Awning on Bullet Premier 2014 will not retract

[lzongker]

Bad news, I put in a new 15amp fuse and it blows immediately when I push the extract switch. Guess I will have to disconnect the motor and do a manual rewind.

[foldbak]

I had this problem. It turned out that the control board in the motor had gotten wet. Luckily it was under warranty. Have you confirmed that the breaker is faulty? The motor could be faulty and drawing too much current. I wouldn't upgrade the size of the breaker. You might melt wires.

[JRTJH]

I'd first inspect the motor for wear, damage or obvious problems. While the motor is out of the tube, you'll have an excellent opportunity to correct the "backwards rolled awning fabric"... With the motor out of the awning roller tube, you can easily connect it to a battery and function check it to make sure it's operational. If not, better to "melt the wires on the motor" than "melt the wires in the trailer walls.... I wouldn't suggest installing a larger fuse until you KNOW FOR SURE where the problem really lies........

[steve james]

Before you pull the motor out, try the manual drive option. looking at the trailer on the right side , the head of the awning there is a small rubber cap located on top of the plastic cover. remove the cap and underneath you will see a 1/2 inch or so bolt head. use a drill with the right size socket ( or you'll be there all day) and try to extend your awning manually, first left, then right ( loose / tighten ). this turns the awning motor without the use of your trailer. I think once you get the awning out a foot or so you should be able to use your toggle switch to finish rolling your awning out correctly . good luck and I hope this works for you

[steve james]

Oh and im with JRTJH do not add a larger fuse, find out what the problem is first. a bigger hammer just does more damage .

[shermris]

Originally Posted by Northofu1

Does one fuse blink red when trying to open the awning?

It sounds crazy, but try to "retract" the awning. If that extends the awning, then it got retracted in the wrong direction.

Just checking

I did this once when my trailer was quite new. Pushed the button to extend and nothing happened. I had closed it the night before in the dark and likely retracted the awning using the extend button. When I tried the retract button the awning started to extend.

[lzongker]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I am travelling right now and won't be home for a few days. Once I get home, I can try the options that have been suggested. I need more tools and a stepladder. Keep tuned and I will post the results in a few days.

[ctbruce]

I dont remember seeing it and it's been mentioned several times. Push the retract side instead of the extend side of the switch and see what happens, just for $_its and giggles. You never know.

[German Shepherd Guy]

I had no idea!


This is such a great forum, I don't know how anyone could own a newer, all power TT without a support group. I watched last weekend as I put my awning out and noticed that it would go beyond fully extended but I stopped and didn't experiment to see how far beyond........



Now I know, and can tell DW about it so she will not get into trouble with it either.


Never had to even think about that possibility with the old TT and the hand crank.


Thanks guys. I got to believe lzongker (OP) will be able to easily fix it now once he gets home and has proper tools.
Oak

[KSH]

My wife just did this on our last trip. I noticed it looked wrong and figured she extended it too far and then rolled it back up. I used the retract to extend it. Luckily everything worked ok. I pointed out the buttons and labeling... hopefully I won't have the issue again.

[lzongker]

Next chapter, I got home and got out my drill and found where the manual bolt was to unwind my awning. I ran it out a little ways and then checked to see if the retract switch would work. It didn't, blew the fuse. Then I tried the extend switch and it worked, but because the awning was rolled the wrong way, it actually retracted it instead. I had to use my drill and extend it all the way out and then roll it up with the awning rolled on top instead of the bottom. Currently my awning is retracted and rolled in the correct way. The extend switch works to extend but the retract switch blows fuse. Before pushing the retract switch, I run the awning out a little with the extend switch. The motor seems to be working. Any explanation why the pushing the retract switch causes the fuse to blow. I hope I explained the problem correctly.

[Old Mustanger]

Sounds like a shorted wire or bad switch.

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by Old Mustanger

Sounds like a shorted wire or bad switch.

Sure does. There are three wires on the motor, a +12VDC, a -12VDC and ground. The motor works in both directions by reversing the 12VDC voltage at the wall mounted switch.

Either the switch has failed and is shorting to ground in the Extend position or the wire connected to that switch has broken and is making a ground connection (blowing the fuse is the result) when that side of the switch is pushed.

The "broken wire" (if that's the problem) is likely to be in the awning arm articulations where the wire flexes or in the roller tube/arm connection where the wire twists a little bit every time the awning tube rolls up. With rolling it up backwards, I'd check that area carefully for a broken wire (actually, worn insulation on the wire that allows it to short to ground)....

Which wire? The one connected to the EXEND side of the awning switch is where I'd start.

[lzongker]

I checked the motor and I only have two wires to the motor. I used a 12v battery to connect directly to the motor. The motor worked fine. I also reversed the wires and the motor ran backward. I believe the motor is okay. I also believe the wires to the motor are okay because when I push the extend switch the awning extends. When I push the retract switch i hear a snap and the red light comes on. I pulled the switch and checked for a short but it checked okay. I am beginning to believe it is the wire from the retract switch to the fuse box which has the short and since it is all inside the panelling in the trailer, I cannot trace it out. I seem to have run out of options for me to check, so will take it somewhere for the experts to solve.

[lzongker]

I should relabel this post because after I manually rolled up the awning in the proper direction, it is the retracting of the awning that doesn't work. It will extend but blows fuse on pushing the retract switch. I have noted this in my previous posts but wanted to clarify it with this post.

[KSH]

Find out where that snapping sound is coming from.

[Bostongone]

Sounds like one of the motor leads is shorted to ground somewhere. A previous poster suggested checking any flex point in the wires going to the motor along the awning frame. I assume that you checked the good forward/reverse of the motor directly at the motor connector. With the motor disconnected and the two wires removed from the reversing switch you should be able to measure a short to ground on one of the power leads with a ohmmeter or use a 12V test light to the individual wires?

[lzongker]

My assumption is that since the motor runs when the extend switch is pushed the two wires in the awning arms are not shorted anywhere. It must be the other wire which is connected to the retract side of the switch which must be shorted somewhere because that is the side (retract) which blows the fuse when pushed. I don't have a wiring diagram of the system so am just guessing that this wire goes to the fuse box.

[Bostongone]

One of the two wires going to the motor could be and probably is shorted to ground somewhere because in the direction that it works that wire is going to ground both at the switch AND at the short point so it is grounded anyway. But when you reverse that connection the lead with the short now has 12V applied to it and the fuse blows.

[Bostongone]

As I mentioned previously the two wires going to the motor must be disconnected at both ends and then checked for the short to ground.