Finally have a complaint!!

[Orangecrush]

While this is my fault, I’m totally disgusted with the poor design of my complaint.

Two years ago I left my awning open and as luck would have it, a surprise rain storm popped up.

Needless to say, the weight of the water on the awning made the arms bend and snap.
The cost for that repair was covered as good will but was still a $9K repair.

Since that happened two years ago, I have used the awning less than a dozen times. Ice had problems with adjustments to the point it wouldn’t work correctly. (Inept dealer tech)

This week I was grilling out late and needed some extra light so i opened the awning. I forgot to retract it and of course, a huge storm came up.

All of this is my fault, my responsibility but you’d think for $9K there would be some sort of adjustment to allow water to run off so as not to let the water accumulate and gather enough to bend the arms. (The weight of the water collected isn’t what bends the arms, it’s the weight of the water which makes the wind sensor attempt to retract the arms, that’s when it trashes the arms)

Like I said, forgetting to retract the awning is my responsibility but I think I’d rather have a manual awning so I can tilt it.

Mark

[NXR]

What kind of awnings do you have? The Solera awnings on our Georgetown have a sticker on the arms showing how to do that. You grab the arm and pull down. That angles that side down to allow water to run off. When you retract them, the angle fixes itself. You never push the arm back up.

Ray

[bubbles]

Doesn't the Dynamax have lateral arm awnings.

[dannko]

$9K ? I hope awnings don't cost that much. Did they do some repair to the coach wall or roofline? I have to admit the weight of even my small awning concerns me resting on those two plates. I would prefer if we could add some braces that would snap onto the awning and the wall of the coach. Nothing permanent, yet super strong additions when needed.

[dalford]

Another thing to watch. I see this all the tome in rv parks. When you extend the awning do not extend it all the way out and leave it. Extend it all the way and then retract it until the motor roller bar allows the awning material to be a smooth transition for water to flow off.

If you overextend it creates a dam that will,allow water to pool and not flow off cleanly.

Also, most awnings I’ve had have a thumb screw knob where you can pull,down on one side to slant the awning.

I’ve attached a rough sketch.

[Ladytj1754]

Originally Posted by Orangecrush

While this is my fault, I’m totally disgusted with the poor design of my complaint.

Two years ago I left my awning open and as luck would have it, a surprise rain storm popped up.

Needless to say, the weight of the water on the awning made the arms bend and snap.
The cost for that repair was covered as good will but was still a $9K repair.

Since that happened two years ago, I have used the awning less than a dozen times. Ice had problems with adjustments to the point it wouldn’t work correctly. (Inept dealer tech)

This week I was grilling out late and needed some extra light so i opened the awning. I forgot to retract it and of course, a huge storm came up.

All of this is my fault, my responsibility but you’d think for $9K there would be some sort of adjustment to allow water to run off so as not to let the water accumulate and gather enough to bend the arms. (The weight of the water collected isn’t what bends the arms, it’s the weight of the water which makes the wind sensor attempt to retract the arms, that’s when it trashes the arms)

Like I said, forgetting to retract the awning is my responsibility but I think I’d rather have a manual awning so I can tilt it.

Mark

We had the identical thing happen to us in Shreveport, LA last Feb. at the beginning of a month long trip. Had to call a mobile mechanic to help get the awning secured so we could continue on our trip. Fortunately, we live pretty close to the manufacturer and our repair facility in Denver has a relationship with the company. They were able to replace the bent arm and repaint for $4000. Our deductible was $125. So we got away with not spending that $9000.

We agree: bad awning design. More the fault of Carefree than Dynamax, though, I think.

[nomad297]

Originally Posted by dalford

Another thing to watch. I see this all the tome in rv parks. When you extend the awning do not extend it all the way out and leave it. Extend it all the way and then retract it until the motor roller bar allows the awning material to be a smooth transition for water to flow off.

If you overextend it creates a dam that will,allow water to pool and not flow off cleanly.

Also, most awnings I’ve had have a thumb screw knob where you can pull,down on one side to slant the awning.

I’ve attached a rough sketch.

I see this all of the time as well. Your sketch should really help people who wouldn’t otherwise understand what you are talking about.

Bruce

[bubbles]

Originally Posted by nomad297

I see this all of the time as well. Your sketch should really help people who wouldn’t otherwise understand what you are talking about.

Bruce

However, it is useless information for the OP. The OP's awning (according to the net posted pictures) doesn't have a roller tube set up like the one drawn it is a lateral arm awning. Completely different animal.

[nomad297]

Originally Posted by bubbles

However, it is useless information for the OP.

Whether it is useless to the OP, or not, it is useful information for probably most people on this forum, and it deserves thanks.

Bruce

[Orangecrush]

I can’t verify the 9K cost except by what the dealer told me (it was graciously covered under warranty)

I try not to use the awning in fear I’ll forget I leave it extended and cause the issue I find myself in again.

And yes, the arms are of a lateral arm design.

Oh well, live and hopefully learn.

Mark

[Ladytj1754]

Yes, it IS indeed a $9000 awning. Fortunately, they were able to fix ours with parts and the entire awning did not need to be replaced.

[Larry-NC]

Okay, I watched a video to learn what a "lateral arm awning" is. This leaves me with a question: Is there any way to set one end lower than the other?

This is what should always be done with a conventional awning. Admittedly it looks a little goofy, but it makes a water channel that flows off the low side of the awning, regardless of whether there is pooling due to the roller OR due to sag in the fabric.

