Intermittent Awning - Recommendations for wire to repair?

[jimmoore13]

I think the wire feeding my awning motor is bad. Reason for the assumption: I fiddled with the wire at some crimp points (folds in the wire), and that restored intermittent operation to an otherwise totally failed awning motor. Also, if I use my drill and partially open the awning, there's less of a pinch in the wire at the suspect point, and the awning motor works (mostly). So, fiddling with the wire seems to make it work.

My first step in repair will be to splice in a length of wire that should bridge the area suspected to be damaged...in an area that experiences a 180 degree bend when closed.

Any recommendations on the type of wire? I'm concerned about the repeated 180 degree folds in the wire causing the strands to break...I presume it's stranded wire, about 20 or 22 gauge.

Is there a type of wire that survives this abuse better than other types of wire? Frankly, wire is not meant to be repeatedly bent back and forth as the wires feeding the awning motor do...you can break steel that way.

TIA for any advice you can offer.

[jimmoore13]

P.S. The rig is still in the field on our boondocking site, so it may be a week or more before I get to experiment with the repair and report back.

[TitanMike]

I have come to really like, and now prefer, Marine Duplex Wire for wiring jobs on my Trailer.

Kind of like "zip cord" with both well insulated conductors inside a really durable outet jacket. Wire strands are fine as well as the wire is designed for the vibration and flex often present in Marine applications. IMHO it's shoulders above any "Automotive" type wire as well.

Yes, it is more expensive but well worth it, especially with applications like an awning where the wire is exposed to weather.

I buy mine at a local West Marine store by the foot. Can also buy on Amazon but usually in specific lengths or 'spool'.

[jimmoore13]

Originally Posted by TitanMike

I have come to really like, and now prefer, Marine Duplex Wire for wiring jobs on my Trailer.

Kind of like "zip cord" with both well insulated conductors inside a really durable outet jacket. Wire strands are fine as well as the wire is designed for the vibration and flex often present in Marine applications. IMHO it's shoulders above any "Automotive" type wire as well.

Yes, it is more expensive but well worth it, especially with applications like an awning where the wire is exposed to weather.

I buy mine at a local West Marine store by the foot. Can also buy on Amazon but usually in specific lengths or 'spool'.

Thanks. This sounds like what I need. A bit of this and some heat-shrink tubing at the splices should do the job. Appreciate the counsel.

[jimmoore13]

Just ordered from Amazon...15 feet will replace the whole wire with 14 gauge wire. Thanks again.

[Jackfacente]

Is it a Thule Awning with gas shocks and only fails when coming in ?

[Larry-NC]

If you have the space to do it, put a loop at each place where the structure bends, so you don't get the crimps. It should look like the coil on a safety pin, but a single turn is probably sufficient.

[jimmoore13]

Originally Posted by Jackfacente

Is it a Thule Awning with gas shocks and only fails when coming in ?

No. It's a Solera by Lippert.

[jimmoore13]

Originally Posted by Larry-NC

If you have the space to do it, put a loop at each place where the structure bends, so you don't get the crimps. It should look like the coil on a safety pin, but a single turn is probably sufficient.

Good suggestion if there's room. The area I suspect is about 6 inches after it emerges from the rig, and a loop might get pinched. But I'll get to see it tonight and reassess the situation. Wire on order.
Meanwhile, my trusty drill can move it in and out...and it often gets the wire to reconnect for intermittent operation.