Thank you, thank you, I had same issue, understanding the 2 (P) things and what they were for. I watched 3 other videos that showed nothing about it then I watched yours. 😊👍
Hi Rob I bought these awnings several months ago and read the instructions to set everything up, everything was perfect except when I got to the end that you got to as well. Thank you for your instructions now I know what the heck is going on with those pieces that they don't really explain much. You're a genius thank you! Michael P.
Failed to mention, the same setup on the other swing arm. I understood the instructions, the only modification I made was I installed the main support prior to installing the roller assembly. Makes it much easier for one-person installation. At time stamp 5:15, you can adjust that stop rod in order to almost fully close the awning. It can be done. Move it towards the center and you will get the closure you want.
@@WhatWeDid365 So cool of you, Rob. Indeed, lol, I may shout you out when my workers get here to install it {13' x 8' size} for me, this Sunday afternoon~
Our Chinese customer who one in 3 year buy our system ever said : " Better a cheap copy then a expensive design " we will copy your system if you don't sale we buy from other . Thanks for sharing your experience , like it but hate the cheap design and the careless instructions .
Thx a lot for your video! It helped me much to install my awning. The instructions which came with the product are horrible and I could`t understand much. I also made the mistake that I didn`t install the roller the first time, so I was forced to go back to the beginning and try a second one 🙂 I also had big problems to understand which funktion the stopper had and I first decided to let them away ;-) but after your video I will install them. I am not yet finnished with my awning but now I have hope that I can end with success! Thx!
I ordered one I’m hoping I can get it together right I been watching all kind of videos on it I should get it sometime this week thank you for the tips I’m from Louisiana I’m putting mine on a cargo trailer sure hope it goes good now I’m one of your followers
Very informative video I've watched probably a dozen so far looking for info on where & what the torsion bar stops were, bought an Outsunny Awning the assembly instructions are crap couldn't tell where they needed to go in the front channel & that was one of your tips. So thank you very much, time to go take the front channel apart & put them in. lol
@@WhatWeDid365 Seams just about everyone ends up having to do the same, at least it looked like your destruction book was a nice size with color pictures, mine is Black & White & only 5 5/8" wide x 8 1/8" tall had to break out the magnifying glass to read some of it. LOL
Thanks, appreciate it! Had I known I would have created a whole installation video because of the instructions. However, ours is still working just fine after almost two years - so seems to be a good product!
Mate you are a ducking legend, just wished I’d watched this 1st 🤦🏻 now I gotta take mine down & take it apart to put that middle roller thingy bracket 😩 as that bit wasn’t in my instructions 🤬
Thanks! Your two tips were exactly what i needed. The rest of the install was pretty easy but the instructions and Aleko videos are so bad on the points you covered exactly😀
@@WhatWeDid365 lol, I got there and he forgot to install the roller. So used your tips. It was impossible to do it with the arms retracted and taped so we did have to take the tape off, remove the arm from the t piece on the side opposite the retractor gear so we could slide the main bar oit because the bar refused to separate in the middle. That took the most time.
The roller guide I did the same thing and I noticed its because of a design change they used to be like the end roller supports where they are open on one side with the bolt removed.
Love the video, thanks so much for the heads up about the centre roller and the adjustments to the front bar fixings, when I get to that bit it's gonna help a lot. My only question is, how in the name of all that's sane do you get the awning to slot into the main roller. We have tried for ages and have currently given up. The slot in the roller doesn't seem to be anything like wide or deep enough to accept the fabric with the cord in it???? It looks llike a good bit of kit apart from that but the frustration is tempting me to throw it somewhere! HELP!
Thanks so much for this excellent video, Rob! I bought the awning for my 85 yr old mom for xmas with quite a bit of trepidation. I am looking into installing it for her (with some help) this weekend. I may have a huge issue with the height of the roof of her ranch house being too low and not enough space from the top of the window to the bottom of the gutter. I did measure in December and I know the height is less than the recommendation of at least 8ft..... I may REALLY need some more of your expert advice soon!
Thanks and hope everything went well for you. The top of our window was slightly above a section of our roof - the roof section was about 1’ away from the house. This did though allow enough clearance for the awning to extend out without hitting the roof....this is with the adjustment bolts straight. I don’t think the 8’ measurement is an issue as ours is right at 8’ and I would have gone lower if it would have been necessary. Thanks, Rob
@@WhatWeDid365 Unfortunately, It isn't going to work. We actually put it together and put the supports on the fascia board, thinking it might be a bit awkwardly low. But then, we determined that the bulk of the awning when wound on the role would not fit below the gutter overhang because the role extends above the supports. I have a video showing this, if I could somehow attach it to this post. We really liked the awning and were disappointed that we couldn't make it work. We even had a contractor friend have a look at it for us. If you know of any way we could get some money back for this, please let me know!
Great video. Do you think adding a ledger board between the brackets and the wall can work? I have a stucco + plywood wall. It is hard to find the studs behind the wall in the right position for the brackets.
Appreciate the helpful video...the instructions for the Mcombo Awning leave much to be desired...makes IKEA instructions look good in comparison. O.K. we've put this thing up three different times and still got problems. #1 - The sliding clamp that eventually gets tightened - I see that you've got both ends at a particular distance...which I could not find a reference to in these instructions - what distance should they be from the end? Would send a photo, but don't see that option. #2 - The folding bracket that actually operates the retractable awning...the bolt connecting to the awning bar is short!...I can't get enough thread to tighten it. Was this a problem you had...or are my bolts too short for some reason...or is something holding it "in"?
