Power awning questions

[JPG]

Guys I need some input on your experience with upgrading your rig to a power awning. Which model/brand and why. What modifications were required for install? What do you think, pros and cons?

[Dayle1]

Carefree Eclipse, you can adjust each arm separately to slope the awning for water runoff. When open, the arms are high enough to avoid hitting them. Mine has the wind speed sensor, but today's model uses a motion sensor on the front arm to detect movement. This is a better solution since wind direction is also a big factor that my speed sensor cannot adjust to.



As far as modification, the lower arm mounts from the manual awning needed to be plugged, no biggie, carriage bolts, lag bolts, fiberglas plug or just caulk. My control box is mounted in the basement storage compartment and the extra switches are below the Cruiser switch box.



I understand that A&E now has a power awning with similiar features, but I don't really know anything about it.

[Hunter11]

We had the Carefree Eclipse power arm kit installed on our exsisting A&E awning and roller tube.This hasmade life so much easier for us to use theawning because on our unit the arms were so high you needed a minimum 4' ladder to use it. The other night while we were camping the wind came up suddenly andI had the awning closed in less than 20 seconds. We will at some point add the Direct Response unit which has the motion sensor Larry was speaking of. We really like ours.

[sheltieRV]

I have the factory installed power awning, which is Dometic (A&E), under a year old and already showing signs of fabric being fatigued. I would go the Carefree route.

[mbinohio]

I also changed mine to electric, I have the dometic 9100 series and I love it, both sides have struts so it will tilt in the rain and like Hunter I needed a ladder to pull the manual awning down, we never leave the awning up ant night and always bring it in when we leave the campground, I guess the only down side for some people would be patio lites, I don't bother with them any more but for some people they are a must....if you research the electric awning you will find most people either love or hate them, like anything else, I think it's money well spent, and as far as the holes from the manual I had them filled witg caulk and put the yellow side marker lites over them, they don't work but it looks nice

[JPG]

Thank guys for your input.



Does CampingWorld deal the A and E and the Carefree?



Hunter and Mike.Did you have your's installed at CampingWorld?

[Hunter11]

I had mine installed by a local Mobile RV Repair guy. He had done several and came highly recommended. I am sure CW could do the install.

[mbinohio]

mine was installed by Camping World, they did a not real good job to say the least, Camping World is tied in with Sapilia RV, and these guys are wayyyyyyyyyy bad, the installed the awning and shorted the electric to the bedroom, first the denied the problem and after a lenghty conversation they finally admitted the problem was there doing, I had a local guy her check it and it cost 140.00 for the service call and for him to do some wiring work so we did have power in the bedroom but none of the outside plugs worked, I took it back to camping world, which is almost 2 hrs from home, after a lenghty heated and long discussion they fixed the wiring and paid me for the service call, I had to leave the camper there to have it repaired when I picked it up the lube plate was broken, all the outside storage doors were unlocked, and they never tested to see if it worked, they were happy to test it when I got there after more talks, Camping World is ok to buy from but since they now use alot of dealer techs the service sucks, I will but from them over the net but never will they do anything service wise again, everything is now repaired and everything works great....I bought the awning in Feb, when they were on sale,