Bighorn Awning...

TXBobcat

Fulltime
We were at College Park Md at Cherry Hill campground. I had the awning staked down on one side and tied to a picnic table on the other side. The site we were in were pull through and very close.

It was a nice warm day as it had been all week. But a storm came through while I was gone. When I got back to the trailer I found the awning was torn down. Now I know that is not a good deal but if you looked at our damage and those around us we lucked out.

The awnings around us were torn and the braces broken. The sides of the trailers were damaged where the awning was anchored and where the braces were bolted to the trailer.

Well I only lost the fabric of the awning. The awning Heartland used on my trailer was one that slides down a rail and is held in place by a round rubber (I think it was rubber) piece the length of the awning slid in a grove along the side of the trailer. Rather than bang enough to pull the struts and the screws out of the side of the trailer the rubber piece gave way and reduced the damage.

I am glad that Heartland used this product. Now all I have to do is find a new piece of fabric installed. I may even be able to do it myself. The hardest part may be getting the spring set properly.

BC

_Awning.jpg _Awning2.jpg
 
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Bighurt

Well-known member
I'm sorry for your damage but, this is just another case giving me justification to continue to only leave my awning out when I'm home and awake.

Best of Luck
 

kakampers

Past Heartland Ambassador
Bob...sorry to hear about your awning! This is the one major reason we had an electric awning installed yesterday...we leave, hit a button and put in in...same thing when we go in for the night! Don't have to stake it all down and worry about it any more...
 

jmgratz

Original Owners Club Member
We were at College Park Md at Cherry Hill campground. I had the awning staked down on one side and tied to a picnic table on the other side. The site we were in were pull through and very close.

It was a nice warm day as it had been all week. But a storm came through while I was gone. When I got back to the trailer I found the awning was torn down. Now I know that is not a good deal but if you looked at our damage and those around us we lucked out.

The awnings around us were torn and the braces broken. The sides of the trailers were damaged where the awning was anchored and where the braces were bolted to the trailer.

Well I only lost the fabric of the awning. The awning Heartland used on my trailer was one that slides down a rail and is held in place by a round rubber (I think it was rubber) piece the length of the awning slid in a grove along the side of the trailer. Rather than bang enough to pull the struts and the screws out of the side of the trailer the rubber piece gave way and reduced the damage.

I am glad that Heartland used this product. Now all I have to do is find a new piece of fabric installed. I may even be able to do it myself. The hardest part may be getting the spring set properly.

BC

View attachment 9533 View attachment 9534


Bobcat - You know better than that....sorry for the damage. Good luck in getting it repaired. Insurance will usually cover the damage.
 

JohnDar

Prolifically Gabby Member
I learned the hard way about awnings and storms with the TT. I was trying to adjust the water-laden awning to drain it when the roller snapped. Good thing I had some clean undies in the trailer. Another good thing was the $100 deductible on the $1200 repair bill.
 

Ray LeTourneau

Senior Member - Past Moderator
Bobcat, sorry to hear you lost your awning. You can't imagine how often I get frustrated because I have to put the awning up when a storm threatens. Then the darn storm fades out and I really didn't have to roll it up.
I have been on the fence with the electric/manual awning decision for quite some time. I've even left the awning out hoping it would get torn up so the insurance would cover a portion of a replacement electric. One of these days, maybe....
 

JohnDar

Prolifically Gabby Member
The electric awning is great until the electric drive motor quits on you. Better hope it's in the retracted position when it does. I got "lucky" that way. One drawback on the electric awning is it is a PITA to clean. You cannot lower it enough to get it from the ground, so you have to do it from a ladder and the roof, and have a really long handle on the brush. I get half from the roof and the rest from the ladder. Another problem is that some models (like mine) cannot take the Dometic retrofit manual adjustable arm, meaning you can't "dip" it to one end so it drains whichever way it wants. Which is usually straight to the end with the motor in it.
 

ChopperBill

Well-known member
We were at College Park Md at Cherry Hill campground. I had the awning staked down on one side and tied to a picnic table on the other side. The site we were in were pull through and very close.

It was a nice warm day as it had been all week. But a storm came through while I was gone. When I got back to the trailer I found the awning was torn down. Now I know that is not a good deal but if you looked at our damage and those around us we lucked out.


The awnings around us were torn and the braces broken. The sides of the trailers were damaged where the awning was anchored and where the braces were bolted to the trailer.

Well I only lost the fabric of the awning. The awning Heartland used on my trailer was one that slides down a rail and is held in place by a round rubber (I think it was rubber) piece the length of the awning slid in a grove along the side of the trailer. Rather than bang enough to pull the struts and the screws out of the side of the trailer the rubber piece gave way and reduced the damage.

I am glad that Heartland used this product. Now all I have to do is find a new piece of fabric installed. I may even be able to do it myself. The hardest part may be getting the spring set properly.

BC

View attachment 9533 View attachment 9534

Bob, we put a Carefree Eclipse on our old trailer after the rain took the original down. We ordered it with the acrylic canvas instead of vinyl. Much much better material. Actually the whole awning is better than the Dometic we have now. Better motor. It had switch out side on one of the arms so you could run it in and out from the outside. Miss that switch a bunch. Just might leave the awing out and pray for a storm and get another Carefree. ;)
 

kakampers

Past Heartland Ambassador
The electric awning is great until the electric drive motor quits on you. Better hope it's in the retracted position when it does. I got "lucky" that way. One drawback on the electric awning is it is a PITA to clean. You cannot lower it enough to get it from the ground, so you have to do it from a ladder and the roof, and have a really long handle on the brush. I get half from the roof and the rest from the ladder. Another problem is that some models (like mine) cannot take the Dometic retrofit manual adjustable arm, meaning you can't "dip" it to one end so it drains whichever way it wants. Which is usually straight to the end with the motor in it.

The new 9100 A&E we just bought has a pitch adjustment arm on both sides, so it can be dipped on either side. It also has a "kneeling" feature on each side so pooling water will automatically drain if you forget to pitch one side. It also can be manually closed using the pull strap supplied and by removing a screw on one end of the roller tube, should it stop working or you loose 12V power....cleaning might be a problem, since we cannot drop the roller tube to the ground like we did on the manual. But for all the other benefits...we'll deal with that part once or twice a year!
 

mdw1003

Member
We too had the eletric awning on our 2011 BH pull out of it's mounting rail when a high gust of wind came out of nowhere and pull it down. After the help of 3 other guys, two pickup trucks, and a lot of sweat, we were able to get it back on the unit. The big issue was winding the spring. I had to call the Dometic factory to find out how turns to put on the spring, 9 if retracted of 17 if extended. We could only get 7 turns. Does anyone know of a good tool to use to get 9 turns?

:confused::confused::confused:

Mike Woodyard
Dubuque, IA
 

jimtoo

Moderator
Hi Mike,

Welcome to the Heartland Owners Forum and Family. We have a great bunch of people here with lots of information and all willing to share their knowledge if needed.

I'm sure someone has comeup with a tool to get the turns. The only thing I could think of right off hand is one of the wrenches that has a belt type of material that you wrap around the tube and secure back to the wrench handle. Then you tighten the belt up to secure it and make it grip the roller.

Maybe someone else has an idea also. Enjoy the forum.

Jim M

This is the wrench I was thinking of. I do not know this site and not promoting it,,, it just has the pics of the wrench I was speaking of.
 
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