Solera Awning Problems

[Skippy38]

I extended the awning today to let it dry out. Now it will not retract. Sounds like it is grinding gears, very loudly. I tried the manual retract bolt but it just spins and will not retract the awning. It is definitely getting power because the motor is just grinding and not moving. Any ideas would help....

[JRTJH]

What kind of awning??? Dometic and Solara are "vastly different" in how they work with some (battery powered vs RV powered) even different within the same brand.

[Skippy38]

What kind of awning??? Dometic and Solara are "vastly different" in how they work with some (battery powered vs RV powered) even different within the same brand.

It is an LCI Solara awning

[JRTJH]

Solara awnings have a "potential to wind up backwards" if the extend switch is held beyond max travel. If that happens, the retract position on the switch will cause the awning to "try to extend further" and the extend position "may/may not" cause the awning to retract.

If yours is "grinding like gears are broken" the motor/gearbox may be damaged and the manual drive might not work. That said, if the awning was rolled up backwards, have you tried to retract the awning by turning the manual "bolt drive" in the opposite direction ??? That "might work".

If it won't, then you'll need to "manually retract the awning". The process is in the owner's manual, in the maintenance section, just under "fabric care". It takes a couple of people and a couple of ladders to manually retract the awning, so don't attempt it alone.

If you don't have the owner's manual, you can download it here: https://www.carid.com/images/solera-awnings/items/pdf/266149-owners-manual.pdf

[Skippy38]

Thanks. I took the covers off of the motor and the manual retract screw just spins and will not turn the gears so there must be something broken in the motor. Since I cannot retract the awning can I replace the motor with the awning extended? All of the videos that I see have the awning retracted when replacing the motor...

[JRTJH]

If you "pull the motor" you can use your hands to roll the awning up, then with it in the up position, you can install the new motor. I've never installed a motor with the awning extended and I'm not sure that the wiring "clock spring" would work properly if it is connected "in the extended position". It might, I just don't know.

Maybe Chuckster57 can answer that question ???

ADDED: There is no "roller tube spring" to wind/unwind in a Solara awning, so tension on the roller tube/fabric is not the issue, it's whether the "clock spring" that makes electrical contact so the motor/tube can roll up without stretching the wiring that I just don't know about working in "both directions" if installed with the awning extended. From a "roller tube perspective" it doesn't matter, from a "clock spring perspective" maybe/maybe not... Chuck ?????

[Skippy38]

If you "pull the motor" you can use your hands to roll the awning up, then with it in the up position, you can install the new motor. I've never installed a motor with the awning extended and I'm not sure that the wiring "clock spring" would work properly if it is connected "in the extended position". It might, I just don't know.

Maybe Chuckster57 can answer that question ???

ADDED: There is no "roller tube spring" to wind/unwind in a Solara awning, so tension on the roller tube/fabric is not the issue, it's whether the "clock spring" that makes electrical contact so the motor/tube can roll up without stretching the wiring that I just don't know about working in "both directions" if installed with the awning extended. From a "roller tube perspective" it doesn't matter, from a "clock spring perspective" maybe/maybe not... Chuck ?????

I went ahead and took the motor off, no big deal, and the awning is held in place and not moving. When I turn the manual retract nut I can see it moving the gear, but I can easily hold the gear and keep it from moving when I spin the nut so there is obviously something broken inside the motor.

[Skippy38]

So upon further inspection of the old motor I noticed that the plastic gear wheel that engages with the motor drive screw (also the manual retract screw) was totally stripped. There was no way that it was going to work. Ordered new motor from Amazon ($147) and installed it on the awning arm with it fully extended. Easy 5 minute job and it now works like new. Since there is no spring in the awning tube it was simple to install with the awning extended. Thanks for all of the input...

[JRTJH]

Good to know information about motor replacement with the awning in a position other than the manufacturer's instructions. Thanks for responding with your "fix". I learned something from your experience and I'm sure a few other members did as well.

[CampNBrew2]

Any thoughts on why it stripped? Any noises or anything when it went out?
Thanks for sharing.

[pdaniel]

The Solera on my previous Cougar and on my brother-in-law’s RV are powered from the house batteries.

[chuckster57]

John: sorry for late response, I believe there isn’t a click spring in awning motors. They simply use two 12V wires and the polarity is reversed when the direction needs to be changed.

[Skippy38]

Any thoughts on why it stripped? Any noises or anything when it went out?
Thanks for sharing.

I don't really know. It was working fine then all of a sudden made a big grinding sound and just slipped about half way out and stopped. When it extended fully it just locked up and would not move. When I took the motor out it looked like the soft metal motor housing had cracked. Don't know if thats what made the internal gear strip or not but the new motor went on in 5 minutes flat and works like new. I guess about 4 years is their shelf life lol...

[NH_Bulldog]

Sorry I am late, but glad you got it figured out. For future reference a 1994 Chevy Lumina driver side window motor is an exact fit and costs about $15 on Rock Auto (actually only $11.47 now).

https://www.keystoneforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34285

[chuckster57]

That’s a nice bit of info to know, Thanks for that.

[Skippy38]

Sorry I am late, but glad you got it figured out. For future reference a 1994 Chevy Lumina driver side window motor is an exact fit and costs about $15 on Rock Auto (actually only $11.47 now).

https://www.keystoneforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34285

I know! Too bad I found out about that AFTER I ordered the expensive one. Great info to know for the future though!

[JRTJH]

Just another example of WHERE you buy parts "makes the price"...

Anything bought in the RV section or in the Marine section will cost at least double that same part bought in the Automotive section...