I want to replace awning

SoundGuy wrote:

ReneeG wrote:
Carefree is the most popular brand. Check for local RV techs or dealers with good reputations to do it for you.

Our previous K-Z Spree came stock with a Carefree of Colorado power awning and it was such a POS I couldn't wait to get rid of it. My dealer agreed to swap it out for a Dometic 8500 manual awning, asking only that I wait until the fall when his shop wasn't so busy to have the job done. That gave me 6 months with the Carefree and it proved to be the worst awning I'd ever had. It had little tilt but when it collected a sufficient quantity of water it would suddenly dump off one end, soaking anyone who happened to be unfortunate enough to be anywhere nearby. The swap work fine but holes in the trailer side wall after the Carefree was removed had to be sealed and although I had no later issues with leakage I did have quite a few plastic caps where these holes were located. Unquestionably the swap was worth the effort as I could lower the Dometic at a much more severe angle and therefore could leave it deployed in even the worst rainstorms. All that said, our current Coachmen came with a Dometic 9100 power anwing that also does tilt quite a bit so I can leave it deployed as well during heavy rainstorms, no issues at all. I'd only retract it when the wind really comes up, no different than I'd do with the manual awning. JMO, but if the OP wants a power awning I'd recommend the Dometic 9100.

You may be right for Carefree awnings. Our current is Dometic, I just checked, and the slideout awnings I think are Carefree which are different. We've had Carefree slideout awnings installed on our last RV and it was troublefree.

As for our Dometic shade awning, we can keep it out in breezes and it flexes to accommodate. What I love about an electric awning is the ability for one person to bring in the awning. Maybe some of you can bring a manual one in yourself, but it always took both two of us to do it. We have always been careful of our awning and leaving them out. We've learned our lesson of leaving it out at night! Had to wake up in the middle of the night in a rain and wind storm to bring it in! We never leave it out unattended. A strong sudden burst of wind can come up suddenly and having the electric awning is great in being able to bring it in quickly. We also accidently discovered that our awning has a rain dump feature. We were washing our awning and we had the awning halfway out to rinse. Before we could dump the water on top, it did it automatically. Startled us! I would never go back to a manual. If we were ever to purchase another RV and it had a manual awning, we would have an electric installed.