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Old 04-15-2017, 06:50 PM   #1
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Question Electric Awning sticking

I have two awnings on my unit, (Lippert). One on the body, the other on the door side slide. Both working fine when I winterized it in October. Unit covered all winter. Today the front awning went out fine. The slide awning didn't budge. I tried turning the awning tube manually, finally moved back and forth a little. I finally had the wife push the button and I pulled on the motor and it worked. It goes out fine, but comes in very slowly, stopped a couple times and I had to go back out a bit and then continue to close it. Any ideas? Is there a place to oil the awning motors?

This is why I'm not a huge fan of electric awnings. Also they are very delicate. A good wind or heavy storm and they are done. The old manual awnings you could drop them low and stake to the ground and have coverage in the weather.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
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Old 04-18-2017, 07:35 PM   #2
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We have 2012 Slingshot, and just replaced awning motor, and ours was a completely sealed unit with no place to lubricate it. The reason we replaced it was because last month it rolled out just fine , and when it was time to bring it back in it quit. There is a tread I made on this , but your question about being able to oil it , the only thing I can say is that ours had no location for oiling it, just a sealed motor.
Hope this helps
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Old 04-19-2017, 11:35 AM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SJSS Slingshot View Post
We have 2012 Slingshot, and just replaced awning motor, and ours was a completely sealed unit with no place to lubricate it. The reason we replaced it was because last month it rolled out just fine , and when it was time to bring it back in it quit. There is a tread I made on this , but your question about being able to oil it , the only thing I can say is that ours had no location for oiling it, just a sealed motor.
Hope this helps
Thanks! Guess I won't waste time looking for a place to oil it.
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Old 04-19-2017, 01:15 PM   #4
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You can/should use a silicone spray a lube all,the pivot points periodically. Mine (Carefee Travelers) the motor is sealed, but there are gears in the head that can be lubricated.
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Old 04-19-2017, 04:59 PM   #5
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You can/should use a silicone spray a lube all,the pivot points periodically. Mine (Carefee Travelers) the motor is sealed, but there are gears in the head that can be lubricated.
I did see gears when I looked in through the rubber cover.
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Old 04-19-2017, 07:41 PM   #6
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Unfortunately mine is total sealed, it is a Dometic. Yes I do lubricate all pivot points and slides on the frame, but as far as my motor it was toast. The new motor was identical, came completely sealed, no gears showing , and not a place to oil it.
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Old 04-21-2017, 10:04 AM   #7
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Here's a completely different take.

There is another possible source of the issue besides a sticking hinge or retracting arm. After a couple months, the awning on our new trailer started "sticking". I hit all the movable joints with silicone and graphite and still I had to manually pull one of the arms out to get it to unroll.

Turns out one of the screws keeping the awning and underwire in the rail fell out and the awning had slightly shifted over time. This in turn caused enough twist in the fabric creating force to hold one of the spring-loaded arms in place. Dealership said they see it all the time even when the awning rail screws are not missing. If you have ripples in the fabric when it is open, that may be part of the problem. The "shift" can be caused by faulty installation or a good stiff wind.

BTW,


X2 on the power awnings. More trouble than the convenence is worth. I miss our manual awning and staking system. It's getting old babysitting the awning on a breezy day.
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Old 04-21-2017, 10:28 AM   #8
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Could also be one of the gas charged struts has gone bad, mine did & that little motor won't operate without assistance.
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Old 04-24-2017, 05:48 PM   #9
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I thought the awning might be "stiff" from the winter. I was going out easily and coming back in slowly, but not stopping......until yesterday. Put awnings out to clean them. Went out like a breeze and I had to use a cordless drill to get it back in. I could hear the gears slipping in the motor as it tried to move backwards. There are exterior gears to grease under the plastic covers. I'm going to try to get a replacement motor since it's less than a year since I took position.

I think someone said that the speed is 35 RPMs. This motor is 75 RPMs and even brand new it moved slowly. That little motor is working hard. I don't think it helps that every time you leave the camper and will be more than 10 minutes away you have to put the awnings in just in case the wind kicks up or it rains. I will take manual awnings any day.
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Old 04-24-2017, 07:49 PM   #10
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Sean after looking at your picture, I can understand now that everyone says they see gears on their motors. Yours looks very similar to a power window motor in a car or truck. And see the gear.
Mine is a long aluminum tubular housing at the outer in of the awning, and the motor sits inside the aluminum housing about 15 inches long, and there is no exposed parts at all . The motor sits inside the aluminum housing completely sealed, but no place to oil at all. The feed wires or hidden in the rails. Yes it turns at 32 rpms but steady as a rock both extend and retract.
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Old 04-28-2017, 03:02 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SJSS Slingshot View Post
Sean after looking at your picture, I can understand now that everyone says they see gears on their motors. Yours looks very similar to a power window motor in a car or truck. And see the gear.
Mine is a long aluminum tubular housing at the outer in of the awning, and the motor sits inside the aluminum housing about 15 inches long, and there is no exposed parts at all . The motor sits inside the aluminum housing completely sealed, but no place to oil at all. The feed wires or hidden in the rails. Yes it turns at 32 rpms but steady as a rock both extend and retract.
The "motor" has one exposed gear that meshes into the gears in/on the awning tube. I will take better pictures when i take it apart.
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