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Old 08-02-2012, 03:05 PM   #1
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A&E Power Awning

My power awning will extend just fine but needs help in retracting. One tech says it might be the switch but you can extend it half way out and it will retract just fine. It only needs a little help in retracting if it is extended all the way out? Need some help.
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Old 08-02-2012, 03:22 PM   #2
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Originally Posted by jgrayjr
My power awning will extend just fine but needs help in retracting. One tech says it might be the switch but you can extend it half way out and it will retract just fine. It only needs a little help in retracting if it is extended all the way out? Need some help.
Sounds like the gas shocks may be to stiff.
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Old 08-02-2012, 04:01 PM   #3
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my power awning was sluggish when i retracted it . i looked at the main brackets when it finally did retract and noticed they were not aligned at the trailer. brackets on each side were about 1/2" off center.i ran the awning back out and centered the awning fabric in the slot on the roller so each side was equal. retracted it again and it rolled up with no problems.i don't think that 12 volt motor has enough power to wind back up if there is any resistance especially winding the fabric back up off center.


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Old 08-02-2012, 04:03 PM   #4
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Originally Posted by realebill View Post
my power awning was sluggish when i retracted it . i looked at the main brackets when it finally did retract and noticed they were not aligned at the trailer. brackets on each side were about 1/2" off center.i ran the awning back out and centered the awning fabric in the slot on the roller so each side was equal. retracted it again and it rolled up with no problems.i don't think that 12 volt motor has enough power to wind back up if there is any resistance especially winding the fabric back up off center.


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Ditto! Look at the awning material. If it is "racked" even a little bit the arms will bind when retracting. (it will "un-bind" going out) and will work better going in that direction.
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Old 08-02-2012, 04:28 PM   #5
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Originally Posted by realebill View Post
my power awning was sluggish when i retracted it . i looked at the main brackets when it finally did retract and noticed they were not aligned at the trailer. brackets on each side were about 1/2" off center.i ran the awning back out and centered the awning fabric in the slot on the roller so each side was equal. retracted it again and it rolled up with no problems.i don't think that 12 volt motor has enough power to wind back up if there is any resistance especially winding the fabric back up off center.


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Once you get it straightened and centered, you need to pop rivet the hem to the tube on both ends to eliminate it from "racking" again. Herk has a picture of how it looks after it is finished.
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Old 08-02-2012, 04:40 PM   #6
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Once you get it straightened and centered, you need to pop rivet the hem to the tube on both ends to eliminate it from "racking" again. Herk has a picture of how it looks after it is finished.
The awning fabric is going back on straight as far as I can tell and it is already pop riveted to the tube on both ends. Another person said my gas shocks might be too stiff. If that is the case how did it work just fine a month ago and now it won't?
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Old 08-02-2012, 04:43 PM   #7
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Sounds like the gas shocks may be to stiff.
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If they are too stiff how would I get them to be less stiff. Would I take them off and work them or lubricate the dickens out of them? Afraid to take them off because they might be stronger than I think?
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Old 08-02-2012, 05:36 PM   #8
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If you look close to the shock it has numbers and writing on them.

Part of the part number is the poundage.
Let me know what you find.
Check both by the way.
Ron
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Old 08-02-2012, 05:57 PM   #9
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[QUOTE=f1100turbo;231501]If you look close to the shock it has numbers and writing on them.

Part of the part number is the poundage.
Let me know what you find.
Check both by the way.
Ron

The 5th wheel and the power awning are only 2.5 years old and the shocks have never been changed out but I will check both shocks and let you know what I found out. It might be a couple of days before I can move the 5th wheel out to where the awning can be extended. Thanks
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Old 08-02-2012, 06:02 PM   #10
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[QUOTE=dunnnc;231474]Once you get it straightened and centered, you need to pop rivet the hem to the tube on both ends to eliminate it from "racking" again. Herk has a picture of how it looks after it is finished.

I went out and checked the awning again and found that the vinyl has shifted to one side both at the trailer and on the tube. There is about six inches between the vinyl and the end of the tube on one end and about a couple of inches between the binyl and the end of the tube on the other end. Is that enough to cause friction to not retract very good?
I will pull the trailer out tomorrow and extend the awning and see if I can center the vinyl both at the trailer and on the tube. I think I can put a small screw at both ends of the vinyl at the trailer and pop rivet the vinyl on the tube once it is centered as well. I will let you know if your idea works. Thanks
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Old 08-02-2012, 06:04 PM   #11
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I thought this unit was new .