Yes, the instructions were not much…had I known at the time I’d made an entire installation video. Regarding question #1 - there was not a particular distance and both of mine are at different measurements because of a bow in our house. When I first put them both the same, the fabric would move when retracting and would bind up and not close all the way. So I loosened them and started moving them around as I retracted the awning. Once I was able to keep it straight and close all the way…I tightened them. Regarding question #2 - I did not have any short bolts and sorry not sure what to do there. Thanks and hope that helps a little bit.
Thanks! We never leave ours out in the rain, but if you did for a short amount of time I'm sure it would be fine as it has enough slope the water would run off.
Good video.. what is the make and model of this one.. I installed a 10 x 8 that looks like the exact same instructions and parts as yours. I noticed that every time I roll it it up the fabric starts to bunch up in the center of the roller. Does your do the same?
Thanks for watching...I don't recall which make and model we purchased...it's been a minute or two or how about years now. The fabric bunched up slightly and I just had to adjust the front bar connections. After that everything has rolled up nicely ever since. I haven't touched it in three years now.
I have a 16 ft. Aleko and have the very same issue with the roller so I'll have to split it again and fix it but my biggest challenge is I have to mount it to the facia board and it will be above the roof line. I have brick exterior all round the house, any thoughts? Thanks,
As long as you're using a masonry anchor you should be fine to mount it to the brick. Would definitely recommend having a professional look at mounting it. I would be surprised if the facia board would hold it securely enough - maybe if you went through the facia board and into a truss.
Glad I found your video. We did not receive the extra set of instructions nor the piece to stop the awning when closing it. Any tips on adjusting the awning height once you open it? It seems very low. At least a foot lower than the manual states based on where we attached it to the house.
Sorry, can't help with the height issue...ours seems to lower about the same distance when fully extended and I have the adjustment bolts at 90 degrees.
Thanks for the video! Instructions are lacking in several places. On each end of the awning fabric you're supposed to feed a black plastic piece through the sewn, looped end. But it appears that the ends get different sized pieces of plastic threaded through them. Which end of the big do you start rolling onto the metal roller? Thanks.
Surprisingly, both the large plastic pieces go into the front bar - small triangular shaped piece. The small plastic piece is the one that was installed into the main, bigger, roller bar. Tip on that is...once you get the plastic pieces installed in the fabric, trim them down before installing into the roller bar or front bar; otherwise, you may have to pull them back out a bit to trim them. Ours was about 1/2" to 3/4" from each end of the fabric.
Sorry to hear that you’re having troubles already. Something doesn’t sound quite right. So far, so good for us… it’s been up almost a year now and luckily it’s still doing alright - I do have to make a couple adjustments to realign the fabric as one of my tension arm bolts is slightly different spacing than the other.
Thanks brother, I got caught up right where you pointed out. The instructions are written a little confusing and i was struggling to interpret the directions.
Hi there I have a question, when I put back the awning's fabric the middle rollers I am not sure but the fabric does not roll in even, I am not sure what is going on, but could it be because the middle rollers stick up too much and the fabric gets more difficult to roll it in? Is it possible to cut one of them rollers specially the top one? Please let me know thanks.
Hello…from my experience the middle rollers are just a guide. There’s two things that cause the fabric to roll up uneven - the main bar is not straight against the structure (that’s how ours is) or the tension arm(s) connection points need to be adjusted to help put it in better alignment. It may not roll up perfect, but that should help. Thanks!
Did you manage OK. I am also tempted to cut off the top roller, as it at first looks like the cloth will rub on it when it opens. I think it is below the top of the main spool roller, so should be OK.. but would be interested to hear how it went for you?
Hi Rob Thanks for the very usefull tips. I just purchased this thing. The instructions doesn't say what should be the distance between brackets. How did you figured this out? I have a log house (half logs actualy). So the surfice is not flat. Any tips how to instal those brackets on a surfice like this. Will be greatly appritiated.
I installed the brackets for how they would install best on our house - not according to the instructions - I used some good lag bolts so the placement spacing wasn't a factor...with three of them I didn't think I'd have any issues. And we haven't thus far. Our surface was fairly flat, but bowed slightly on one end...this didn't cause any issues other than it drops one side slightly when extended fully. If it were too uneven, I'd look at some large washers that could be utilized as shims to help keep the main bar as straight as possible. Hope that helps. Rob
Is really on where the tension arms attach to the front bracket - it takes a bit of trial and error. Ours bunches up slightly because our wall is not perfectly straight and have to have ours attached at different dimensions. Hope this helps!
Based on my experience with ours it’s how the tension arms are attached to the bar at the front of the fabric - the location of those may need to be moved slightly. Surprisingly, they may not be evenly spaced - our house is slightly bowed which caused one side to need to be in a different position. Thanks!
Hey buddy great video! Just wondering about the height of your awning from the ground. It recommends 10ft my max is about 8ft...can you see that being a problem?
Ours is mounted at 9’-3” and when fully extended it’s at 8’-4”…this is also with the awning at its highest leveling adjustment. So mounting at 8’ I would assume it being somewhere around 7’…me personally would be fine with that, but wouldn’t go any lower.
Thanks for the video! Are you saying to leave the arm bar links and blockers loose until you have it up and extended? Don't those arm bar links (pivot points) need to be secured before rolling it out?
John Ransom Yes, it seemed to have enough tension with the fabric on the front bar that they didn’t have any problems while extending. You may even leave them loose and retract it and then tighten one of the bolts... then extend and tighten the other one.
How did you determine how far apart the mounting brackets should be? The instructions aren't very clear on that. Im assuming you mount them in relation to the arm bar mount?
