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Okay - I've only had one other rig with an awning and that was a long time ago.
I just installed my new awning on our camper to replace the missing one. All the arms and mounts are the originals - so all I replaced was the spool with the awning fabric and the tensioners.
At the top of the arms there are clips that look like they are supposed to latch onto the top of the arms - but they don't latch. It looks like the spool needs to be mounted up higher - but I am not sure..
Any thoughts?
Do I have to have these latches "latched"?
Those look like travel locks to me. Designed to keep the wind (while driving) from unrolling your awning and pushing the arms outward.
Your awning arms should be flush, or nearly flush, against the side of the camper, then those slides on the outside should push up lock the arm at the top.
Referencing my 2008 Keystone Springdale travel trailer that we just towed 7K miles from GA to WA and back. We have an awning that is nearly identical to that and it stored the same way as your looks in the pictures. The front (toward the truck) closes a bit more than yours, but that may only be because the last 2 ft or so of travel before being fully retracted I let it go and close itself quickly. The rear (toward the trailer bumper) is about the same as yours, if not out a 1/4 or so more.
We have had zero problems with ours even in high winds across SD and many, many trips. The gray clips that you are seeing from the outside are mainly used to lock the horizontal stabilizing arms into place when the awning is out. Although, they may have a dual purpose of helping keep the awning stowed, but I am not sure about that. I do know that even when/if the front arm seems to lock into place, I don't need to unlatch anything other than the lever on the tension bar.
Don't worry about traveling on your trip, I think you are fine.
The arms need to be adjusted. They are not in close enough at the top, but I can not tell what it holding them out and, this is not a crisis situation. I see arms riding like that all the time. The arm locks snap in mid arm, right? And the roller tube lock is up, so nothing is going anywhere. Is the outer arm clearing the inner arm at the top or are the sides hitting? That is, if you give the arm a rap one way or the other, will it snap into place (and then maybe get stuck when you try to get it out.
If you think the roller tube is riding too low, instead of dropping the arms all the way to the stop when you are going to retract it, use the handle and stop it one notch higher and see if it makes any difference.
I am not at all sure what you are talking about, but you have the same awning I have. The two gray clips are for the tension arms when the awning is down, the awning must be lifted slightly to set the top of the arms over the travel pegs on the very top.
When the awning is fully rolled out you release the tension ***** (in the middle) and slide the tension arms all the way up to the roller. They will snap into place tighten the tension ****. When ready to put it back up you release the tension lock **** and then just press the latches you are referring too to release the tension arm so it slides back down. Set your tension before you left the canopy or you will need a ladder. Don't forget to tighten the tension **** after you stow the awning or they can vibrate out and fall somewhere along the highway, never to be seen again.
The arms need to be adjusted. They are not in close enough at the top, but I can not tell what it holding them out and, this is not a crisis situation. I see arms riding like that all the time. The arm locks snap in mid arm, right? And the roller tube lock is up, so nothing is going anywhere. Is the outer arm clearing the inner arm at the top or are the sides hitting? That is, if you give the arm a rap one way or the other, will it snap into place (and then maybe get stuck when you try to get it out.
If you think the roller tube is riding too low, instead of dropping the arms all the way to the stop when you are going to retract it, use the handle and stop it one notch higher and see if it makes any difference.
Make sense,
Steve
I think this maybe what I need to do. Right now the rolled up awning is probably a little too low. I will lift the arms slightly (they are at the lower limit "stops" now) and see if that helps..
Thanks for all the input on this.. I will let you know how it progresses as soon as it quits raining out there!
Get up there on a ladder and you will see what I am talking about. There is a travel position that requires a slight lift for the bracket to drop over the latch at the top
First thing to check is if the small arm will slip into the the bigger arm, if it doesn't and both ends are rubbing on the same side you need to adjust the material were it slides into the rail at the top. Unroll the awning and move the material one way or the other to align it.
The pictures look just like mine and I remember the exact moment when I went to close the awning for the first time and noticed that it was not going quite as far back as from where I opened it.
I know on my awning the rails fit together just fine and the mid-point snap does lock into place, it is only out of "adjustment" at the top portion like the pictures. I am 99% certain that if he lifts the arms as KW7DSP said that the awning will go into place and be ready for travel.
If not, he can still go on his trip and figure it out after they get back home.
Here are the operator instructions for retracting the awning. There are the only steps that are necessary and the arms should nest without undue effort, when everything is properly adjusted. The roller tube and arm locks hold the awning in place and keep it from unfurling while underway. Lifting is not necessary (unless someone can provide a reference from an owner's manual).
"While holding the pull strap, push the lock lever on
the right awning end cap to the roll up position.
8. Control the speed of the awning and allow it to roll
up, while moving the pull strap diagonally to the left
or right to prevent it from bunching up.
9. Squeeze the rafter into the main arm until a click is
heard. This will indicate it is locked in place. Tighten
***** on both sides to secure in place."
Steve has hit it 100% (as usual) with his two posts. I went through some of the same adjusting after I had an awning replaced on the Titanium and followed those exact steps.
The part that throws folks off is the lack of quality control when the awnings are installed at the factory. I have seen roller tubes installed so they ride a good inch or more above the awning rail at the roof line and seen some that are so out of kilter it is almost impossible to open them.
My wife and I replace a lot of awning fabric this year and we really take our time aligning everything when we are done so the awning retracts and opens smoothly. The thing is, the way the locks work now, the awning can be way off and still work and travel fine. That means there is no need for anyone to knit pick this, unless you just want to. You will find an awning every so often where the legs are so far off in height it is virtually impossible to get them to nest properly, although again, even in those situations all is still well.
one arm would stick or hold to roof mount. other side not,
setting up a ladder.. it was clear.. the arm is NOT to make contact with Roof mount..
10 year old trailer and 2 year old fabric...
thank you for the information...confirms my thinking.
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Awning help needed please
) with his two posts. I went through some of the same adjusting after I had an awning replaced on the Titanium and followed those exact steps.
