power awning problems

[Still Kickin]

Coot, you're half right in that you forgot to include the spring loaded struts do almost all of the work in that direction. The struts are extremely powerful, where the motor acts as the movement function inbetween the counteracting forces.

[Still Kickin]

Originally Posted by OldCoot

The torsion spring is probably wound too tight. The tension needs to be reduced, not increased. The torsion spring when the awning is deployed is wound to assist the motor in rolling the awning up.

I would also investigate that the pin is not sheared in the torsion spring to the awning arm and the rivets are still in the end cap to the tube itself.

There is what I will call a dead spot in the counteracting forces, tube spring load and strut deployment force. A properly operating awning almost goes "limp" as it nears the closed position. There has to be sufficient tension, however so slight, to hold the fabric on the tube in a manner sufficient during the initial deployment phase, before the strut forces take over and increasingly push against the increasing spring tension. Hope that makes my previous statement somewhat clearer. Just sayin'

Good point on the rivets.

[FLRVWI]

As I said previously, I had the same problem with our 2016 33IK. I called Dometic and they couldn't give me a good answer, but one of the dealer's mechanic had finally figured it out. He had to replace someone's awning and while doing so he found that it could be fixed by just changing the tension on the roll spring. I think I said he tightened the spring tension, but actually loosened it.
The motor drives the awning out and if the spring is to tight it won't let the roller pull the awning cover straight and by loosening the tension the motor doesn't work as hard. You will notice that the awning will roll up a little slower because the spring isn't assisting it as much, but it doesn't affect the wind-up itself. If you haven't had any experience with tension rollers, please hire someone to do this modification. I want you to continue too enjoy your RV, by having both arms working.
I informed customer service exactly what was done to repair the problem and gave them the name and number of the mechanic, at the dealership. Also my awning has worked excellent, at least 6 or 7 times since the repair.

[dalford]

Originally Posted by Still Kickin View Post
Not true. The motor begins the deployment process, while the spring on the opposite side loads. If you're interested, read my initial post on how the engineers made all these forces work in unison. Just sayin'

Originally Posted by OldCoot

The motor has to work AGAINST the torsion spring to unroll the awning. When deployed, the torsion spring works WITH the motor to roll the awning into the stow position.

Aren't you both saying the same thing? Isn't working against the spring the same as loading the spring?

[whatsupchuck]

Still Kickin,

Must go back and find your original post as that makes sense. Over the weekend, I could find nothing binding anywhere on either of the arms. While we have a string of mild weather, I'm going to get the ladder out and look again after "bumping" the motor to relieve stored tension.

Our previous rig had a Carefree that worked perfectly and slammed against the wall when closing. Arms on that one were similar to this one.

Right now, it'll have to wait as DW has just been diagnosed with a spinal fracture that is not repairable with cement as we'd hoped. Further work on that will have to come first.

We may be out of the trailer business after making one payment.

[Witch Doctor]

Take care of your wife and forget about the awning.

[Still Kickin]

Originally Posted by dalford

Originally Posted by Still Kickin View Post
Not true. The motor begins the deployment process, while the spring on the opposite side loads. If you're interested, read my initial post on how the engineers made all these forces work in unison. Just sayin'




Aren't you both saying the same thing? Isn't working against the spring the same as loading the spring?

Might be, but Coot is "old" so not sure. I'm teasing. Whats important in all this is, that the motors main function is to power the winding/unwinding action of the tube as the secondary force to the spring and strut forces. Those primary forces are what enables the awning to deploy with such ease and a small assist motor.

Ditto, not important now, hope all goes well.

[hughd033]

Wel as I had replied earlier in this thread it appears to be a common issue with Dometic and I had one side the non motor side that needed a helping hand. Well told dealer and after they ran it in and out a few times now both sides need help so they are ordering new struts. From what I have read thus far don't think this is going to be the fix will see and respond accordingly.

[wmbuttion]

We just took delivery on a Ceder Creek same problem. arms needs a helping so in about 2 weeks were taking unit back. Minor repairs. 38RD awesome unit.

