Power Awning Motor Removal Pictures

[Roberson4]

When I tried to retract our awning it would blow the fuse. I checked the wires and found there to be a short in the motor. So I decided to remove it and take pictures of the process.

This picture shows that I used a rope to tie up the awning supporting it. If you are lucky enought to have help doing such projects, you can have another person support the awning tube for you while you work.


The power wire needs to be unplugged from the motor wires.


This picture shows the bolt that needs to be removed in order to seperate the awning leg from the awning tube motor. After removing this bolt you will be able to slide the motor/tube bracket out of the awning arm.


When you remove the motor/tube bracket out of the awning arm be prepared for the awning arm to have pressure pushing on it from the gas cylinder if it is not fully extended. I pushed my awning arm back in and tied it off out of the way.


Continued in next post.

[Roberson4]

Now I had to drill out 3 rivots that were holding the motor in the awning tube.
This picture also shows the motor/tube bracked to be removed, but is not necessary for motor removal. Yours may use 3 screws instead of rivots.


Now the motor can slide out of the awning tube.


Motor is completely removed from the tube.


This picture showes the numbers on the awning motor.

[hankaye]

Roberson4, Howdy;

VERY nice sept-by-step. Should be helpful to anyone faced with that task.

I presume that the install is the reverse ??

hankaye

[Roberson4]

Thanks!
Yes, installation of the exact same motor would be reversed.
Don't have a new motor yet. I'll add more info when I get a new one. Don't know how complete a new motor comes.

[hankaye]

Roberson4, Howdy;

Looks as if the 'drive end' may need to be swapped out...
unless the new one comes with it included. I'd check for
indexing marks or key-ways that sort of thing while you're
waiting for the new one to arrive.

hankaye

[X-Treme]

Just a couple of quick questions, so that if I/someone else needs to do this, we are fully prepared.

1. When the tube is removed from the arm, does the awning want to roll itself up or unroll itself? Or does the tube just need to be supported from dropping?

2. Any idea as to what size rivets will be needed to reinstall the new motor?

Thanx in advance.

[Terrydactile]

Thanks for posting this, very helpful information.

[Roberson4]

Originally Posted by X-Treme

Just a couple of quick questions, so that if I/someone else needs to do this, we are fully prepared.

1. When the tube is removed from the arm, does the awning want to roll itself up or unroll itself? Or does the tube just need to be supported from dropping?

2. Any idea as to what size rivets will be needed to reinstall the new motor?

Thanx in advance.

The awning tube has enough pressure put on it from the gas shock in the other end it did not try to roll up or unroll.

I'll have to check the rivet size.

Note: when I was doing the work on mine it was extended about 4'. When I took the bracket off the end of the arm I was surprised at the amount of pressure the gas shock was pushing outward on the arm.

[Roberson4]

Originally Posted by hankaye

Roberson4, Howdy;

Looks as if the 'drive end' may need to be swapped out...
unless the new one comes with it included. I'd check for
indexing marks or key-ways that sort of thing while you're
waiting for the new one to arrive.

hankaye

Yes, I expect there will be further dissemble required. I'll post more about installation when I get a new motor.

[Clark]

great step by step very helpful looking forward to see how it goes back together thanks.

[jdoug]

If you are getting the motor from Keystone, it comes complete. I just watched the repair guy do mine about a month ago. At the price they get for the motor if you have to purchase it, the darn thing should come complete.

I'm thinking that if mine goes out again, out of warranty I will probably replace the awning with a manual model. The motor seems to have a very short life.

[gbsb]

I did mine last week but mine was still under warranty so I got a new, motor from Dometic at no cost. I think it has a 2 year warranty. Dometic sent me the assembly comlete, motor, arm, everything just slip assembly in tube put rivets in and drop into arm put bolt in.

[Roberson4]

Ok. So apparently my motor is not bad.

I took the motor to the dealer to get it replaced under warranty. They applied power, (+ to one post on the plug and - to the other from a 12 volt battery) and the motor ran just fine. They reversed where they had + and - applied to the plug and the motor ran just fine the opposite direction. Tech said it may be a bad switch that was blowing the fuse. When I was checking the motor at home I did not apply power to the motor. After blowing 2 fuses when hitting the switch, I was checking for continunity. (My thoughts were 'dead short blows fuse) When I put the two wires on the motors plug from the multimeter I got tone. My thoughts were that the motor was shorted out inside. So, I did not attempt to put + and - from a 12volt batter directly to the plug. (We all know what happens when you touch the + and - from a battery together.)
Apparently a reversible motor works differently than I first thought.

Anyway, when I got back home I started checking the switch, wiring, plugs and such. I did not find any reason for the fuses to be blowing. Only thing I did was use needle nose pliers to 'tighten up' the spades the fuse goes in. It seemed a little loose when I put a new fuse in it so I made it fit a little tighter.

After putting in a new fuse I tried the switch without the motor plugged in. Fuse did not blow. Next I hooked up my meter to the plug. Got 13.5 volts in both directions on the switch. Next I plugged the motor in (without it being installed in the awning tube) and the motor worked in both directions. I then installed the motor, plugged it up and now it is working fine. Not really sure what was blowing the fuses. All I know now is its working.

So my motor installation is just the opposite of the removal at the beginning.

BTW. I had ran a new wire for some LED lights I installed outside the RV thru the same channels/holes the awning power motor wire goes thru. I checked all places and did not find a place I nicked the power wire or anything.

Glad it is working, but hate not knowing what was blowing the fuses.

[hankaye]

Roberson4, Howdy;

When you said,

"Only thing I did was use needle nose pliers to 'tighten up' the spades the fuse
goes in. It seemed a little loose when I put a new fuse in it so I made it fit a little tighter."

I think you may have fixed the problem. I'm no such thing as an electrician,
nor do I "play one on tv". I just think that, that was/may have been the problem.
Thanks for the follow-up.

hankaye

[Roberson4]

Yeah, hopefully there will be no more blown fuses. I still kinda cringe when I hit the switch though.

[JRTJH]

You may have had a "bind" in the motor, either the roll-up feature was locked up or the roller tube was off center enough to lock it up so the motor could not turn. In that case, the fuse would blow to protect the circuit. Disassembling it and then reassembling it, you probably got it back centered and it'll work fine until "next time it binds" If that does happen, you might benefit from jiggling the awning to get it back on center and hopefully it'll work again....

Just a thought, so you may want to consider or not, your choice......

[Roberson4]

JRTJH,

I'll keep that in mind.

[rjh2196]

Have you been able to find out what size rivets are needed or if you were able to figure out a way to use screws?
I personally would rather have screws because it it ever fails again....which it will....I just think it would be easier to remove the motor and then roll it up. The screws they tell you to remove don't line up when it is rolled in. It is a horrible design.

Thanks so much for your step by step!

[Roberson4]

Originally Posted by rjh2196

Have you been able to find out what size rivets are needed or if you were able to figure out a way to use screws?
I personally would rather have screws because it it ever fails again....which it will....I just think it would be easier to remove the motor and then roll it up. The screws they tell you to remove don't line up when it is rolled in. It is a horrible design.

Thanks so much for your step by step!

Not sure what size the rivets were. I was able to find the perfect size in a assortment rivet kit I had hanging on the wall. I do have another rivet the same size in my vehicle console. Hopefully the next time I make a trip to the hardware store I will remember to take it in and compare and see what size it is.

You are welcome, glad I was able to do it.

[Clark]

thanks for the step by step very good info to know for us who have electric awnings. Thanks