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Old 10-27-2016, 01:09 PM   #1
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Awning not fully retracting

So I'm starting the winterization process on my 3011 and just noticed that the awning is not fully retracting on the one side closest to the door. I have not had a chance to read through the manual yet to see if they have any troubleshooting procedures for this condition. Anyone else run into this problem?
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Old 10-27-2016, 01:15 PM   #2
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Look at the camper straight out from the arm. Is it misaligned?
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Old 10-27-2016, 01:15 PM   #3
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Deploy the awning and center the material on the tube, run it in and out a couple of times and pop rivet both ends thru the hem.
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Old 10-27-2016, 01:16 PM   #4
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Originally Posted by ependydad View Post
Look at the camper straight out from the arm. Is it misaligned?
Not misaligned that I can see.
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Old 10-27-2016, 01:19 PM   #5
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Deploy the awning and center the material on the tube, run it in and out a couple of times and pop rivet both ends thru the hem.
I was thinking that the material may have stretched out further on one end than the other over time. I think your suggestion would have fix a situation like that?
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Old 10-27-2016, 01:22 PM   #6
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Deploy the awning and center the material on the tube, run it in and out a couple of times and pop rivet both ends thru the hem.
I agree.

I had this same issue but I couldn't figure out how to center the fabric. I finally watched a mobile RV tech do it:
- he got on a ladder at one end of the awning
- he gripped the awning material with one hand
- with his other hand, he shoved the awning tube away from himself

He ran the awning in to check for it being centered. He repeated the steps until it was centered and rolled up nicely. He sometimes had to go to the other end of the awning when he overshot it.
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Old 10-27-2016, 01:29 PM   #7
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I was thinking that the material may have stretched out further on one end than the other over time. I think your suggestion would have fix a situation like that?
Being mis-aligned is what causes the stretching on one side problem. Center and pop rivet the material and it will "heal" itself.
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Old 10-27-2016, 01:38 PM   #8
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Does your awning arms have the adjustment knob for lowering?
I've seen sometimes where if the knob was tightened (really tightly) so the arms were different lengths, it would cause this.
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Old 10-27-2016, 01:47 PM   #9
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Not misaligned that I can see.
Don't just look, measure it! Should be the same measurement from hem to end of tube on both ends.
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Old 10-27-2016, 01:51 PM   #10
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Does your awning arms have the adjustment knob for lowering?
I've seen sometimes where if the knob was tightened (really tightly) so the arms were different lengths, it would cause this.
I always make sure that the knobs are loosed so that the arms move freely. I assume that is the best process?
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Old 10-27-2016, 02:05 PM   #11
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Don't just look, measure it! Should be the same measurement from hem to end of tube on both ends.
Not necessarily. If the awning fabric is in the wall rail closer to one arm than the other, it won't be centered on the roller tube. I know this from a fact. Mine was off a little more than a 1/2".
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Old 10-27-2016, 02:19 PM   #12
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I always make sure that the knobs are loosed so that the arms move freely. I assume that is the best process?
That should be just fine.

Sometimes my awning will 'pop' at about 6-8 inches coming out if I leave the knobs loose. If I let the arms out all the way, then tighten the knobs ever so slightly before retraction, it doesn't do that. But this is something entirely different than the arm sticking out.

Unless you somehow bent an arm, I'm with those that suggested you look at whether the fabric is centered.
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Old 10-27-2016, 02:24 PM   #13
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Not necessarily. If the awning fabric is in the wall rail closer to one arm than the other, it won't be centered on the roller tube. I know this from a fact. Mine was off a little more than a 1/2".
Being a perfectionist, center it on the rail AND the tube.
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Old 10-28-2016, 10:27 AM   #14
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Interesting! My awning on my 3051 looks exactly like newRVers. I asked the FR reps to look at adjusting it while I was at the FROG rally back in August. Their awning repairer came by and did something to it that got it a little closer to fully retracted. (Don't know what he did, I wasn't there at the time). By the time I got back home it looked like it did before. So your fix must be one that Forest River techs are not aware of. I am headed down to my RV now to check the fix you guys are talking about. Thanks!
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Old 10-28-2016, 12:33 PM   #15
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Awning misaligned

I had this same issue on my new 2014 sunseeker when I bought it 2 years ago. the awning material was aligned ok and eventually I figured out it's how the awning wires lay inside the track arm. They would not always lay as flat as they could when The inside track folds into the outside track. Mine had an insert covering the wires that could be moved slightly, up or down an inch or so, and I believe it closed and locked when I moved this insert up. Try both ways to see how best to cover the wires when the arms fold together. Good luck.
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Old 10-28-2016, 12:53 PM   #16
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Your fabric is misaligned...either at the camper's roof edge or the roller tube or maybe both.
My unit was like that when new...realigned at the camper and had metal screws on both ends so it doesn't move + realigned on the tube and did what OC was saying.
2 seasons now...trouble free...21' awning.
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Old 10-28-2016, 12:59 PM   #17
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This is a very common issue. "Old Coot" in post #3 has the exact solution. Hint: When the awning is fully extended, have someone release the tension by manually holding up the tube while another is moving the awning fabric in the slot.

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Old 10-28-2016, 02:22 PM   #18
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Wow! Got several things to look at!

Step 1 > Get a ladder!

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Old 10-28-2016, 03:29 PM   #19
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Wow! Got several things to look at!

Step 1 > Get a ladder!

***Thanks***
While you are looking, carefully inspect the rear arm and track. If it is exactly where it should be, I'm not seeing how the awning material can cause the front arm to not align with the track. The roller itself determines the distance between the arms, not the material from what I can figure. I have the same issue with mine but always figured they installed the front track about a 1/2 too far towards the rear of the mh.
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Old 10-28-2016, 03:35 PM   #20
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Here the front rail on my S-Seeker.


Rear one.

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