New Wildcat issues

[Filthy Beast]

Brought our new Wildcat home Thursday, today I was going to install my new Fantastic Vent and some covers and I find that my awning is starting to remove itself from the side of the rv. I have never even deployed it, the dealer showed me how to use it on our PDI and all went well. I am not even sure it will hold together for the 200 mile drive back to the dealer. I have call into the dealer service manager. I am a bit concerned as we have a trip planned for three weeks from now. It's kind of disappointing.

[bsmall]

Wow, wonder what caused that to give-way? I to would be concerned about towing it 200 miles back to the dealer.

[VTX Al]

Originally Posted by Filthy Beast

Brought our new Wildcat home Thursday, today I was going to install my new Fantastic Vent and some covers and I find that my awning is starting to remove itself from the side of the rv. I have never even deployed it, the dealer showed me how to use it on our PDI and all went well. I am not even sure it will hold together for the 200 mile drive back to the dealer. I have call into the dealer service manager. I am a bit concerned as we have a trip planned for three weeks from now. It's kind of disappointing.

Your awning is winding up "crooked" on the tube, because of misalignment between where it is connected at the trailer end and where it is connected to the awning tube. It can be re-aligned as a do-it-yourselfer but it really is a two-person job. When it is extended, have one person lift up on the tube, relieving the tension on the fabric. The other person can then reposition the fabric by sliding it along the tube channel one way or the other to the correct position. Test the alignment by extending and retracting a couple of times. When properly re-aligned, the arms will then nest properly and the fabric will roll up straight without overlapping crooked at the trailer wall end.

Some folks have inserted a rivet at the tube end to prevent the fabric from misaligning again (as it will likely do !) but I don't personally like that idea. Instead I just mark the location on one end of the tube where the fabric side is when aligned correctly with a black permanent marker. This helps when later on you have to do this task again.

Good luck
...VTX-Al

[Filthy Beast]

As a follow up, I had called the service manager and left a message on Sunday when I noticed the issue. The service manager did call back the same day but I missed his call. I am calling him this morning after he has a chance to see the pictures I sent him.

[TURBS]

What vtx said is correct!
had the same issue the awning fabric is mis aligned on the roller.

[crocus]

VTX and turbo, I think you need to look at the picture again! The mounting rail for the awning fabric is ripped right out of the camper wall!
It looks like it was just attached to the thin fibreglass, and they missed whatever was supposed to support the awning. Maybe they forgot to put the backing blocks in the wall?
Personally, I would remove the awning before I went anywhere, as the damage would be extensive if it was ripped right off the camper on the road, not to mention possibly killing someone else following.

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by crocus

VTX and turbo, I think you need to look at the picture again! The mounting rail for the awning fabric is ripped right out of the camper wall!
It looks like it was just attached to the thin fibreglass, and they missed whatever was supposed to support the awning. Maybe they forgot to put the backing blocks in the wall?
Personally, I would remove the awning before I went anywhere, as the damage would be extensive if it was ripped right off the camper on the road, not to mention possibly killing someone else following.

I think the misaligned awning retraction caused the torque that pulled the awning away from the wall. The screws may or may not have been in an aluminum stud; hard to tell; but the motor is pretty powerful.

"Personally, I would remove the awning before I went anywhere, as the damage would be extensive if it was ripped right off the camper on the road, not to mention possibly killing someone else following."

Now this statement I agree with 110%
I would go no where until than awning was removed and stowed.

[crocus]

"I think the misaligned awning retraction caused the torque that pulled the awning away from the wall."
========================
If the awning rail was properly attached, I can't see it.
Besides, if the awning is simply mislaigned on the outboard tube, that wouldn't unto itself cause one end to be tighter than the other.
There is something else at work here.
Maybe the awning fabric is not square?
One thing for sure, if it is a problem with the awning fabric, it should have been obvious when closing the awning, that one arm would have been retracted against the camper wall, with the other still many inches away. Of course the OP would not have noticed, probably being overwhelmed by the whole pickup day experienece, but the dealer guy doing the PDI should have seen it. Maybe he did, and just "hoped" it would be ok?
Unfortunately, with it already coming apart, running the awning in and out to test it would probably not be a good idea.
Whatever the case, this is one of those things that should never happen.

[VTX Al]

Originally Posted by herk7769

I think the misaligned awning retraction caused the torque that pulled the awning away from the wall. The screws may or may not have been in an aluminum stud; hard to tell; but the motor is pretty powerful.

"Personally, I would remove the awning before I went anywhere, as the damage would be extensive if it was ripped right off the camper on the road, not to mention possibly killing someone else following."

Now this statement I agree with 110%
I would go no where until than awning was removed and stowed.

Upon closer examination of the photo, Crocus is right - I missed the obvious mounting screws just hanging there and the tape. Much more serious problem than I initially envisioned. Wonder if there is a way to secure the awning assembly for transport or else have a local RV shop properly remove it with FR paying the bill ?

...VTX-Al

[crocus]

VTX, I think many looked at the crumpled-looking awning fabric first, as many of us have that happen to our power awnings!
I went out and looked at our Flagstaff, and the rail where the awning fabric attaches to the camper wall extends about a foot past each end of the awning. I wonder if they did that because of the above issue happening to them, and the Wildcat factory did not follow suit?
But it still shouldn't happen. There should be something in the wall to screw into, and no matter what, that rail should never pull out.

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by VTX Al

Upon closer examination of the photo, Crocus is right - I missed the obvious mounting screws just hanging there and the tape. Much more serious problem than I initially envisioned. Wonder if there is a way to secure the awning assembly for transport or else have a local RV shop properly remove it with FR paying the bill ?

...VTX-Al

You could wrap a couple of tie down straps around the entire trailer. Just pad (some old mouse pads might work) where they would rub the rubber roof at the edges. Use gorilla tape around the hooks where the strap ends hook together. This should prevent wear holes in the roofing and scuff marks in the walls.

[Filthy Beast]

an update, we took the unit back to the dealer and they fixed it on our way to a 4 day stop at Bottomless lakes state park where we used the awning each day without issue. Our dealer, Bison RV Clovis, NM has been great with making sure we are happy.