I am always surprised when I see photos on this website and both ends of the extended awning are at the same height. I've even commented on it a few times when it is obvious that the poster is new to RVs.

[bubbles]

Originally Posted by Larry-NC

Okay, I watched a video to learn what a "lateral arm awning" is. This leaves me with a question: Is there any way to set one end lower than the other?

This is what should always be done with a conventional awning. Admittedly it looks a little goofy, but it makes a water channel that flows off the low side of the awning, regardless of whether there is pooling due to the roller OR due to sag in the fabric.

I am always surprised when I see photos on this website and both ends of the extended awning are at the same height. I've even commented on it a few times when it is obvious that the poster is new to RVs.

There is a lateral arm awning sometimes called a dual stage (depends on mfg) that has a fixed portion of the awning at an angle to allow runoff. Don't know if a different mounting of the OP's awning would provide runoff. Can't lower just one side. I think this is correct.

[johndjmix]

How does any RV awning cost 9K????

Tell you what, the old school awnings with the support arms you would hit your head on are sounding better and better.

1. They don’t cost 9K

2. They can take a lot more wind

3. Tired and dated yet proven design and strength

—john

[rollscanardly]

Our old camper has manual everything, and no slide outs.



It's a little cruder than most, but I'm so glad it's that way. So much less to go wrong.



We are, after all, "camping"... ...


Rich

[Bob2019]

Since awning design is mentioned, Lippert's Solera has a design flaw that water follows down the harness wires that connect to the touchpad. I was told by Lippert that they would send me a new harness and touchpad when mine would not retract smoothly. The awning wires (6 cables) go through the wall of the coach so you can't just rewire it through walls - you have to cut each cable that contains 2 to 3 wires each and splice each to the new connector harness to touch pad. There are 12 wires in all to splice and you are to cover each splice with shrink tubing. The harness wires go to different harness slots like 1,4 9, then the next wire 2,12, etc. I tried using crimp connectors but the touch pad harness was too heavy and they kept coming loose. So I gave up and soldered each splice. You are then to use liquid tape on every shrink tube end and all over the wires going into the touch pad connector. This took me most of a day and not what I wanted to do on a Saturday. Why anyone would engineer a design that water follows vertical wires into a controller and corrodes the terminals is beyond me. Lippert has been good about this shipping to me at no cost the wiring harness and now two controllers. Picture of controller terminals that water corroded.

Unfortunately, this isn't the end of my awning troubles. One of the gears threw a few teeth (I have no idea why). All a sudden the retracting gas X? released the awning from the coach and knocked my ladder over. Glad I was not on it. To add insult, about 5 local dealers said they could not get replacement gears that list for around $29.00 and want to sell me the complete drive head for over $400.00. Who finally got me the gears for $94.00 shipped to the store? Gander Mountain (Camping World). More of my time now replacing the gears. A manual awning is looking better all the time in my situation.

[Larry-NC]

Originally Posted by Bob2019

Since awning design is mentioned, Lippert's Solera has a design flaw that water follows down the harness wires that connect to the touchpad. I was told by Lippert that they would send me a new harness and touchpad when mine would not retract smoothly. This took me most of a day and not what I wanted to do on a Saturday. Why anyone would engineer a design that water follows vertical wires into a controller and corrodes the terminals is beyond me. Lippert has been good about this shipping to me at no cost the wiring harness and now two controllers.

Probably a century ago, Bell Labs and Western Electric solved this problem. It is called a "drip loop." When an outside cable runs down to a terminal box (these days it is called a "demarcation box" which separates their wiring from yours), they run the cable past the box, bend a "U" in it, and enter the box from the bottom.

Is there any way you can run this harness past the touchpad, bend a "U" in it, and come back up? Water coming down will drop off at the base of the U and not enter the electronics.

[Bob2019]

Originally Posted by Larry-NC

Probably a century ago, Bell Labs and Western Electric solved this problem. It is called a "drip loop." When an outside cable runs down to a terminal box (these days it is called a "demarcation box" which separates their wiring from yours), they run the cable past the box, bend a "U" in it, and enter the box from the bottom.

Is there any way you can run this harness past the touchpad, bend a "U" in it, and come back up? Water coming down will drop off at the base of the U and not enter the electronics.

Your suggestion makes sense but won't work here. So little room for all those splices and shrink tubing in the awning arm with the controller at the bottom of the arm using most of the space. Three of the cables that contain wires that are above the controller and 3 are below with about 4" length to cut and splice on the ones below. I had a hard time with the 6 cables and twelve splices to jam it all back to the top of the connector. Currently, as I noted Lippert has sent a second controller as the little green light keep blinking (should not) indicating either a bad controller or moisture somewhere else causing a level 2 fault. Pulling all that wire mess out again to change the controller will probably require inspection of the splices and more liquid tape applied as movement breaks the seal of the liquid tape.

[johndjmix]

Very easy solution, once you make the connections to the box cover the entire top of it with any of the electrical epoxy products...seal the entire thing that way...no way for water to get to the terminals.


--John

[Bob2019]

Originally Posted by johndjmix

Very easy solution, once you make the connections to the box cover the entire top of it with any of the electrical epoxy products...seal the entire thing that way...no way for water to get to the terminals.


--John

That is what Lippert in their printed instruction suggest to do, either before you have a problem with water intrusion or after you splice in a replacement connector to the old harness. Did all that before getting more rain. Hoping the second replacement controller solves the blinking fault light.