Awning Issue

[youngda9]

I just purchased a 28BHS. We've been camping with it a couple times and love it. The awning extends with authority, plenty of power and it is smooth. When I press the button to retract the awning it is like there is very little power to the motor. I have to get on a picknic table and help the awning spin to retract the awning, it will just stall and not retract without a little assistance. Hit the extend button and it'll extend with power again.

I've tried turning off all things running off DC power at the time, and it is always plugged in when we're camping so the battery is topped off.

Any idea what might be going on here?

[ctpd814]

Make sure that the battery disconnect switch did not get turned off (battery disconnected) by accident. The awning is run directly off of the battery so if the battery is disconnected through the switch, it will still work. The battery will not charge though.

Did you buy your coach new or was it used? Did it ever work properly?

If you bought it new, and the disconnect is not off, I would return it to the dealer and let them chase the problem down.

It could be a bad motor, or a bad connection that's limiting the amount of current to the motor.

[youngda9]

I purchased it brand new. It worked when I purchased it a couple months back. Not sure how it could be a disconnect switch...it goes out fine, then struggles back in, then will immediately go out just fine again.

[hankpage]

I have never owned an automatic awning but I believe that there are tension adjustment knobs on the horizontal arms. If they are too tight they will effect the operation of the awning. JM2¢, Hank

[KanTC]

You didn't specify which brand/line of trailer you have (Passport, Outback, Cougar, etc), but there's a RECALL on some of the 2013-14 Dometic power awnings.
Might check to see if yours is included. ;) With the awning extended (open), look for the model #'s [a small white sticker] on the awning arms and/or the roller.
http://www.keystonerv.com/media/773152/13-193_dometic_awning_motor_-_web.pdf

Terri, the Chevy co-pilot :)

[youngda9]

You didn't specify which brand/line of trailer you have (Passport, Outback, Cougar, etc), but there's a RECALL on some of the 2013-14 Dometic power awnings.
Might check to see if yours is included. ;) With the awning extended (open), look for the model #'s on the awning arms and/or the roller.
http://www.keystonerv.com/media/773152/13-193_dometic_awning_motor_-_web.pdf

Terri, the Chevy co-pilot :)

It is a 2015 Keystone Hideout 28BHS.

I'll check for tension adjustments, alighment, and anything I can figure out electrically.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone !

[JRTJH]

The electric motor in the awning roller uses the same two wires (polarity reversed) to unroll and to reroll the awning. If it's not the tension knobs being too tight, then it's likely an issue with a bad connection or corrosion on a connection behind the switch or in the "reverse polarity" part of the wiring within the switch. I'd say take the switch out, check and tighten all the connections, if it still doesn't work correctly, turn the switch around (electrically) by connecting the top contacts to the bottom and the bottom contacts to the top. If the awning then is slow to unroll and it rolls back up properly, it's the switch.

[bobbecky]

If it's a 2015, get it to the dealer, that awning is under warranty. If it's not a bad connection, you might have a bad motor, all covered.

[randy69]

Our electric awning would be slow or stop. Extending or retracting. So I used silicone spray on the awning arms. What a difference with a little lubercant.

[ctpd814]

I purchased it brand new. It worked when I purchased it a couple months back. Not sure how it could be a disconnect switch...it goes out fine, then struggles back in, then will immediately go out just fine again.

I assume (I know I should not) that your awning has the gas pistons on each arm as most of them I see now do. These will "assist" the motor in opening and "fight against" the motor in closing. Since you said that it goes out fine and only has trouble when going in, that leads me to believe there is a current restriction. It does not take as much current when extending because the gas pistons are helping. It takes more current to close as it is fighting against the gas piston.

Current restrictions would be caused by a weak battery, a bad connection in the wiring, a bad switch, or a broken wire.

The only other option would be a problem with the motor.

[youngda9]

Thanks for all of the suggestions guys. Yes there are just two wires to the motor that switch polarity, so the switch may be flaky.

[SLCRVING]

Curious if you ever found the source of the problem to this awning issue? I have a 2013 Copper Canyon 324fwbhs. The awning is made by LCI and goes out great with lots of power, but coming in its really slow and sometimes stalls all together. I didn't really use the awning much last year when under warranty to notice the problem, but this year I needed it a lot and realized it had issues.