the Awning

Before the Dutchman was delivered to White Birch we went out to put some things in it to have hauled with it.. seeing the Awning i asked how it worked to get it out... Jerry was going to show us but Steve said no we can figure it out ... Jerry said it was easy...there was a pole in the closet that you use to release it up at the top and roll it out... easy....
I thought we should roll it out and see what it looked like... I got the pole for Steve.. he had me on one side and he said "Be ready" for it to release and it will be heavy...he unhooked the tab.. I braced myself....nothing happened..okay now what?? we decided the knobs connecting 2 poles
on each side should be loosened.....so we did...they dropped down...but it didn't release the top of it... I was sure the poles released completely from the camper and came out as the awning unrolled and then the poles set out at the end ... Steve thought it stayed attached to the camper and came out in a V... we finally got the poles released from the camper...and having loosened the the knobs too much they came apart so we had to wrestle with it to get both poles reconnected..and darn that awning was heavy... got them back connected... Steve's idea wasn't working so he agreed to try mine...we walked the poles out and got it set up... this took about 1/2 hr... there has to be an easier way to do this???