO EKKO

The Winnebago Ekko uses a Thule HideAway 1200 awning mounted to the driver-side body wall, just above the sliding door — a great setup that’s largely trouble-free, but the fabric, pull strap, and motor are all serviceable by a motivated owner. Because the Ekko is built on the Transit 350 HD platform, the van stands taller than a standard Transit, so you’ll be working at genuine ladder height; take that seriously. This guide covers full fabric replacement and motor service, the two most common failure points on the HideAway 1200 after about 3–5 seasons of hard use. Budget a full day the first time through, and have a helper available for the fabric swap — it’s a two-person job once the roller tube comes down.

Required Parts

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Assess the Damage and Gather Your Tools Before Touching the Awning

Before climbing anything, extend the awning fully in a calm-wind environment and inspect it from ground level. On the Thule HideAway 1200, the most common failure points are: frayed or UV-degraded fabric along the leading edge hem, a worn pull strap attachment point at the roller tube, a clicking or stalling motor (audible when you trigger the switch on the Ekko’s interior B-pillar panel), and cracked plastic end caps on the cassette housing. Note which problem you’re dealing with — motor failure, fabric replacement, or both — because the disassembly order differs slightly. Tools you’ll need: a #2 Phillips screwdriver, a T25 Torx bit, a 10mm socket and ratchet, needle-nose pliers, a utility knife, a rubber mallet, and a clean tarp laid on the ground to protect the fabric during removal. Confirm the awning motor switch is in the OFF position and disconnect the awning’s fused power lead — it runs from the Ekko’s 12V distribution panel inside the driver-side under-bed compartment, the same bay that houses the Xantrex Freedom XC inverter. Label the wire before pulling it so there’s no confusion on reinstall. Do not skip this step; the motor can actuate unexpectedly.

Step 2: Set Up Safe Working Height and Stabilize the Awning Arms

The Transit 350 HD roofline sits roughly 9 feet off the ground on the Ekko, and the awning cassette mounts at about 7.5 feet — high enough that a step ladder is borderline unsafe for two-handed work. Use a sturdy 6-foot platform ladder, not a step stool, and clip your safety fall-protection strap to a roof rack rail or the factory roof drip rail before leaning in. Never stand on the Ekko’s rear fiberglass cap extension or step on any roof surface to reach the awning; the cap seams are a maintenance-sensitive area and cannot support body weight. Have your helper extend the awning to approximately 12 inches of travel — just enough to expose the roller tube end caps — then manually support the arms at mid-span so the tube doesn’t free-rotate while you work. The HideAway 1200’s two support arms lock with a small lever-style clamp near the wall bracket; push those levers down now to prevent the arms from folding unexpectedly. If your de-flappers are already installed on the lead rail, remove them with a flathead screwdriver — they’ll just be in the way. Set them aside; you’ll reinstall them after the new fabric is on.

Step 3: Remove the Cassette End Caps and Extract the Roller Tube

The Thule HideAway 1200 cassette is a two-piece aluminum housing that lives recessed into the body wall when retracted. With the awning at 12 inches of travel, you can see both end caps — one on the forward (cab-side) end and one on the rearward end near the Ekko’s exterior compartment area. Each cap is held by two T25 Torx screws; remove all four and set the caps on your tarp. Inside each cap, a small plastic retainer clip holds the roller tube’s end plug in place — use needle-nose pliers to squeeze and release each clip. With both clips released, have your helper hold the center of the roller tube while you slide it toward the rearward end approximately one inch, then angle the forward end down and out. The tube is aluminum and runs the full width of the awning — on a standard Ekko it’s about 10 feet long and surprisingly light, but it becomes a lever arm if one person loses grip. Lower the tube onto your tarp. If the tube itself is bent, cracked, or has deep corrosion at the end plugs, this is the time to swap it for the replacement roller tube. A bent tube causes the fabric to bunch unevenly when retracting and will destroy new fabric prematurely.

