bobmacc

Mark: Most of the "cheaper" LED bulbs operate on 12 volts. These bulbs use resistors or have the LED diodes in series to match a 12v supply. More expensive (only slightly) LED bulbs use a regulator circuit to feed the LED diodes from a nominal 12 volt source. These bulbs are theoretically more robust as they can handle the 14 plus volts from the RV charging circuit that shorten the life of a bulb designed for 12.0 volts. Many of these bulbs are rated for 10 - 30 volts so you would have no issues using them in a 24 volt coach. I suspect that not all bulb "form factors" are available due to the incorporation/space requirements of the regulation circuit but with a little shopping around you should be able to determine if they can be purchased in the sizes you need. I would suggest you use e-bay and find a dealer in China where they are actually manufactured. They have a much better selection than the N.A. dealers and I suspect any you would buy are made in that neck of the woods anyways. You will need to decide if you want warm (2800 deg K +/-) or cool white (4000 deg K +/-) so you know the approximate color temperature you want. I ordered bulbs for my coach from a Chinese dealer and had them in about 18 days in Canada. Most dealers will show estimated delivery times. I have been very satisfied with mine and $12 bulbs at the Tampa RV show cost me $3 for China about a year ago. Good luck, Bob .

Shuzie: I just replaced my slide awnings on my 09 Journey. I got mine from the Tough Top Awnings web site. Mine also were Carefree. Their methodology to replace which requires widening the channel at one end makes the task very simple. You will Need an 8 ft step ladder and at least a 6 ft one for a helper who feeds the awning to you while you pull it thru the channels to do it safely. You ned a drill to widen the channel and a vise grip style oil filter wrench ($15 from Harbor Freight) to do it easily. Took us about 2 1/2 hours to replace both - one of which was 21 feet long. It is a simple task if done using the instructions from the website. The TT replacement is vinyl and thicker than the Carefree original. Like Herman, I went to the Carefree site to see the instructions for replacing. They have you remove the awning tube which convinced me that I didn't want to wrestle a 21 foot awning 10 feet above ground and try to reinstall It later. While their method undoubtedly works, I would suggest it will scare off more DIY'ers which may be their objective. Check out the Tough Top instructions for the fast and simple approach. Bob