In that case if you just started having problems I'm guessing the pivot pins are getting froze up.
Going out I believe the shocks help awning motor take awning out. going in the shocks fight it .
You might have to remove shocks and lube all pivots while rolling in and out.

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Old 08-02-2012, 06:16 PM   #12
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[QUOTE=f1100turbo;231508]I thought this unit was new .

In that case if you just started having problems I'm guessing the pivot pins are getting froze up.
Going out I believe the shocks help awning motor take awning out. going in the shocks fight it .
You might have to remove shocks and lube all pivots while rolling in and out.

Ron

The 5th wheel has been stored for about a year and a half and when I extended it out for the first time it worked great. It retracted good as well but when I tried it again and extended it all the way out it would not retract. I did lubricate the pins but it didn't change so now I have a couple of things to check out. Such as making sure the vinyl is evenly distributed on the tube and at the trailer, check the shocks and make sure none of the pivot pins are stiff. You and another person have made suggestions and I am going to do what you both have recommended and go from there. Thanks for your help.....
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Old 08-02-2012, 06:28 PM   #13
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Good luck let's us know how u make out.
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Old 08-03-2012, 03:12 PM   #14
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Good luck let's us know how u make out.
I lubricated everything on the awning arms. I tried to center the vinyl fabric on the tube but it got hot before I could work on it and the vinyl would not move. I did however get it better centered and the awning does retract but does have a little problem getting started but once it starts it retracts well. I will wait until the weather cools off and the polycords shrink to try to center the vinyl any further. Thanks
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Old 08-03-2012, 04:17 PM   #15
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[QUOTE=jgrayjr;231507]
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Originally Posted by dunnnc View Post
Once you get it straightened and centered, you need to pop rivet the hem to the tube on both ends to eliminate it from "racking" again. Herk has a picture of how it looks after it is finished.

I went out and checked the awning again and found that the vinyl has shifted to one side both at the trailer and on the tube. There is about six inches between the vinyl and the end of the tube on one end and about a couple of inches between the binyl and the end of the tube on the other end. Is that enough to cause friction to not retract very good?
I will pull the trailer out tomorrow and extend the awning and see if I can center the vinyl both at the trailer and on the tube. I think I can put a small screw at both ends of the vinyl at the trailer and pop rivet the vinyl on the tube once it is centered as well. I will let you know if your idea works. Thanks
that's about how much mine was off center. took a couple of trys centering and rolling back in and out but i finally got it centered properly to where the arms were centered when it was retracted up against the trailer. when i was satisfied that it was retracting centered,i drilled and pop-rivited the awning in place on the roller.
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Old 08-03-2012, 04:40 PM   #16
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[QUOTE=jgrayjr;231507][QUOTE=dunnnc;231474]Once you get it straightened and centered, you need to pop rivet the hem to the tube on both ends to eliminate it from "racking" again. Herk has a picture of how it looks after it is finished.

Who is Herk and where is the picture you are referring to?
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Old 08-03-2012, 04:52 PM   #17
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[QUOTE=jgrayjr;231915][QUOTE=jgrayjr;231507]
Quote:
Originally Posted by dunnnc View Post
Once you get it straightened and centered, you need to pop rivet the hem to the tube on both ends to eliminate it from "racking" again. Herk has a picture of how it looks after it is finished.

Who is Herk and where is the picture you are referring to?
It is a picture I took after pop riveting my awning which Herk likes to show as an "Over-extended" awning, which is a no-no,

Some folks say this is wrong that the cords in the tube will hold it, but of the 8 awnings I've had, none have had the cords "Cut correctly" from the awning mfg.

So I guess the awning mfgrs don't even know how to do it correctly.
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Old 08-03-2012, 05:39 PM   #18
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[QUOTE=jgrayjr;231915][QUOTE=jgrayjr;231507]
Quote:
Originally Posted by dunnnc View Post
Once you get it straightened and centered, you need to pop rivet the hem to the tube on both ends to eliminate it from "racking" again. Herk has a picture of how it looks after it is finished.

Who is Herk and where is the picture you are referring to?
Still don't find that picture you are referring to. Can you enlighten me as to where it is at? Thanks
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Old 08-03-2012, 06:00 PM   #19
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[QUOTE=jgrayjr;231941][QUOTE=jgrayjr;231915]
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Originally Posted by jgrayjr View Post

Still don't find that picture you are referring to. Can you enlighten me as to where it is at? Thanks
Are you able to see the photo in post #17?
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Old 08-03-2012, 06:48 PM   #20
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I am new to this forum so I have no idea where post #17 is?
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