Step 4: Remove the Old Fabric and Inspect the Roller Tube Components

With the roller tube on your tarp, locate the fabric attachment channel — it’s an aluminum extrusion running the full length of the tube with a T-slot profile. The leading edge of the old fabric has a sewn hem with a plastic bead that slides into this slot. Starting at the rearward end, grip the bead and pull it straight out of the slot while feeding the fabric away from the tube. If the bead is swollen from UV exposure or weather, work a blunt screwdriver along the channel to ease it out — do not rip the fabric free, because a torn bead will leave fragments in the slot that prevent the new fabric from seating flat. Once the fabric is off, roll it tightly and set it aside for disposal. Now inspect the tube itself: check both end plugs for cracking, confirm the spring-loaded tension mechanism inside the tube hasn’t lost its pre-load (you should feel resistance when you manually rotate the tube), and look at the motor drive socket on the motorized end — it’s a hex fitting. Spray the channel with a silicone-based lubricant, then wipe it clean with a rag to remove grit before the new fabric goes in. This extra step prevents premature hem wear.

Step 5: Diagnose and Replace the Awning Motor if Needed

If your original complaint was a stalling, clicking, or non-responsive awning, now is the time to address it before the new fabric goes on. The HideAway 1200’s motor lives inside the motorized end of the roller tube, accessed by removing the end plug on the forward (cab-side) end. Pull the plug straight out — it may require a sharp tug or a light tap from a rubber mallet. The motor assembly slides out as a unit; disconnect the two-wire connector (typically a Molex-style clip) that attaches it to the awning’s internal wiring harness. Test voltage at the connector with a multimeter while a helper triggers the B-pillar switch — you should see 12V DC. If voltage is present but the motor doesn’t respond, the motor has failed internally. The universal replacement motor listed for Solera and Dometic-compatible systems fits the HideAway 1200’s tube diameter; confirm the hex drive socket matches your old motor before fully committing. Slide the new motor in, reconnect the Molex clip, and reinstall the end plug. If no voltage is present at the connector, the fault is upstream — trace the wire back through the body wall to the 12V fuse block rather than replacing a good motor. That fuse is typically a 15A blade-style fuse; check it before doing anything else.

Step 6: Install the New Fabric and Reinstall the Roller Tube

Measure the replacement fabric against your roller tube before threading it — the fabric width should match the tube length within a quarter inch. Lay the new fabric flat on your tarp with the finished top side facing up and locate the sewn bead hem along one long edge. Starting at the rearward end of the tube, feed the bead into the T-slot channel and work it toward the forward end in sections, keeping consistent pressure to avoid kinking the bead. The bead should slide smoothly with the silicone prep from Step 4; if it binds, do not force it — check that the fabric isn’t twisted. Once the full length is seated, pull the trailing edge of the fabric taut and wind it onto the tube by hand, rotating the tube away from you, until approximately 18 inches of fabric remains unwound. This pre-tension ensures the awning retracts properly. With your helper supporting the tube center, angle the forward end up into the cassette housing first, then slide the tube toward the forward end to seat the rearward plug. Reinstall both retainer clips, replace the end caps with the T25 Torx screws, and snug them firmly — overtightening cracks the plastic bosses. Attach the new UV-resistant pull strap to the lead rail’s sewn attachment point using the original D-ring hardware.

Step 7: Test Operation, Tension the Fabric, and Install Wind Stabilizers

Reconnect the awning’s 12V power lead at the under-bed fuse block, then trigger the extend function from the Ekko’s B-pillar switch in short 2-second bursts rather than one full continuous run — this lets you watch the fabric track and catch any binding before it becomes a problem. The HideAway 1200 should extend smoothly with no lateral drift of the fabric. If the leading edge droops significantly when fully extended, the roller tube spring tension needs to be increased: retract the awning, remove the rearward end plug, and add one half-turn of pre-load to the spring before reinstalling. Once fully extended, use the telescoping awning rod to support the lead rail at the outer corners and attach the Camco de-flappers to the lead rail — they clip onto the existing rail profile without tools and dramatically reduce fabric slap in light wind. Finally, walk the full length of the extended awning and check that the fabric lies flat with no hem bubbles, the pull strap hangs centered, and the end caps are flush with the cassette. Retract fully and extend once more at normal speed to confirm. Log the repair date and fabric brand on a piece of tape inside the cassette — your future self will thank you when planning the next replacement cycle.

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