Yes, the instructions were not clear at all and I used my own judgement based on my construction/engineering background. Having three supports I knew one would be in the middle or as close as possible and the other two I spaced them in slightly to provide a better mounting location. I'd say as long as you're within a foot and a half to the end of the bar you'd be just fine. FYI - I did use longer lag bolts into a header that's above my windows to ensure those supports were solid and could handle the load with no problems.
Thanks so much for the quick response. I'm mounting to vinyl siding with osb behind it. Do you think the osb will support the weight on its own or should i try to use at least one or 2 studs?
Thanks for the video. Have you installed this on wood? We plan to install on our patio against a wooden wall and unfortunately, this awning kit doesn’t seem to come with mounting screws for wood, just for concrete and brick. It says in the instructions “if you wish to secure on wood, pls purchase carriage bolts of appropriate size from hardware store”. Do you know what size and diameter bolts we have to buy for a Mcombo manual retractable awning 12”x10”? Any help is greatly appreciated, thanks in advance!
Hey there...thanks and yes, I used 3-1/2” lag screws and installed it in a wooden header over our window. I’ve not had any problems with that installation and it’s almost a year now. Thanks, Rob
Need your help. My wife found your video on the Mcombo awning I am struggling. one of the problems you mentioned ,the support arms seem out of place and it will not close nice like yours. I followed your suggestion with loosing the brackets so they move but I feel like maybe my base brackets that hold the arms to the main bar are not in the correct place. Yours are more inward then mine. I can send a video. Any thing you can do to help would make this weekend worth all the work. Thanks Dave
@@WhatWeDid365 thanks for the quick response. Hope you had a good trip. After watching your video a couple more times I spent some time today tighting bolts and loosing bolts , I finally got it closed and it seems to work now opening and closing all the way. So thanks for the help.
I’ve just fitted my awning can you tell me why when I bring the awning in the cloth starts to taper in from both ends and starts to crease up in the middle I’ve tried to adjust the arms but it still doesn’t work
A couple things I can think of is...1) your wall is not flat. This is similar to my situation where one side is slightly bowed and causes our awning to taper from one side to the other. 2) Check how the arms are attached to the front bar. Their spacing may actually have to be different from side to side or spaced further apart. This will change the angle of how the fabric rolls up. This was a trial and error and ours has different spacing which does allow the awing to fully close - even with the slight taper. Hope this helps...thanks, Rob!
thanks for the video, my outside wall is a cavity wall; looks like the cement part is about 1.5inch thick. Can I still use those expansion bolt? and will it be supportive enough?
Hi there... thanks for the question. Based on what you describe I would think it would be strong enough, but would definitely recommend getting a contractors opinion.
Hi Rob...your videos are very good, i installed a 20 feet awning however the middle of the awning sags because its too wide, is there an option to insert a reinforcement in the middle of the awning to keep it from sagging? the awning have only 2 arms that it came with..thank you awaiting your reply
I'm wondering if you could order a middle support for the main bar that is attached to the house - 20' is really wide for not having a middle support and would definitely sag. Ours is only 13' and came with three supports. Another option might be to get an "L" corner brace/bracket from Lowes/Home Deport that could be mounted under the middle to help support the weight.
We're considering buying an awning for our south facing back porch since our neighbor cut down the last remaining shade tree. We don't have room above the windows to install the awning so we would need to mount to the fascia or the roof. We prefer the fascia but the new gutters may be too low. Can you tell me how much room the frame needs on the fascia and how we would add support? There's really no room in the attic to reach the fascia. Thank you!
If it's fascia boards like ours, I wouldn't attempt to attach it there - I don't think that board would provide enough support as the unit is fairly heavy. If you could lag bolt into the rafters, then I'd suspect it would be OK. You may want to consult with a local construction company for installation. Thanks! Rob
The soffit is more than likely weaker (not structural at all) than the fascia board - I wouldn't recommend it. You'd be better off trying to attach to the rafters through the fascia board...my opinion.
I don't believe there's a way for it to be perfectly straight. It can be angled further down or even tilted on one side or the other - there are screws on each end that allow it to be angled.
What do you mean by straight down?...ours comes out a a gradual angle. There are two locations to adjust the pitch of the awning - you can see one of them at 0:52. Note the two bolts are vertically inline...you have to loosen the bolt that's in the front (facing out) and the one at the top. This will allow the support bar to angle or pitch downward.
I saw the video I adjusted the arms and mine did not come with the center grey middle piece that is on your video. It closes right but the pitch is almost to the floor. I wish I can send you a picture. Unless my awning came defective, it comes out straight down.
There’s no adjustment that I’m aware of...it just has the manual crank. When we put ours out all the way we just crank it back in a 1/4 -1/2 turn and that usually tightens up the fabric by putting a bit of tension on the tension arms. Thanks, Rob
@@WhatWeDid365 Thanks Rob!! I'll give that try. Your installation tips and video turned out to be a lifesaver, It made installation a breeze thank you!!
Hi, I’m looking at installing the 13 foot awning you have and I’m trying to find out how wide the mounting brackets are. I only have 3.5 inches to mount it and any help would be appreciated!
Rob I got the 10/8 awning and all is well but I cannot seem to put the fabric in the roller I'm confused is it one big piece and the small one together in one hole or how the hell is it LOL any help would be appreciated
fernando1981ramos You have to thread the long black tube pieces in the fabric first... one end has the large tube and the opposite end of the fabric has the small tube piece. Then there’s a large one that goes in the front fabric. That’s the hard part and takes a bit of time, but once you get those in the fabric it will slide into the roller and the front hanger.
where did those stops come from? I didnt get anything like that. I do have 2 white plastic t looking items left over. Is sthat what is called a blocker?
