Question - how should Solera awning roll up?

tundrwd · 09-06-2016, 10:51 AM

Got a new 2016 274BHS Bullet Ultra Light. Has a Solera electric awning

Going through the check-out with the dealer, they said to NEVER "go to far" using the electric awning when deploying.

My question is - how should it roll back up? The reason I ask is that it seems to be opposite an Outback I have. The Bullet awning rolls up with the roller going "over" the awning, which results in the awning having a "valley" between the rolled up awning and the trailer roof - making a nice place to catch lots of water, ice, etc.

Also - either the dealer misinformed me, or the switch is reversed. "Rectract" deploys the awning, and vice-versa. What I've noticed, is if you go a bit "too far" deploying the awning, it appears it wants to reverse the awning rolling up, so that it would roll back up with the roller "under" the awning, which would NOT create the "valley" to catch water.

I've asked Keystone - they have no idea, and haven't responded to a CS email. So - which should it be? Or contact Solera?

gkainz · 09-06-2016, 11:17 AM

http://www.lci1.com/solera-power-awning looks like a normal "roll under" awning. That doesn't quite say what I mean ... but the roller goes under the material, is what I'm trying to say.

Owner's Manual shows a hard cover with I can't imagine how it would roll up the wrong way?

https://www.lci1.com/assets/content/...awning-web.pdf

tundrwd · 09-06-2016, 11:35 AM

No hardcover on mine. PDF looks like what I've got, or very similar

byrdr1 · 09-06-2016, 11:46 AM

OK,
If you are standing looking at the front door of the camper and you step to the left of the door you look up at the awning as it rolls out it moves counter clockwise and as it rolls up it moves clockwise.
Once it is rolled up you should have a hood looking like an awning. the awning will be attached to the side of the camper and make a slide looking picture, this allows the water to drain right off in theory or into the middle of the fabric. MOST on here will know what this means. The water naturally seeps(wicks) into the inside of the awning material and I can't explain that one. but it does unless you are under a cover of some type of covering material.
hope this helps you out.
BUT I don't think it should roll up and form a valley to catch stuff.
randy

**chuckster57** · 09-06-2016, 12:09 PM

All awnings roll up with the fabric on the TOP of the roller tube.

gkainz · 09-06-2016, 12:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chuckster57

All awnings roll up with the fabric on the TOP of the roller tube.

yeah - that!

Just like toilet paper is designed to do!

Tbos · 09-06-2016, 03:59 PM

Tundrwd,
It sounds like someone at the dealer didn't know what they were doing and went too far extending the awning and then let it continue until it was all the way in. That would cause the valley you describe and the switch appearing to work wrongly. The awning always rolls over the top.

bill-e · 09-07-2016, 05:11 AM

Yes, the awning was rolled up by going past the deployed position. I've actually had to purposely do this before because my Solera wouldn't retract but it would extend so I used extend to roll it all the way up and drove home. Turns out that when the awning is having difficulties retracting (like it doesn't have enough power) I just use the remote and it will retract. I, and a few others here, have an issue with the switch which is taken out of the loop when using the remote.

smpremier · 09-07-2016, 05:01 PM

This happened to us. The very first time we used it my wife put it out. And then put it back in. She came and got me and said I thought the awing was black when it was rolled in, it was now white. It also seemed the the switch was now reversed. I put it all the way out again past the point it should've been and it reversed itself again to the right way. It was once again black when rolled up. Only go out till the flap drops down and not any farther. 2016 bullet premier. Hope this helps.

tundrwd · 09-10-2016, 06:12 AM

Sorry for the delayed reply - been very busy at work after Labor Day. Why is it you have to work twice as hard after only one day off?

Anyway, I figured it was messed up at the dealer. I need to extend it and let it roll back to correct the problem.

Solera warns against overextending, but it does appear that the motor just reverses when it hits the limit. I assume there's a "limit switch" that reverses polarity on the motor? So overextending, while not a real good idea, doesn't break things immediately?

poppin_fresh · 09-11-2016, 08:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tundrwd

Solera warns against overextending, but it does appear that the motor just reverses when it hits the limit. I assume there's a "limit switch" that reverses polarity on the motor? So overextending, while not a real good idea, doesn't break things immediately?

There is no limit switch. The motor simply continues winding in the same direction which causes the awning to roll inside out. This puts the tube over the awning which is not desirable.

My wife was unaware that there was "extend" and "retract" on the switch and was just pushing the button whatever way made the awning go the direction she wanted. Needless to say, she had rolled it all the way around so it was inside out which was catching water and leaves. This now made the switch effectively backwards. Once corrected by extending back out and in properly it was back to normal.

It does not appear to have harmed anything and I used it as another "learning opportunity" about how the trailer works.

tundrwd · 09-17-2016, 04:36 AM

All - FINALLY received a reply from Keystone. They agreed that the awning was stored incorrectly (something that I was almost certain of to begin with).

Anyway, extended and retracted correctly. I haven't called dealer yet to "inform" them - because I saw others the same way when we were shopping around the lot. Either someone at Keystone is messing them up, or the dealer is.

Thanks all for answering the question. Appreciate it.

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