Frequent RV Awning Issues | Tenting World Weblog

RV awnings are fantastic after they work as they need to, offering shade on scorching summer season days. Nevertheless, like all RV parts, they could be a problem after they don’t work. Listed here are frequent RV awning issues and recommendations on the way to repair or keep away from them. 

Technician Tip: The completely different producers and kinds of RV awnings imply that the issues you expertise could require model-specific instruction. Your awning’s producer is your greatest useful resource for added operation and troubleshooting recommendation.

An RV Awning Components Diagram

Avoiding and fixing frequent RV awning issues is less complicated in case you’re accustomed to the elements of an electrical RV awning. Every producer and mannequin could have barely completely different names for every half, however these are Lippert’s official names.

Now for some definitions: 

Wall-Mounted Rail: Secures the highest fringe of the awning cloth to the RV’s exterior wall. The rail will get put in earlier than the remainder of the awning and is usually a single piece of steel with a channel for the material to slip into.

Cloth: Stretches from the rail to the curler tube when the awning opens. It’s usually UV and moisture-resistant and secures across the curler tube when the awning is closed. 

Wall Brackets: Mount the assist arm assemblies to your RV’s exterior sidewall. They’re a part of the assist arm meeting.

Curler Tube Meeting: Extends parallel to your RV between the drive and loafer head assemblies.

Gasoline Strut: Creates a push or pull power that controls the awning’s weight and movement when opening and shutting.

Drive Head Meeting: Powers the awning because it opens and closes. It’s usually discovered on the entrance of the awning. Relying in your awning make and mannequin, the drive head will use a spring or motor.

Loafer Head Meeting: Retains the curler tube meeting parallel to the drive head meeting. It’s situated towards the rear of the awning.

Internal Drive Arms: Connect with the wall mount at one finish and the outer lever arms on the different. 

Outer Lever Arms: Join the inside arms to the top assemblies.

Pitch Arms: Show you how to customise your awning’s pitch or tilt angle. 

Some awnings have a handbook crank deal with, a wise management system for operation, and different added options. Seek the advice of your proprietor’s handbook for an awning elements diagram particular to your camper.

What If Your RV Awning Received’t Retract?

A caught RV awning can derail your departure time and have campground house owners asking you why you’ve overstayed your welcome. In case your RV awning gained’t retract after opening, listed here are just a few potential causes:

• Lack of energy. Drained RV batteries can impair your potential to shut an RV awning.
• Warped or stretched cloth. Broken, torn, or warped cloth will impair your awning’s potential to open and shut.(Often from improper use or environmental injury.) 
• Free or broken {hardware}. Free, broken, or lacking screws holding sure RV awning elements collectively can impair correct operation.
• Improper positioning. Awning arms must be positioned parallel to one another throughout set up. If their place shifts because of motion within the awning rail or wall brackets, the arms gained’t align, and your awning will retract inconsistently or by no means.

Study the way to manually shut an RV awning to get to a service heart for inspection and prognosis.

Not Sufficient Energy to RV Awning Motor

There’s a transparent signal that your RV awning isn’t getting sufficient energy. Merely put, you don’t hear the motor working in any respect if you press the button to function your awning. 

If that is your case, start by checking the fuses and breakers, flipping popped breakers again to the On place, and changing blown fuses, if relevant. Then, verify your 12V home battery energy. If the cost drops too low, it might not provide enough energy to increase/retract your awning. 

Place a volt meter throughout the home battery and take a look at operating the awning. In the event you see a big voltage drop, change the battery.

If the facility provide is deemed enough, however the motor nonetheless isn’t working, verify for free or corroded wiring in and across the awning motor. Free connections should be mounted on your motor to operate correctly. Frayed or corroded wiring must be changed by somebody educated in RV electrical techniques. 

To check the wiring, unplug the awning motor and join the wires on to your battery of one other 12-volt supply. If the awning strikes, the issue is within the wiring or the awning swap.