Hi Robert, ours came with the single pole stops - one for each tension arm. I’ve recently found out that not all packages are alike and some have different parts. Sounds like what’s going on with yours. Sorry, I’m not much help with this one. Rob
I wouldn't think that would be the intent of the awning and not sure it could handle the snow load. Rain would probably be OK, but wouldn't leave it out with any kind of considerable wind - it will break the tension arms. I also suspect that sun would damage the fabric over time. Just my two cents worth. Thanks for watching! Rob
When I try to close mine the fabric gets extremely tight in the middle where that middle roller is. It gets so tight that I hear it start to tear at the seam so I have to stop cranking it closed. Do you know how I can troubleshoot that issue?
@@WhatWeDid365 I found out the issue. The awning was opened too far to the point that the material was all the way out. Then it was cranked back onto the roller in the same direction as when it was let out. This caused the material to be on the roller upside down. The solution was to pull the awning all the way out and continue to crank it in the same direction until the awning starts to retract again. That got the fabric on the roller correctly so that the fabric was coming off the roller from the top rather than the bottom.
Hi there...if you start around 3:46, this is where I retract it with one hand. More than happy to make a quick video of it opening and retracting for you. Thanks!
I'm sorry, I can't remember what they're called either...tension bar stop, bar stop...something like that. I did some research last night and couldn't find anywhere to get parts. The best option I saw was mcombo.com and they had a contact us page...at the bottom below the locations there's a section to send an email to sales - might be worth a shot. Just an FYI...as we've used it now for a while, I'm not sure I would even need those and would know how far to bring it in. Thanks, Rob
Thanks for your response. I have an older retractable awning, not this brand. Over time, the tension inside the arm weakens and the arm will not retract tight or the elbow juts out when it’s rolled all the way in. that piece will serve to keep the arm in tight and not allow it to pop out.
Robert Stafford my supports are connected on the torsion bar about 14” from each end. I see other pictures where they’re closer as you mention... it’s working for us so far.
Rob Mosbey thank you for replying to me.The reason I asked was because I am doing the same thing. And I worked 6 hours to set up one And I’m not finished yet I have to come back tomorrow. Actually this is my first time I never have done this before. Thank you for the video and I’ll keep watching!
@@marcodamiao9241 I can sympathize with your frustration. One of the most time consuming parts was threading the plastic tubes into the awning fabric - it also cramped my fingers...I had to stop and take a few breaks.
Thank you, thank you, I had same issue, understanding the 2 (P) things and what they were for. I watched 3 other videos that showed nothing about it then I watched yours. 😊👍
Hi Rob I bought these awnings several months ago and read the instructions to set everything up,
everything was perfect except when I got to the end that you got to as well. Thank you for your instructions now I know what the heck is going on with those pieces that they don't really explain much. You're a genius thank you!
Michael P.
I don't know that I'm a genius, but appreciate the comment!
Failed to mention, the same setup on the other swing arm. I understood the instructions, the only modification I made was I installed the main support prior to installing the roller assembly. Makes it much easier for one-person installation. At time stamp 5:15, you can adjust that stop rod in order to almost fully close the awning. It can be done. Move it towards the center and you will get the closure you want.
Thanks, that’s good information for others and I agree that you can get it close to fully closed!
OMG... My HERO. We're gonna dodge some annoying issues before even getting started on the installation. What an accommodating video. Thanks so much~
Thanks, appreciate it! Let me know if you have any questions...I may be able to help based on what we went through.
@@WhatWeDid365 So cool of you, Rob. Indeed, lol, I may shout you out when my workers get here to install it {13' x 8' size} for me, this Sunday afternoon~
Our Chinese customer who one in 3 year buy our system ever said : " Better a cheap copy then a expensive design " we will copy your system if you don't sale we buy from other .
Thanks for sharing your experience , like it but hate the cheap design and the careless instructions .
This is almost exactly the same as the Aleko awnings which come with poor directions. So these tips will come in handy for them also.
I s there a way to hire somebody to install the Awning for me. I live in Corona, CA
Can I hire someone to install a 13'x8' retractable awning for me
Its just missing the roller piece right?
Bien
Absolutely awesome thank you probably saved me an hour or so.
That’s great…I wish it would have saved me time as well!! 😁
Thx a lot for your video! It helped me much to install my awning. The instructions which came with the product are horrible and I could`t understand much. I also made the mistake that I didn`t install the roller the first time, so I was forced to go back to the beginning and try a second one 🙂
I also had big problems to understand which funktion the stopper had and I first decided to let them away ;-) but after your video I will install them. I am not yet finnished with my awning but now I have hope that I can end with success! Thx!
Good deal…Hope it works out for you! It’s a great awning, but needs much better instructions.
I ordered one I’m hoping I can get it together right I been watching all kind of videos on it I should get it sometime this week thank you for the tips I’m from Louisiana I’m putting mine on a cargo trailer sure hope it goes good now I’m one of your followers
FANTASTIC!!! Thank you! saved me major time
Thank you. T bolt instructions were poor. This video helped me a lot!!!
Very informative video I've watched probably a dozen so far looking for info on where & what the torsion bar stops were, bought an Outsunny Awning the assembly instructions are crap couldn't tell where they needed to go in the front channel & that was one of your tips. So thank you very much, time to go take the front channel apart & put them in. lol
Thanks, appreciate it and don’t feel bad...I had to take mine apart a few times to get it right.
