Electric Awnings

[Seahunter]

I notice that the new Edge comes with an electric awning.
I have no experience with them but have read many on-line reports, some good, lots not so good!
Since there appears to be no choice but accept the electric awning if we go ahead and purchase the M18, does anyone have any opinions on reliability?
Some of the problems with the electric awning are the result of the RV dealer not able or willing to make repairs but referring the owner to the manufacturer of the awning instead.
Does anyone know what make the awning is?

Thanks. NEW Heartland Owner

 

[cookie]

Seahunter, welcome to the forum. I do not have an Edge so I can't tell you what brand they use, but many people do and I am sure someone will chime in with an answer.
My old rig had the manual awning and my new one has the electric one. I also heard a lot of not so good reports but after having it for a while it's not as bad as made out to be. In fact I kinda like it. Press the button it's in or out. No more handles with pins or unscrewing locking nuts.

Peace
Dave

 

[2psnapod2]

I don't have my Heartland YET! but my SOB has one and we have had zero issues with. I would not have a non electric one.

 

[Chuck Richard]

Had mine for over two years and it works great, no problems. The only thing I miss is being able to drop the manual one down against the side of the trailer for cleaning. I need to get a better broom to sweep off the needles and leaves. I do like the just pushing a button, getting lazy as I get older. lol

 

[JohnDar]

Yeah, they're like peaches and cream until the motor fails, and the motors do fail. Mine died towards the end of our first season with it. Fortunately, it died in the retracted position, not extended. That it took two months to finally get the warranty replacement motor from Dometic is another story.

 

[Wharton]

Love the electric awning. We have had trailers with a manual and rarely used the awning due to the amount of effort it took to put it back up(2 people needed). Since we won't leave the trailer with the awning extended if we are not there we find the electric is wonderful, just push a button and it is extended or retracted. We use it much more frequently now.

 

[pegmikef]

I just traded my Edge M21 in on a North Trail 26RLSS (needed more room). The Edge had a manual awning that didn't work real great (I had to buy a couple of screws and wing nuts to use for stops, because the built in ones didn't work). Enough of my rant. The North Trail has an electric awning (works great) and since the North Trail and Edge are both TT's I'm thinking Heartland might have used the same vendor for the awning. Mine is a "Carefree" of Colorado and their website is www.carefreeofcolorado.com and I kind of liked the site because it has the repair manual/instructions on line. Does anyone else have experience with Carefree?

 

[Invizatu]

We have a carefree and it is great. Just need to make sure the rails are clean or it tends to hang up a little.

 

[Ray LeTourneau]

I'm still on the fence regarding the electric verses manual awning. We have a manual awning. I like the fact that once I set it up and stake it down and add the de-flappers, lights, shade screens and everything else involved, it will withstand a pretty good wind. BUT! There have been many times I get it out and all of a sudden the weather takes a serious turn for the worse and I have to roll it up. It's about a 20 minute job for me. Sometimes I wish I could just push a dang button.

 

[Stinger381]

I love the ease of my electric awning and I thought it was a Carefree ? I wish it had the weather station hook up that will roll it back in automatically in bad weather but I guess you have to get the higher priced units for that option. The thing that I do miss is the adjustments that you can make with a manual. With the electric you're either in or out, there are no adjustments as to height or level. When we had the old manual version we could leave one end a little higher than the other to direct the water drainage off of it but we lost that with the Electric. It is simple to use though.... Just my two cents.

 

[Mr.D]

My two cents...........I have owned manual and now electric. The Electric is easy to roll out and end. But that's it. They seem to be very weak on thin rails and I know any gust of wind would mess it up. I'm now sitting in Kino Bay Mexico and we get breezes in the AM then stronger breezes to winds in the PM. I could anchor my manual awning down and not have to worry about it. But now everytime we leave the rig we run it in so we don't lose it on a sudden gust. Ease of use is not always best for the serious camper.............................

 

[JohnDar]

The gild falls quickly off the lily when the motor fails. If you don't have a manual awning strap, better spend the couple of bucks to get one. Might need the rod, too, or a piece of rope to extend the strap. You'll need it if the thing craps out in the extended position. Take a moment to read the instructions on what to do if that should happen.

 

[archbarb]

I love the ease of my electric awning and I thought it was a Carefree ? I wish it had the weather station hook up that will roll it back in automatically in bad weather but I guess you have to get the higher priced units for that option. The thing that I do miss is the adjustments that you can make with a manual. With the electric you're either in or out, there are no adjustments as to height or level. When we had the old manual version we could leave one end a little higher than the other to direct the water drainage off of it but we lost that with the Electric. It is simple to use though.... Just my two cents.

On our BC, we have the electric awning, and when extended, I grab the arm opposite the door side and lower the awning enough to allow water drainage, then tighten the knob, same as on the manual awning!!!!!

Archie

 

[JohnDar]

Not all Dometic electric awnings came with that feature, and some cannot be retrofitted with the manual adjustable arm. When I had the motor finally replaced, I also insisted the free upgrade to that arm be included. I was told my particular model would not accept it. Strike two.

 

[RSIG]

How do you retract the awning if the motor fails?

 

[JohnDar]

How do you retract the awning if the motor fails?

1) When you're done cussing, get a helper, a ladder, an awning strap, and maybe an awning rod.
2) Attach awning strap to the roller groove and tell helper to hang on to it.
3) Get on ladder next to motor and remove screw(s) where motor drives into end of roller.
4) Get out of the way.
5) Tell helper to slowly allow awning to retract. The spring inside the roller is still active. Removing the screw is like releasing the lock on an extended manual awning.
6) Once awning has rolled up against the trailer, reattach motor drive to roller to hold it in place.
7) If still under warranty, call Dometic (good luck) to get an authorized mobile tech if you're not near a dealer or don't want to take it to one immediately (like you're on a seasonal site).
8) Hope service desk understands company policy about sending replacement parts to their authorized mobile techs.

OK, I'm a little biased (comes from getting jerked around for two months without a functioning awning), but once it fails while extended, you only get one shot at retracting it. If you don't hang onto it when you release the motor drive, it can snap up like a manual one will if you release the lock without holding onto to it. Not good for the mountings, the trailer, and the whole campground will know it.

As I mentioned earlier, the only good thing for me was the awning was retracted when the motor failed, and would not extend. The method I listed is (mostly) from their owners manual.

 

[RSIG]

John,
Thanks for the reply. I often wondered what the procedure was to close the awning when the motor failed. I found no instructions in my paperwork when I purchased the trailer. I will pickup a strap soon.

Thanks,
Ed

 

[JohnDar]

John,
Thanks for the reply. I often wondered what the procedure was to close the awning when the motor failed. I found no instructions in my paperwork when I purchased the trailer. I will pickup a strap soon.

Thanks,
Ed

You have to get it from their website. This is for the 9100 series awning.
http://www.dometic.com/5f4bb454-f852-4da5-aac9-07c504150276.fodoc

 

[cookie]

I will pickup a strap soon.

Thanks,
Ed

Ed, look in your blue owners bag. There should have been a strap in there.

Peace
Dave

 

[rancol01]

Blue Owner's bag, that's a new one for me. What's susposed to be in the bag? I might have to call Heartland as I didn't get one of those and would really like to have the strap for when the awning motor fails.