Securing power awning while in transit
Just heard about a friend of my brother's whose awning on his fifth wheel started coming out while he was driving. He has a new high end trailer so I'm sure it must have been a power awning. Heard t...
Forum Discussion
Esacnj wrote:
I installed 3 of the awning locks shown on travel trailers with manual awnings. On all 3 the hole and pin wound up in a different position (not lining up) each time awning was closed leaving them useless. I contacted the manufacturer several times and got no response.
Did you offset the hole location? From the company FAQ:
The instructions for installing the RV Awning Travel Lock say that the hole in the end cap should be drilled 1/8" clockwise from the location of the pin. Why the offset?
As much as we would like it to happen, the awning will not roll up and stop at exactly the same position each time. There are simply too many variables which can effect the position, among them strap position, procedure used, temperature, moisture, wind, and spring tension.
If the hole were at the exact location where we thought or hoped the pin would be, if it were off a little bit in one direction it would not fall into place. By offsetting the hole a little bit (1/8"), the pin can usually be seated with just a gentle tug on the awning strap if off in that direction.
To summarize, the offset increases the chances that the pin will fall into the hole either directly or with a small tug on the strap.
Not saying you did it wrong. I'm considering purchasing one of these things, but if they're a problem to install...