@@WhatWeDid365 Seams just about everyone ends up having to do the same, at least it looked like your destruction book was a nice size with color pictures, mine is Black & White & only 5 5/8" wide x 8 1/8" tall had to break out the magnifying glass to read some of it. LOL
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. It was exactly what we needed. Thanks a bunch.
Thanks for watching!
Thank great info especially about the P bolts, mine came without them and the instructions are sooo vague , nice video
Thanks, appreciate it! Had I known I would have created a whole installation video because of the instructions. However, ours is still working just fine after almost two years - so seems to be a good product!
Mate you are a ducking legend, just wished I’d watched this 1st 🤦🏻 now I gotta take mine down & take it apart to put that middle roller thingy bracket 😩 as that bit wasn’t in my instructions 🤬
Ha ha...you made me laugh with your comment. Sorry you got that far...three years in and all is still good with the awning though!
Thanks! Your two tips were exactly what i needed. The rest of the install was pretty easy but the instructions and Aleko videos are so bad on the points you covered exactly😀
Thanks, glad it helped out!
You’re the Man!!!
Really cool. About to help some install the same seeming today. This will probably save a lot of time and headache. Thanks!
fu manchu Thanks! Let me know how it goes and if you have any other tips!
@@WhatWeDid365 lol, I got there and he forgot to install the roller. So used your tips. It was impossible to do it with the arms retracted and taped so we did have to take the tape off, remove the arm from the t piece on the side opposite the retractor gear so we could slide the main bar oit because the bar refused to separate in the middle. That took the most time.
@@fumanchu7073 Oh, that stinks! Hope it worked out for you and yeah, the bars taped are OK to a certain point.
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Exactly what I needed.
Thanks for watching…glad it helped!
Brilliant stuff! Many thanks for your help. I'm off to fit the little rollers that didn't come with any instructions :(
They couldn't give me that crappy awning.... much better ones out there!
The roller guide I did the same thing and I noticed its because of a design change they used to be like the end roller supports where they are open on one side with the bolt removed.
Thanks for the input I'm currently putting up a 10 foot and a 20ft for my Aunt.
Love the video, thanks so much for the heads up about the centre roller and the adjustments to the front bar fixings, when I get to that bit it's gonna help a lot. My only question is, how in the name of all that's sane do you get the awning to slot into the main roller. We have tried for ages and have currently given up. The slot in the roller doesn't seem to be anything like wide or deep enough to accept the fabric with the cord in it???? It looks llike a good bit of kit apart from that but the frustration is tempting me to throw it somewhere! HELP!
Thanks so much for this excellent video, Rob! I bought the awning for my 85 yr old mom for xmas with quite a bit of trepidation. I am looking into installing it for her (with some help) this weekend. I may have a huge issue with the height of the roof of her ranch house being too low and not enough space from the top of the window to the bottom of the gutter. I did measure in December and I know the height is less than the recommendation of at least 8ft..... I may REALLY need some more of your expert advice soon!
Thanks and hope everything went well for you. The top of our window was slightly above a section of our roof - the roof section was about 1’ away from the house. This did though allow enough clearance for the awning to extend out without hitting the roof....this is with the adjustment bolts straight. I don’t think the 8’ measurement is an issue as ours is right at 8’ and I would have gone lower if it would have been necessary. Thanks, Rob
@@WhatWeDid365 Unfortunately, It isn't going to work. We actually put it together and put the supports on the fascia board, thinking it might be a bit awkwardly low. But then, we determined that the bulk of the awning when wound on the role would not fit below the gutter overhang because the role extends above the supports. I have a video showing this, if I could somehow attach it to this post. We really liked the awning and were disappointed that we couldn't make it work. We even had a contractor friend have a look at it for us. If you know of any way we could get some money back for this, please let me know!
Great video. Do you think adding a ledger board between the brackets and the wall can work? I have a stucco + plywood wall. It is hard to find the studs behind the wall in the right position for the brackets.
Ledger board would work just fine as long as it's secured to the house.
Appreciate the helpful video...the instructions for the Mcombo Awning leave much to be desired...makes IKEA instructions look good in comparison. O.K. we've put this thing up three different times and still got problems.
#1 - The sliding clamp that eventually gets tightened - I see that you've got both ends at a particular distance...which I could not find a reference to in these instructions - what distance should they be from the end? Would send a photo, but don't see that option.
#2 - The folding bracket that actually operates the retractable awning...the bolt connecting to the awning bar is short!...I can't get enough thread to tighten it. Was this a problem you had...or are my bolts too short for some reason...or is something holding it "in"?
Yes, the instructions were not much…had I known at the time I’d made an entire installation video.
Regarding question #1 - there was not a particular distance and both of mine are at different measurements because of a bow in our house. When I first put them both the same, the fabric would move when retracting and would bind up and not close all the way. So I loosened them and started moving them around as I retracted the awning. Once I was able to keep it straight and close all the way…I tightened them.
Regarding question #2 - I did not have any short bolts and sorry not sure what to do there.
Thanks and hope that helps a little bit.
Good tips. Thanks. What about when it rains? I am concerned that the water may not drain and the weight of the water may break it.
Thanks! We never leave ours out in the rain, but if you did for a short amount of time I'm sure it would be fine as it has enough slope the water would run off.
Thanks for the tips. great job of explaining.
Thanks, appreciate it. Let me know if there's anything I can/could explain in better detail. Thanks!
Great video !
It help a lot thanks
Good video.. what is the make and model of this one.. I installed a 10 x 8 that looks like the exact same instructions and parts as yours. I noticed that every time I roll it it up the fabric starts to bunch up in the center of the roller. Does your do the same?
