Forum Discussion

theoldwizard1's avatar
theoldwizard1
Explorer II
Oct 22, 2016

New TT, damaged power awning

My dayghter and son-in-law bought their first TT, a Jayco SLX 287BHSW (they have 4 little kids) early this year and it has been a bumpy ride !

On their second or third trip out, it rained overnight. They had left the awning up and had not tilted it (rookie mistake). The result was one severely bent arm. They got it straightened out enough to close the awning, but that is the way it has stayed since then.

The awning is a Carefree Longitude, which is listed as an "OEM Only" model. The bent arm can only be replaced as an entire "assembly". The dealer said that they would have to replace the whole awning for about $700. I did find another RV dealer that said they could get the right/front arm assembly for $400. Looking at the bent arm, I think it can be repaired (grind off some rivets, straighten and reinforce bent area, bolt back together) but my SIL is not very handy.


The next model up is the Travel'r. It has very similar arms. They actually sell the arms on Amazon for about $600 per set.

So, do you ...
  • Rube Goldberg a repair
  • Buy a complete Longitude arm assembly
  • Buy the upgraded Travek'r arm set
  • Buy a whole new "better" quality awning (brand?)
  • bobndot's avatar
    bobndot
    Explorer II
    Oct 23, 2016
    Terryallan wrote:
    theoldwizard1 wrote:
    bobndot wrote:
    If I was thinking of changing an awning, a non powered manual awning would be my choice.

    I assume those have a windup spring like a roll up shade ?

    Brand suggestion ?


    Carefree of Colorado, or Dometic.
    Easy to use, and much stronger than electric


    x2, thank you , T .

    The models with vertical arms had less issues than the scissor type, but i prefer manual over power because i boondock and don't want to deal with 'one more thing to go wrong' without being able to get any rv help.
  • Terryallan's avatar
    Terryallan
    Explorer II
    Oct 22, 2016
    theoldwizard1 wrote:
    bobndot wrote:
    If I was thinking of changing an awning, a non powered manual awning would be my choice.

    I assume those have a windup spring like a roll up shade ?

    Brand suggestion ?


    Carefree of Colorado, or Dometic.
    Easy to use, and much stronger than electric
  • BuckyBadger's avatar
    BuckyBadger
    Explorer
    Oct 22, 2016
    lbrjet wrote:
    It's hard to stay out of your kids business but that is my suggestion. If they ask for your help now that is a different story.

    x2.
  • lbrjet's avatar
    lbrjet
    Explorer
    Oct 22, 2016
    It's hard to stay out of your kids business but that is my suggestion. If they ask for your help now that is a different story.
  • theoldwizard1's avatar
    theoldwizard1
    Explorer II
    Oct 22, 2016
    bobndot wrote:
    If I was thinking of changing an awning, a non powered manual awning would be my choice.

    I assume those have a windup spring like a roll up shade ?

    Brand suggestion ?
  • theoldwizard1's avatar
    theoldwizard1
    Explorer II
    Oct 22, 2016
    rjxj wrote:
    Patch it and have him help so he can start learning. Why put the money in a new one while he is learning. Like they say.....be handy or have a lot of money.

    If he decides to go that way, he will be involved ! He wants to learn. His wife (my daughter) has very little confidence in either him or me.

    He did fix the water heater (after 3 times back to the dealer and $70 out of pocket for a non-warranty flame sensor adjustment)
  • downtheroad's avatar
    downtheroad
    Explorer
    Oct 22, 2016
    I was taught at an early age. "You have to pay for your mistakes."
    Leaving the awning out un-tilted in the rain is an honest mistake and regrettable and it happens.....
    Like everything else, owning an RV has a "learning" element.

    You can advise him, you can assist him, but have his deal with it.

    Aside:
    I like our power Travel-r awning. It has shocks and a self dumping feature. It can also be tilted.
  • DutchmenSport's avatar
    DutchmenSport
    Explorer
    Oct 22, 2016
    MKirkland wrote:
    Insurance?



    That would depend upon the deductible. If the OP family has a $500 deductible it might not be worth it to make a claim. If it's a $1000 deductible, well ... that's why they are trying to fix it themselves.

    For the OP: Whatever you do, have your SIL do it, you supervise! Actually, the choice should be his. And if he decides to take it to a repair shop, then let him foot the bill too.

    Your investment is guidance and supervision. He has to make the decisions, provide the money, and do the work. He has to take responsibility, even if you don't like his decisions. AND ... he may be perfectly happy with it the way it is. Who knows?
  • Tvov's avatar
    Tvov
    Explorer II
    Oct 22, 2016
    Try and help him patch it. If the patch doesn't work and you (well, son-in-law) have to buy a replacement part, you aren't really out anything. Most likely, the patch will work and keep working for the next 10 years. And if your son-in-law helps, he will have a story to tell other campers about how he fixed the awning (with some help from father-in-law, lol!).

About Travel Trailer Group

44,029 PostsLatest Activity: Jan 28, 2025