To check swap connections, take away the awning swap and use a brief piece of wire to attach the 12-volt energy terminal to the prolong and retract sides of the swap. In case your awning then extends and retracts correctly, you might want to exchange the swap.

Technician Tip: When awning electrical points are extra sophisticated than guaranteeing ample battery energy, circuit breaker place, and fuse well being, most RVers schedule an awning diagnostic at their native RV service heart.

Warped or Torn RV Awning Cloth

The material of an RV awning may be torn or broken in some ways. Frequent examples embody falling particles, excessive winds, and improper operation. Failing to retract and safe your RV awning in inclement climate tremendously will increase the probabilities of torn RV awning cloth.  

RV awnings may stretch if uncovered to an excessive amount of water or particles. This usually occurs if you go away your awning open throughout a storm and expose it to heavy rain and/or particles accumulation. Warped RV awning cloth will stop your awning from opening and shutting easily and evenly.

So, what are some methods to keep away from this frequent RV awning downside? 

1. Retract your awning earlier than storms to guard it from surprising snow, rain, hail, and excessive winds.
2. Watch out the place you park to reduce the probabilities of heavy pine cones, branches, and different particles falling onto your awning.
3. Know the way to open and shut an RV awning accurately. Working procedures differ primarily based on awning kind and, typically, the producer. Seek the advice of your proprietor’s handbook to keep away from damaging your RV awning cloth because of improper use.

What’s the answer in case your RV awning cloth is torn? 

For starters, changing RV awning cloth is a two-person job, at minimal. As a result of stress on the awning roll tube, it may be harmful for many RVers to take away the awning to carry out an RV awning cloth alternative. Subsequently, many campers with broken awning cloth search the assistance of skilled technicians at an Tenting World service heart.

Damaged or Broken RV Awning Arms

When working correctly, RV awning arms ought to transfer parallel to one another. If one aspect extends extra rapidly than the opposite, or your awning isn’t opening and shutting easily, your awning arm could also be broken. 

These are the most definitely causes of damaged or broken RV awning arms:

• Contact with an obstruction when extending an awning with out correct clearance.
• Driving with an awning that’s not absolutely retracted.
• Leaving your awning out throughout extreme climate.

Regardless of the trigger, you might want to exchange your complete RV awning. The diploma of the required restore will rely upon the extent of the injury. Your greatest path is scheduling an RV awning inspection with a licensed RV service heart.

Technician Tip: Different broken or corroded elements may cause RV awning points. Whereas designed to withstand corrosion, awnings dwell exterior and are topic to the weather. That is extra frequent in older awnings, however you may verify by visually inspecting awning parts for corrosion. Use a heavy-duty rust dissolver or oxidation remover to scrub awning parts.

RV Awning Is Improperly Loaded

Awnings should be loaded evenly into their roll tube to open and shut correctly. In the event that they aren’t, your awning could jam. Sadly, it’s onerous to check for this in case you can’t prolong or retract your awning. 

In case your awning labored correctly and stopped midway by extending/retracting, you would have an awning jam. That is particularly doable if the facility provide is enough and the motor is operating if you press the swap. 

Don’t drive with an awning jam during which your awning isn’t absolutely retracted. Contact a cellular RV service skilled. Cell service divisions can be found at choose Tenting World areas. Name the location close to you to inquire if they provide cellular RV providers.

Different Frequent RV Awning Issues

Further RV awning issues could consequence from a stripped motor screw, damaged or lacking RV awning strap, burnt-out RV awning lights, a damaged RV awning wind sensor, different motor points, and extra. For many of those extra awning points, you’ll want to search out elements suitable with the unique tools producer (OEM). 

Our elements specialist at retail areas throughout the US may help you, offered together with your awning’s make and mannequin. Moreover, technicians can full these RV repairs to get your awning operational and also you again on the street. 

Contact your native RV service heart about damaged, lacking, or broken RV awning elements and schedule an appointment for RV awning restore. 

Have you ever skilled different RV awning issues? Inform us about your experiences and options within the feedback under!