need help/info with add a room

[homemaker]

We have a 1998 coleman niagara and just purchased a used add a room.  It was used with a 1996 sun valley.  The awning size was the same so we figured it would fit.  We have not tried it yet and we are not sure how to install it.  I called fleetwood and they gave us 1998 instructions and said they changed the install method that year.  Doesn't this mean that I need 1996 instructions instead?  Do I need velco, hooks or what?  Can anyone offer any advice before we try to set it up?  I can see my poor hubby getting frustrated over this one!

[tlhdoc]

Homemaker welcome to PUT!

Even with the proper directions the AAR it can be a PITA to do the instillation, so you can set the room up.  I have a 1999 Coleman/Fleetwood PU and installed an AAR on my trailer.  Here are some basics and if you have more questions ask away.  First I am only going to give you general instructions, because I don't know what your AAR is like.  Is it a one piece or a 3 piece?  I have some pictures of my AAR instillation in my webshots account.
 
The first thing I would do is hang the AAR from the awning, so that everything is sort of where it goes.  The skirt that goes on the frame of the camper (covers under the camper) is attached with velcro and "velstick" in the wheel well.  There should be 1 or 2 small pieces of material that cover the hole at the top of the wheel well.  Velstick is plastic velcro.  If you don't have any get heavy duty velcro to do the skirt.  The AAR you have many not have the "door" of the skirt in the proper place.  It is supposed to go back around the door on the frame of the camper.  If your door is in a different location you will need to mod the skirt to fit.  The side panels of the AAR tie to the awning poles and it is then velcroed to the awning.  The front panel has holes for the tips of the awning poles to hold it in place, but you will also need to install velcro along the rail.  There should be snaps on the front panel, you should add screw snaps on the awning rail to match the snaps on the front panel.  On my AAR there are 4 hooks that you screw into the camper that bungee cord along the edges of the side panels, to hold the sides of the AAR to the side of the trailer box.  The screws are attached 2 on each side.  One through the metal rail along the top edge of the box and one under the camper.  If you have the side panels of the AAR hanging in place you will see where the hooks need to be attached to the trailer, to hold the bungee cord of the AAR against the trailer box.  I hope this isn't too confusing.  There should be 2 strips of material that have velcro along the front of it and half of a zipper on each side.  These pieces zipper into the tenting on the PU, where the bunkend tenting zippers to the tenting on the box.  You need to completely unzipper the 2 front corners of the tenting and then zipper the 2 strips in to place.  Then the velcro on the sides of the AAR then attach to the velcro on the 2 strips to hold the AAR against the side of the tenting.  Last you tie the AAR to the awning poles and then stake the AAR in place.  I hope this helps.

[beacher]

Wasn't 1998 the year that the AAR became three separate panels, instead of one heavy three sided colussus?  That might be the difference.

Is your 1996 AAR in one giant attached piece, or three?

Here is a scanned copy of the 1998 AAR instructions.   You might need a free MSN account to access the MSN Pop-Up Trailer Camping message board.  There are also some nice sketches illustrating the snap and velcro installation of a three piece AAR.

[homemaker]

Thanks for the info and the welcome.

The AAR we purchased is one giant piece.  Maybe I should call fleetwood and ask for 1996 instructions?  

I think we just might have to buy some velcro and set up camp in our driveway to see what happens.  I'll let you all know how it works.
Thanks again.

[tlhdoc]

Good luck with the project.  Do you have the zipper pieces that goes in the side of the camper tenting?