Thanks for watching...I don't recall which make and model we purchased...it's been a minute or two or how about years now. The fabric bunched up slightly and I just had to adjust the front bar connections. After that everything has rolled up nicely ever since. I haven't touched it in three years now.
Thank you
I have a 16 ft. Aleko and have the very same issue with the roller so I'll have to split it again and fix it but my biggest challenge is I have to mount it to the facia board and it will be above the roof line. I have brick exterior all round the house, any thoughts? Thanks,
As long as you're using a masonry anchor you should be fine to mount it to the brick. Would definitely recommend having a professional look at mounting it. I would be surprised if the facia board would hold it securely enough - maybe if you went through the facia board and into a truss.
Glad I found your video. We did not receive the extra set of instructions nor the piece to stop the awning when closing it. Any tips on adjusting the awning height once you open it? It seems very low. At least a foot lower than the manual states based on where we attached it to the house.
Sorry, can't help with the height issue...ours seems to lower about the same distance when fully extended and I have the adjustment bolts at 90 degrees.
Thanks for the video! Instructions are lacking in several places. On each end of the awning fabric you're supposed to feed a black plastic piece through the sewn, looped end. But it appears that the ends get different sized pieces of plastic threaded through them. Which end of the big do you start rolling onto the metal roller? Thanks.
Surprisingly, both the large plastic pieces go into the front bar - small triangular shaped piece. The small plastic piece is the one that was installed into the main, bigger, roller bar. Tip on that is...once you get the plastic pieces installed in the fabric, trim them down before installing into the roller bar or front bar; otherwise, you may have to pull them back out a bit to trim them. Ours was about 1/2" to 3/4" from each end of the fabric.
Thank you for asking this question!!?
And thanks for answering it!!!
The awning set we have didn't come with the roller, the tension arms seem to be giving already it hasn't even been a month.
Sorry to hear that you’re having troubles already. Something doesn’t sound quite right. So far, so good for us… it’s been up almost a year now and luckily it’s still doing alright - I do have to make a couple adjustments to realign the fabric as one of my tension arm bolts is slightly different spacing than the other.
Thanks brother, I got caught up right where you pointed out. The instructions are written a little confusing and i was struggling to interpret the directions.
Thanks...let me know if you have any questions or if I need to explain something else that may help someone.
Hi, do the plastic stoppers just stay in, or can they be removed?
They don't have to stay in and can be removed...at least ours can be removed.
Hi there I have a question, when I put back the awning's fabric the middle rollers I am not sure but the fabric does not roll in even, I am not sure what is going on, but could it be because the middle rollers stick up too much and the fabric gets more difficult to roll it in? Is it possible to cut one of them rollers specially the top one? Please let me know thanks.
Hello…from my experience the middle rollers are just a guide. There’s two things that cause the fabric to roll up uneven - the main bar is not straight against the structure (that’s how ours is) or the tension arm(s) connection points need to be adjusted to help put it in better alignment. It may not roll up perfect, but that should help. Thanks!
Did you manage OK. I am also tempted to cut off the top roller, as it at first looks like the cloth will rub on it when it opens. I think it is below the top of the main spool roller, so should be OK.. but would be interested to hear how it went for you?
Hi Rob
Thanks for the very usefull tips. I just purchased this thing. The instructions doesn't say what should be the distance between brackets. How did you figured this out? I have a log house (half logs actualy). So the surfice is not flat. Any tips how to instal those brackets on a surfice like this. Will be greatly appritiated.
I installed the brackets for how they would install best on our house - not according to the instructions - I used some good lag bolts so the placement spacing wasn't a factor...with three of them I didn't think I'd have any issues. And we haven't thus far. Our surface was fairly flat, but bowed slightly on one end...this didn't cause any issues other than it drops one side slightly when extended fully. If it were too uneven, I'd look at some large washers that could be utilized as shims to help keep the main bar as straight as possible. Hope that helps. Rob
How to you keep the material not bunching up in to middle when cranking it back in
Is really on where the tension arms attach to the front bracket - it takes a bit of trial and error. Ours bunches up slightly because our wall is not perfectly straight and have to have ours attached at different dimensions. Hope this helps!
Why can't I fully close my awning??? What am I doing wrong?? Please help. Thank u.
Based on my experience with ours it’s how the tension arms are attached to the bar at the front of the fabric - the location of those may need to be moved slightly. Surprisingly, they may not be evenly spaced - our house is slightly bowed which caused one side to need to be in a different position. Thanks!
Hey buddy great video! Just wondering about the height of your awning from the ground. It recommends 10ft my max is about 8ft...can you see that being a problem?
Ours is mounted at 9’-3” and when fully extended it’s at 8’-4”…this is also with the awning at its highest leveling adjustment. So mounting at 8’ I would assume it being somewhere around 7’…me personally would be fine with that, but wouldn’t go any lower.
@@WhatWeDid365 thanks so much
Thanks for the video! Are you saying to leave the arm bar links and blockers loose until you have it up and extended? Don't those arm bar links (pivot points) need to be secured before rolling it out?
John Ransom Yes, it seemed to have enough tension with the fabric on the front bar that they didn’t have any problems while extending. You may even leave them loose and retract it and then tighten one of the bolts... then extend and tighten the other one.
How did you determine how far apart the mounting brackets should be? The instructions aren't very clear on that. Im assuming you mount them in relation to the arm bar mount?
Yes, the instructions were not clear at all and I used my own judgement based on my construction/engineering background. Having three supports I knew one would be in the middle or as close as possible and the other two I spaced them in slightly to provide a better mounting location. I'd say as long as you're within a foot and a half to the end of the bar you'd be just fine. FYI - I did use longer lag bolts into a header that's above my windows to ensure those supports were solid and could handle the load with no problems.
