Products

When two, longtime innovators connect, beautiful things can happen. That’s exactly the case when RV awning designer and manufacturer, Carefree of Colorado, found Recasens USA. With a history of innovation stretching back to 1971, Carefree is responsible for advances including the first truly automatic roll-up awning for recreational vehicles, one-touch awning operation, motion-based auto-retraction, mobile application operation and many more. With millions of awnings installed worldwide on every type of RV and specialty vehicle imaginable, Carefree has a rich tradition of quality, value, performance, and style that has established the company as a leading supplier of RV awnings offering the most expansive product line of any RV awning manufacturer in the world. Its most recent innovation, FLXguard Fabric Protection, is attractive, affordable, effective and works hand-in-hand with RECacril^® fabrics. 

Read on to see how these two innovations work even better together. 

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Check out more examples of how RECacril provides quality solutions to fabricators and manufacturers from SewLong Custom Covers and ShadeTree Canopies.

Pinholes are very small gaps in the weave of the fabric that should be minimized for best results when working with a fabric. While they occur in most woven fabrics due to a variety of factors that range from thread count, loom type, loom set up and finishing tension, it stands to reason that the fewer pinholes a fabric has, the more desirable it is to work with for fabricators. Our lab in Spain recently did a comparison of RECacril^® against several samples from our leading competitors and here are the results.

Immediately you can see that the density of RECacril is superior to that of the competition. Recasens uses a smaller yarn with a higher thread count which results in a denser weave. So even though the weight of the fabrics may be the same, RECacril has a higher density that you can see and feel. The difference is especially apparent when you compare the fabrics under high-intensity light and you can readily see the high number of pinholes in the competition’s fabric as compared to RECacril.

This multitude of small holes not only makes the fabric less effective at blocking UV rays, but it also negatively affects the fabric’s ability to resist water and oil. In essence, the more pinholes a fabric has, the greater its porosity. This is not a desirable trait in awning and marine fabric, especially for applications that need better water protection. When fabric is more porous, it’s prone to ‘misting’ which is when the impact of large water drops on the fabric causes fine droplets to blow through the pinholes.

While we’ve provided you with some cold, hard facts from our lab, we encourage you to try your own test by simply feeling the difference between competing fabric brands and comparing their pinhole density under a bright light yourself. While a less scientific comparison from our lab tests, we’re confident that your own tests will show the same results we’ve seen over and over again—proving that RECacril is the superior choice in fabric construction, providing you and your customers with the best quality solution for awning and marine fabric at an affordable price.

About 20 years ago, Justin Jones of SewLong Custom Covers saw the new Gemini hinge and it sparked a great idea. From that idea came the first iteration custom boat top for which SewLong is known. SewLong recently launched the third version of its popular folding canopy top, winning the coveted Marine Fabricators Association 2019 Excellence Award for Tops. Read the evolution of SewLong and learn why the company chose RECacril^® as its exclusive fabric supplier for these award-winning tops.

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From the highest grade raw materials to the superior coating process, the attention given to every aspect of RECwater^® is what makes it the impeccable product that it is. While many companies tout the superiority of their products, only Recasens can support the excellence of each and every step of our process.

Vertically Integrated Manufacturing and Unerring Quality Control

From spinning the yarn, to weaving, coating and finishing our fabrics, the entire Recasens manufacturing process is a masterpiece of vertically integrated quality control. As a vertically integrated manufacturing operation, we control the quality of the entire manufacturing process allowing us to offer a superior product at a better value than our competitors. We ensure the quality of our products even further by using only the most modern manufacturing equipment operated under strict ISO 9001 certified quality management systems and conducting frequent quality checks to make sure fabrics are woven to the highest quality standards.

Proprietary Processes and Superior-Grade Materials

The base fabric of RECwater is RECacril^® which is made using our slightly smaller 20s 2-ply yarn which we pack tightly together for a tighter weave. This tight weave gives the fabric a naturally firmer hand, fewer pin holes, better overall coverage, and better natural dimensional stability. We then Blade Over Roller Coat RECwater with molten liquid vinyl and cure and heat set it in a finishing range. This process virtually eliminates the cracking and peeling one sees in our competitors’ fabrics where the vinyl is only bonded to the fabric surface.