[GaryO]

Picked my 36ckts up from service and tried awning a few times and worked every time.This last time in they replace the complete arm assembly, so that and new gas struts and the rubber spring stop that they put on the other 2 times in for this hopefully cured problem. It is put away in garage till April then back to dealer for kit on under side of slide out to keep fabric from tearing plus new rear decal and new recliner back.

[whatsupchuck]

DW must now get approval from heart folks for surgery as she is packin' a pacemaker. That may be a problem since spine guy wants to go in from the front to remove failed vert. before the steel and screws on another job. Jeese, this gets worse the more we proceed.

I'll have plenty of time to leave new rig at stealer now. Might even need to have 'em put a For Sale sign on it after fixing the self adjusting breaks so they don't self adjust into molten metal. Trailer will have less than 100 miles on it when back to dealer.

COPILOT COMES FIRST and LEAVE NO ONE BEHIND!

[Loraura]

They went in from the front on my back surgery. It's not as bad as it looks, but she will be very weak, unable to sit up or get out of bed unassisted until her core heals. Get one of those ice pack machines that pumps ice water through a pack for hours. It was a life saver. Wishing you both best of luck with the surgery.

[offduty11]

Originally Posted by GaryO

I have a 2015 36ckts with a dometic power awning and it wont extend out.When I extend it one side [motor side] extends other side just unwinds,I give it a little pull and it works. I took back to dealer they said it worked for them,couple days later I tried and same problem. Took back to dealer showed them problem,left it there. They called said they put new gas struts on and still didn't help they called dometic and they sent a bump kit and dealer installed and said fixed problem I went to pick it up and tried awning at the dealers lot and same problem! Showed service manager and he was surprised,we leveled trailer and it worked then I noticed front awning arm was sticking out about 2 inches at bottom when awning was closed. Went camping this past weekend and same problem won't extend on it's own.Anyone else have this problem? Contacting dealer in morning.

Same problem here on my 2016 Silverback 29re. I have to give the arm next to the entry door a tug to extend. Motor side works fine. the unit is at the dealer now with that problem on the list so I don't know the outcome yet.

[GaryO]

Dometic makes a rubber spring-bump stop for this problem. When dealer put it on mine they put on both awning arms and damaged the motor side arm.This time in they put a complete new arm assembly on motor side without rubber spring-bump stop and is working fine for now.

[jjacobson71]

I have a similar situation with a 27RKSS. Power awning won't go out, it just clicks and awning light goes dim.

[Joe_GA]

Interesting thread. Mine works great, but here's an interesting side note. Last year, it was raining on a cold winter day. I had my awning out and didn't realize that the rain changed to sleet and snow. When I noticed, I attempted to pull in the awning. No go! The motor grunted and that was it! I got a water hose and washed the snow and ice off the awning and pulled it in and waited for warm, dry weather to extend it and let it dry out.

[aceinspp]

Originally Posted by offduty11

Same problem here on my 2016 Silverback 29re. I have to give the arm next to the entry door a tug to extend. Motor side works fine. the unit is at the dealer now with that problem on the list so I don't know the outcome yet.

Same problem here but no biggie just deal with it in stead of fighting dealer. Later RJD

[bob caldwell]

Sight up the arms...doesn't take much of a 'dent' to bind....Alum. yard stick works good for a straight edge

[whatsupchuck]

Both arms will not leave the wall. Fabric just rolls down from the tube. Pulling on arms reveals tension holding them closed and not related to the tube or motor. Awning is 21 feet long and will not easily move away by trying to push tube from the doorway with a finger on the switch.

In the midst of scheduling wifes back surgery. Seems doctors down here do not communicate and we just found out a date was set for Feb. 9th with no notification to us. We should've gone to S.A.!

I at least got the darned water filter removed and used a 1/2 inch FPT union to replace it. Looking at that filter housing makes me worry about what other cheap stuff was put in. So glad it is gone. Has held water pressure for two days now with no leaks.

Gotta keep smilin' as can't use the trailer anyway. Might as well just haul it back to dealer and say call me when it works.

[waylan70]

Has anyone had to manually roll up your DOmetic Power Awnings Before? One of the two awnings will not retract.