Thanks so much for the quick response.
I'm mounting to vinyl siding with osb behind it. Do you think the osb will support the weight on its own or should i try to use at least one or 2 studs?
Thanks for the video. Have you installed this on wood? We plan to install on our patio against a wooden wall and unfortunately, this awning kit doesn’t seem to come with mounting screws for wood, just for concrete and brick. It says in the instructions “if you wish to secure on wood, pls purchase carriage bolts of appropriate size from hardware store”. Do you know what size and diameter bolts we have to buy for a Mcombo manual retractable awning 12”x10”? Any help is greatly appreciated, thanks in advance!
Hey there...thanks and yes, I used 3-1/2” lag screws and installed it in a wooden header over our window. I’ve not had any problems with that installation and it’s almost a year now. Thanks, Rob
@@WhatWeDid365 thanks for the response! :) will try it out
Need your help. My wife found your video on the Mcombo awning I am struggling. one of the problems you mentioned ,the support arms seem out of place and it will not close nice like yours. I followed your suggestion with loosing the brackets so they move but I feel like maybe my base brackets that hold the arms to the main bar are not in the correct place. Yours are more inward then mine. I can send a video. Any thing you can do to help would make this weekend worth all the work. Thanks Dave
Sure Dave. We just got back from camping so if you want to send me your phone number I’ll give you a call.
@@WhatWeDid365 thanks for the quick response. Hope you had a good trip. After watching your video a couple more times I spent some time today tighting bolts and loosing bolts , I finally got it closed and it seems to work now opening and closing all the way. So thanks for the help.
I’ve just fitted my awning can you tell me why when I bring the awning in the cloth starts to taper in from both ends and starts to crease up in the middle I’ve tried to adjust the arms but it still doesn’t work
A couple things I can think of is...1) your wall is not flat. This is similar to my situation where one side is slightly bowed and causes our awning to taper from one side to the other. 2) Check how the arms are attached to the front bar. Their spacing may actually have to be different from side to side or spaced further apart. This will change the angle of how the fabric rolls up.
This was a trial and error and ours has different spacing which does allow the awing to fully close - even with the slight taper. Hope this helps...thanks, Rob!
@@WhatWeDid365 thanks for the advise I’ll let you know how a get on
thanks for the video, my outside wall is a cavity wall; looks like the cement part is about 1.5inch thick. Can I still use those expansion bolt? and will it be supportive enough?
Hi there... thanks for the question. Based on what you describe I would think it would be strong enough, but would definitely recommend getting a contractors opinion.
Can this be left at 4-6 feet deep.
Does it have to be fully extended. I'm trying to put this on a 4 foot deep balcony.. Thanks dude good vid
No, we use ours at various lengths extended from the house.
Sorry, it didn't show me the first part of your question...yes, it can extended to any length.
Hi Rob...your videos are very good, i installed a 20 feet awning however the middle of the awning sags because its too wide, is there an option to insert a reinforcement in the middle of the awning to keep it from sagging? the awning have only 2 arms that it came with..thank you awaiting your reply
I'm wondering if you could order a middle support for the main bar that is attached to the house - 20' is really wide for not having a middle support and would definitely sag. Ours is only 13' and came with three supports. Another option might be to get an "L" corner brace/bracket from Lowes/Home Deport that could be mounted under the middle to help support the weight.
We're considering buying an awning for our south facing back porch since our neighbor cut down the last remaining shade tree. We don't have room above the windows to install the awning so we would need to mount to the fascia or the roof. We prefer the fascia but the new gutters may be too low. Can you tell me how much room the frame needs on the fascia and how we would add support? There's really no room in the attic to reach the fascia. Thank you!
If it's fascia boards like ours, I wouldn't attempt to attach it there - I don't think that board would provide enough support as the unit is fairly heavy. If you could lag bolt into the rafters, then I'd suspect it would be OK. You may want to consult with a local construction company for installation. Thanks! Rob
@@WhatWeDid365what about attaching to the soffit? Is it able to be mounted that way?
The soffit is more than likely weaker (not structural at all) than the fascia board - I wouldn't recommend it. You'd be better off trying to attach to the rafters through the fascia board...my opinion.
Do the brackets that attach to the wall have to be at an specific place or can I placed them where my wood studs are ?
I believe the answer is no...I placed them where they worked best for me and still provided the necessary support.
Can you choose to have it sit straight out and not tilt downwards?
I don't believe there's a way for it to be perfectly straight. It can be angled further down or even tilted on one side or the other - there are screws on each end that allow it to be angled.
Hi Rob. How do I adjust the pitch in my awning. It comes straight down instead of up. Thanks
What do you mean by straight down?...ours comes out a a gradual angle. There are two locations to adjust the pitch of the awning - you can see one of them at 0:52. Note the two bolts are vertically inline...you have to loosen the bolt that's in the front (facing out) and the one at the top. This will allow the support bar to angle or pitch downward.
I saw the video I adjusted the arms and mine did not come with the center grey middle piece that is on your video. It closes right but the pitch is almost to the floor. I wish I can send you a picture. Unless my awning came defective, it comes out straight down.
Installing it won't be the problem
Its the assembly thats gona kill me!!!
Hey Rob do you know if there is any adjustment to make the fabric a bit tighter so it's not sagging or flopping in the wind?