A Sensitivity and Responsiveness to Market Needs and Demands

Recasens has not only spent over 100 years perfecting its products and manufacturing processes, it’s spent that time learning about the industries it serves and responding to and anticipating their needs. We offer RECwater in a standard roll size of 65.64 yards which is larger than many of our competitors. This larger roll means less end cuts and fabric waste. We’ve expanded our color and pattern selection, grown our distribution network and we continually keep our finger on the pulse of industry trends to ensure that we’re in touch with what our customers will be looking for next.

The RECacril^® 60” Collection Stack Book is one of our most popular sales tools, especially with reps who spend a lot of time on site with clients. Just ask Chris Nash of Vaughan’s Fabric & Supply:

“The Stack Book is a great alternative to the bulk of a standard sample book. It’s small enough to slip in your pocket and take on location to easily compare colors for customer projects,” says Nash. “The swatches are big enough to give a customer a proper idea of the fabric that will be used in their project, and I find that the way this book fans out like a deck of cards is perfect for viewing options side-by-side without having to flip back and forth between swatches. The Stack Book is the perfect fabric color reference for busy sales reps and design consultants.”

Measuring just 2.5” x 5”, the RECacril 60” Collection Stack Book is constructed as a pivoting fan so that each swatch can be viewed individually or side-by-side for color comparisons against each other and/or a customer’s decor. Each swatch is also large enough to allow for easy feel and viewing of its density and tightness of weave. The book features a convenient index of all colors for easy reference.

The Recasens Stack Book includes samples of our full range of 60” RECacril fabrics. To add it to your collection of RECacril sales tools, please contact your Recasens distributor or Doug Dubay.

McGee Blinds & Awnings has been manufacturing custom awnings, outdoor structures and window coverings for the Pacific Northwest area since 1971. Serving both commercial and residential customers from their Portland, OR location, there’s not a structure, product or fabric that it hasn’t worked with in its nearly 50 years of business.

Family owned and operated, McGee has a long-standing reputation for providing exceptional service and quality products, many of which are provided by trusted distributor and next door neighbor, Vaughan’s Fabric & Supply.

“We’ve worked with Vaughan’s for years, not simply because they’re next door, but because they’re an exceptional business partner,” says Coleen Hardenbrook, President of McGee. “So when they suggested we give RECacril^® a try, we knew it had to be a quality product.”

Vaughan became a Recasens distributor in 2016 and General Manager, Chris Nash, immediately brought some samples next door to share with Coleen.

“The first thing I noticed about RECacril was its stiffness,” Coleen comments about the fabric. “It has a great feel to it and hangs and sews much nicer than other fabrics. It doesn’t pucker.”

Coleen also likes the wider width of RECacril.

“RECacril comes in a 47 inch width rather than the 46 inch width of its competitors. That extra inch makes it the perfect size for a standard window awning,” adds Coleen. “ RECacril allows us to use a single panel of fabric which saves our customers money and results in a nicer looking and more durable end product.”

Even though McGee has only been carrying RECacril for about two years, the fabric is now used in approximately 90 percent of its projects.

“We love RECacril, so if given the option, we’ll use it over any other fabric,” states Coleen. “It’s simply the best solution for the job!”

For over twenty years, ShadeTree Canopies has been creating quality, custom-designed canopies, pergolas, awnings and other outdoor structures for discerning residential and commercial customers throughout North America. Known for its hands-on, consultative approach, ShadeTree is a company committed to quality through and through. See why this unerring commitment to creating only the best brought ShadeTree to Recasens.

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From warm brick reds and golds to cool blues and bold black and white, stripes are still dominating the awning fashion scene in colors spanning the rainbow. Some of our most popular stripes are still walking on the decidedly bold side pulling together warm combinations of brick and gold seen in our Bara, Yecla and Trujillo fabrics. Tapping into the bold sophistication of their NYC namesakes, our Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens fabrics manage to be both bold and understated at the same time in a way that only true New Yorkers can understand. Check out our full line of RECacril^® stripes today online or request a sample book.