Suggestions on new awning 2024 Isata 3

[Life in the slow lane]

So 3 weeks ago I finally bought a new 2024 Isata 3. The armless Carefree Latitude awning was open for a total of 2 hours before a loud bang and the awning crashed down. Not a breath of wind or drop of rain. Repair parts are "not available" Can you all chime in for an awning that you trust? Right now the Carefree is zip tied closed and safe from unrolling. Just looking for your opinions on a better brand. Thank you.

Chad

 

[kenandterry]

Here’s a good reason why I like my Solera awning

 

[Reverse_snowbird]

That awning should be covered under warranty. We have had a Carefree Latitude since the rig was new and haven't had any problems.

 

[Life in the slow lane]

Thanks Snowbird but this awning is not going back on my 145k camper. The mounts broke and the arms are bent. Whether they decide to cover it or not, I don't trust it. If it falls off and kills someone driving behind me I would never forgive myself knowing that it was defective. Glad your 2015 version was made well.

 

[Life in the slow lane]

I am not looking for warranty repair at all. That ship has sailed. I am hoping to find a safe awning...that you respect and can recommend.

 

[Judge64]

There is nothing wrong with then design of the Carefree awning. Certainly there could have been a manufacturers defect or installation issue with your awning that caused the failutre.

Even a Solera Awning with arms have pivot points that could break from wear and tear. I know someone who had one fail as well.


If this is a 2024, you should have it looked at by the Dealer or Dynamax to determine the failure point and how / why it happened.

Also, they would not repair it but replace it with a new awning.

 

[Oaklevel]

Just my opinion....... All the awnings are similar ...... one does not stand out over the others. Been camping about 40 years.

The only way to be 100% safe to to leave the awning off........ any of them can fail. There are probably millions of your brand awning out there that are just fine.

You probably have a better chance of getting hit by lightning than an awning falling off going down the road. Much better chance open in a campground.

 

[Life in the slow lane]

Thank you guys for chiming in. I will just take it off and address it next spring.

 

[bclemens]

You say the mounts broke, but it is zipped tied closed. I assume that means the awning arms broke and not where it was attached to the Motorhome?

 

[Life in the slow lane]

The flat mounts to camper are intact with bolts firmly in place. The "adjustable" parts of that bracket have snapped and when it fell the arms bent as well. I was able to retract the awning using brooms to lift the roller as it retracted. It is just sagging a little so therefore the zip ties to stop the wind from catching it.

 

[xrpb11a]

It seems strange that you would not have it replaced under warranty. Highly improbable the replacement would have this type of problem again, or any other.
And if you do not trust it just keep it closed, ziptied if desired. Eventually you will sell the rig and not having an awning will make it harder to sell without you paying out of pocket for a replacement prior to sale

 

[Rob0702]

Replacing Entire Awning

Just my two cents here. The awning/mounts/hardware could have been defective. The installation could have been faulty too. If it's under warranty, let them deal with it. I had a slide topper installed on my 2022 Palomino Puma the day we picked it up at the dealer. I didn't pay much attention to it, because, well, they are professionals, right? And we were anxious to get back on the road for a 5 hour drive home from Florida to Georgia. When I got home, I realized the bozos installed the slide topper upside down. I brought it to a local RV dealer where I live, and they re-installed it under warranty, free of charge. That being said, let the buyer beware!

 

[Juno 2022]

No one seems to have actually answered your question about a new awning. My 2022 Isata 3 FW came with a Girard awning instead of the Carefree. I like it. It doesn't angle like the Carefree, but so far it has been very reliable, unlike things I read about the Carefree. My former RV had a different Carefree awning and it was so unreliable I almost never used it. The Girard has been great.

Good luck!

 

[xrpb11a]

So far I've had no problems with the angled Carefree awning. I always wanted the angled down awning, and tried to buy it for my Soletude 5th wheel awhile ago. But it was not available for sale to the public at that time.
So many instances with my straight awnings where they did not provide shade due to sun angles. I don't think I'll ever give up on the angled awnings as they are so much more functional. If mine starts to break down, I'll just become proficient in repairing it myself.

 

[Bearii-FRF]

I have a 2024 as well with the Carefree awning. It has worked flawlessly all spring, summer and fall and since we’re full timers we use it often. I have had to lubricate several times when it gets squeaky. That said I think the Girard awnings may be a better awning. I notice they install those on higher priced coaches so perhaps they are a better grade of awning. Maybe Brian can comment on that.

 

[bclemens]

I love the box covering on the Girard....but I would not call it a better grade of awning. It is a very good awning, with a nice cover, but it is "single stage" only. It comes straight out....and you can adjust it down a bit to get more shade.

It just does not provide shade like the 2-stage latitude by Carefree that comes out, and then angles down. You can adjust the Carefree to the point it can be like 5-6 feet off the ground, provided really nice shade.

Whats interesting, is the Girard roof mount box awning on the big trucks, is a two stage awning and the Carefree version was only single stage.

We have FAR more Carefree 2 stage awnings in the field than we do the sidewall mount Girard and very few failures. Throwing out the Carefree due to one failure (as a result of mistalignment, adjustment, or loose set screws) is an over-reaction.

We have had a Girard fail in a similar manner....just very rare.

 

[Bearii-FRF]

I love the box covering on the Girard....but I would not call it a better grade of awning. It is a very good awning, with a nice cover, but it is "single stage" only. It comes straight out....and you can adjust it down a bit to get more shade.

It just does not provide shade like the 2-stage latitude by Carefree that comes out, and then angles down. You can adjust the Carefree to the point it can be like 5-6 feet off the ground, provided really nice shade.

Whats interesting, is the Girard roof mount box awning on the big trucks, is a two stage awning and the Carefree version was only single stage.

We have FAR more Carefree 2 stage awnings in the field than we do the sidewall mount Girard and very few failures. Throwing out the Carefree due to one failure (as a result of mistalignment, adjustment, or loose set screws) is an over-reaction.

We have had a Girard fail in a similar manner....just very rare.

Thanks for the feedback Brian. I'm really glad you put the 2-stage awning on the Isata 3, we enjoy it much more than the various straight awnings we've had on rigs over the years.

 

[Life in the slow lane]

Quick update. Carefree has agreed to send a new arm to see if that can fix it. The tech says that it is only hanging on the coach by one tight screw....the others are loose. We have been moving it to campsites with a ratchet strap out my drivers side window...over the top...and back through the top of the camper door to make sure the awning stays on. Will let you know what happens next.

 

[Life in the slow lane]

Update 2, still don't have the parts for the awning or the camper to use.

 

[Judge64]

Update 2, still don't have the parts for the awning or the camper to use.

Are you waiting on Carefree or Dynamax at this point?

Who is doing the repair?