There’s no adjustment that I’m aware of...it just has the manual crank. When we put ours out all the way we just crank it back in a 1/4 -1/2 turn and that usually tightens up the fabric by putting a bit of tension on the tension arms. Thanks, Rob
@@WhatWeDid365 Thanks Rob!! I'll give that try. Your installation tips and video turned out to be a lifesaver, It made installation a breeze thank you!!
What about the wrinkles when you roll up
We don't get too many wrinkles...it seems the support bars provide sufficient tension for the fabric to stay flat.
Hi, I’m looking at installing the 13 foot awning you have and I’m trying to find out how wide the mounting brackets are. I only have 3.5 inches to mount it and any help would be appreciated!
I'm so sorry, I didn't see your message until now...the three brackets I have are each 1-1/2" wide by approximately 5" long.
Rob I got the 10/8 awning and all is well but I cannot seem to put the fabric in the roller I'm confused is it one big piece and the small one together in one hole or how the hell is it LOL any help would be appreciated
fernando1981ramos You have to thread the long black tube pieces in the fabric first... one end has the large tube and the opposite end of the fabric has the small tube piece. Then there’s a large one that goes in the front fabric. That’s the hard part and takes a bit of time, but once you get those in the fabric it will slide into the roller and the front hanger.
where did those stops come from? I didnt get anything like that. I do have 2 white plastic t looking items left over. Is sthat what is called a blocker?
Hi Robert, ours came with the single pole stops - one for each tension arm. I’ve recently found out that not all packages are alike and some have different parts. Sounds like what’s going on with yours. Sorry, I’m not much help with this one. Rob
I have the same cheaper white plastic stops. Yes, they serve the same purpose.
Great info, thx. You in STL?
Thanks! And, no…in Colorado…used to be in the STL area.
can this awning be used while it raining or snowing thinking of getting one and having it open all year round. thanks
I wouldn't think that would be the intent of the awning and not sure it could handle the snow load. Rain would probably be OK, but wouldn't leave it out with any kind of considerable wind - it will break the tension arms. I also suspect that sun would damage the fabric over time. Just my two cents worth. Thanks for watching! Rob
When I try to close mine the fabric gets extremely tight in the middle where that middle roller is. It gets so tight that I hear it start to tear at the seam so I have to stop cranking it closed. Do you know how I can troubleshoot that issue?
That is very interesting and unfortunately I'm not sure what may be going on with that.
@@WhatWeDid365 I found out the issue. The awning was opened too far to the point that the material was all the way out. Then it was cranked back onto the roller in the same direction as when it was let out. This caused the material to be on the roller upside down. The solution was to pull the awning all the way out and continue to crank it in the same direction until the awning starts to retract again. That got the fabric on the roller correctly so that the fabric was coming off the roller from the top rather than the bottom.
@@brandonhallock168 I'm glad you were able to figure out the issue and thanks for sharing!
Is this available in the Philippines?
Hi there, thanks for watching! I’m not sure…we bought it through Amazon and I’m not certain where all this product is sold.
Hi Rob, thanks for making this helpful video. Is it possible to contact you outside of UA-cam to get some help with our awning?
Sure...I don't mind at all. Email me at robmosbey@gmail.com and we can setup a time to chat via phone.
I just bought this installed it today... straight garbage.. should've built one from scratch and I would've been happier
never did see it actually operate
Hi there...if you start around 3:46, this is where I retract it with one hand. More than happy to make a quick video of it opening and retracting for you. Thanks!
how does it handle gusting winds?
We’ve had it out a couple times during some gusty winds and it handled it well. It’s not recommended to have it out though during windy times.
I’m looking for those hold back rods you show at 2:33. What are those called, can you buy those?
I'm sorry, I can't remember what they're called either...tension bar stop, bar stop...something like that. I did some research last night and couldn't find anywhere to get parts. The best option I saw was mcombo.com and they had a contact us page...at the bottom below the locations there's a section to send an email to sales - might be worth a shot. Just an FYI...as we've used it now for a while, I'm not sure I would even need those and would know how far to bring it in. Thanks, Rob
Thanks for your response. I have an older retractable awning, not this brand. Over time, the tension inside the arm weakens and the arm will not retract tight or the elbow juts out when it’s rolled all the way in. that piece will serve to keep the arm in tight and not allow it to pop out.
@@randallbieganski8909 Thanks, would have never thought of the arms losing that much tension over time. Those will definitely keep them in.
In nepal which place we can buy it
Hi there...I purchased it through Amazon, but I'm sorry I would not know where to buy it in Nepal. Thanks, Rob
I have the 12x10 how far do you have the torsion bars from the end on front bar i have mine like 6 inches from both ends foes not seam right thank you
Robert Stafford my supports are connected on the torsion bar about 14” from each end. I see other pictures where they’re closer as you mention... it’s working for us so far.
Thanks going to play with it somemore tomorrow am got to hot after10 am today
Very helpful video!! Chinese instructions are next to worthless!!!!
Hi How long take to do this?
Marco Damiao total time was about 2hrs or so... hardest part was reading the instructions, but worth it so far.
Rob Mosbey thank you for replying to me.The reason I asked was because I am doing the same thing. And I worked 6 hours to set up one And I’m not finished yet I have to come back tomorrow. Actually this is my first time I never have done this before. Thank you for the video and I’ll keep watching!
@@marcodamiao9241 I can sympathize with your frustration. One of the most time consuming parts was threading the plastic tubes into the awning fabric - it also cramped my fingers...I had to stop and take a few breaks.
Mcombo needs to make a video that this guy should write and produce for them. Mcombo knows nothing about directions.
Thanks! I wish I would have made an entire installation video, but hindsight is 20/20!
Ten folding 8/10
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