BobsYourUncle does have some valid things to watch for if you go with an electric. However, not all of them are "fixed" or "stationary" like he's describing.
My previous travel trailer had an electric awning, and my 2019 5er also has an electric awning. Both can be tipped one side or the other, both have automatic dump features, meaning when the awning begins to pool with water, the weight of the water will cause one side to tilt and automatically dump.
But we found that was really unnervie, because after the water drained off, it would spring back up into original position with a slam. So, we just kept one side tilted down and used the set-screw knob to hold it in that position. Water drained off with absolutely no problem.
About wind? Like any non-electric awning, there is a point where they have to be pulled in if it gets too windy. But both of my electric awnings did very well in some pretty high winds if those set-screw knobs were (are) tightened down so the arms are locked. There is still a little wiggle, but it would take a lot to rip the awning off.
We used our travel trailer awning all the time. We did take extra precautions to protect it. If we left the campsite to go somewhere, we always pulled the awning in, because you just never know what might with the weather, wind, rain, tornado, or hurricane while you are gone. But we also did this with our first two travel trailers that had manual awnings too. Why? Because I was careless with our first pop-up and the awning did pull up and flip over the top of the pop-up and punched a hole in the roof. Cost $4000 on a $6000 pop-up to fix the awning and roof, which insurance paid all but $500. Lesson learned in my very early years of RV style ownership, and one that I never forgot.
The only down side of my current 5er is, the awning is so horribly high. The camper is 13 feet tall and the awning roller is probably 11 feet high from the ground. It's impossible to reach it without a tall ladder. In this case, if it were a manual awning, it was be horrible to extract, because of the shear height.
For what it's worth, we have on order a new awning install from our dealer for the back door, on the opposite side of the camper, plus installing LED lights under the awning that will match the front door on the other side. They gave me several options where to run the switches for the lights and the power awning, and we settled on a location that made most sense for us and the way we use the camper.
Turns out, they run the wire under the floor, in the underbelly and will bring it up through the floor and put the switch in the dresser drawer cabinet in the rear bedroom, which is right near and within visible sight when the awning is being opened or closed. The wire will run back from the switch back under the underbelly and back up to the rear closet, through the floor again, inside the closet and then through a hole that will be drilled to the outside from the wall. The wire will then follow the awning arm track which will provide power to the motor and power to the awning lights. So, actually, no wires will go through the actual wall, but rather inside the wall and under the floor. It sounds like they'll run a separate line from the batter, connect the wire somewhere there and probably both awning and lights will have it's own separate fuse, separate from the on-board power converter.
We're scheduled for the install around the second week in January. This is our Christmas present for each other this year. We also had them install a large door handle on the rear door.
At home, the way we park the camper, the back door on the opposite side of the camper is actually the front, and we enjoy using the camper year round and really enjoy sitting under the awning at home. So the awning, door, and lights will get used at home 100 percent of the time. In traditional campgrounds, the front door on the passenger side get's used 100 percent of the time.
Well, those are my thoughts. And oh, we discussed the new awning, manual vs electric, and dealer pointed out the same problem with the front awning will exist with the back door awning, it's REALLY high off the ground. Impossible to reach without a ladder. No brainer.... we went with the electric, and they are doing the work, which I REALLY don't mind them doing at all and REALLY don't mind paying their price. It's definitely a job I could never do alone.
Our little pop-up...about a million years ago it seems:
First travel trailer:
Second Travel Trailer: This is the one thing I do miss with the manual awning. The arms could be lifted off the bottom support and slid under the camper. The awning itself would lay flat against the camper making it extremely easy was wash the top. I do miss the ability with the electric ones.
Previous camper, electric awning had the tilt feature, and rain dump feature, also had knob set screws to keep it sloped in a fixed position. This one was reachable from the ground.
Current Campe, electric awning. Really High. Notice 5 steps into the camper from the ground, then the height of the awning. Impossible to reach from the ground. Electric is essential here:
Getting the new awning on the back side soon:
My previous travel trailer had an electric awning, and my 2019 5er also has an electric awning. Both can be tipped one side or the other, both have automatic dump features, meaning when the awning begins to pool with water, the weight of the water will cause one side to tilt and automatically dump.
But we found that was really unnervie, because after the water drained off, it would spring back up into original position with a slam. So, we just kept one side tilted down and used the set-screw knob to hold it in that position. Water drained off with absolutely no problem.
About wind? Like any non-electric awning, there is a point where they have to be pulled in if it gets too windy. But both of my electric awnings did very well in some pretty high winds if those set-screw knobs were (are) tightened down so the arms are locked. There is still a little wiggle, but it would take a lot to rip the awning off.
We used our travel trailer awning all the time. We did take extra precautions to protect it. If we left the campsite to go somewhere, we always pulled the awning in, because you just never know what might with the weather, wind, rain, tornado, or hurricane while you are gone. But we also did this with our first two travel trailers that had manual awnings too. Why? Because I was careless with our first pop-up and the awning did pull up and flip over the top of the pop-up and punched a hole in the roof. Cost $4000 on a $6000 pop-up to fix the awning and roof, which insurance paid all but $500. Lesson learned in my very early years of RV style ownership, and one that I never forgot.
The only down side of my current 5er is, the awning is so horribly high. The camper is 13 feet tall and the awning roller is probably 11 feet high from the ground. It's impossible to reach it without a tall ladder. In this case, if it were a manual awning, it was be horrible to extract, because of the shear height.
For what it's worth, we have on order a new awning install from our dealer for the back door, on the opposite side of the camper, plus installing LED lights under the awning that will match the front door on the other side. They gave me several options where to run the switches for the lights and the power awning, and we settled on a location that made most sense for us and the way we use the camper.
Turns out, they run the wire under the floor, in the underbelly and will bring it up through the floor and put the switch in the dresser drawer cabinet in the rear bedroom, which is right near and within visible sight when the awning is being opened or closed. The wire will run back from the switch back under the underbelly and back up to the rear closet, through the floor again, inside the closet and then through a hole that will be drilled to the outside from the wall. The wire will then follow the awning arm track which will provide power to the motor and power to the awning lights. So, actually, no wires will go through the actual wall, but rather inside the wall and under the floor. It sounds like they'll run a separate line from the batter, connect the wire somewhere there and probably both awning and lights will have it's own separate fuse, separate from the on-board power converter.
We're scheduled for the install around the second week in January. This is our Christmas present for each other this year. We also had them install a large door handle on the rear door.
At home, the way we park the camper, the back door on the opposite side of the camper is actually the front, and we enjoy using the camper year round and really enjoy sitting under the awning at home. So the awning, door, and lights will get used at home 100 percent of the time. In traditional campgrounds, the front door on the passenger side get's used 100 percent of the time.
Well, those are my thoughts. And oh, we discussed the new awning, manual vs electric, and dealer pointed out the same problem with the front awning will exist with the back door awning, it's REALLY high off the ground. Impossible to reach without a ladder. No brainer.... we went with the electric, and they are doing the work, which I REALLY don't mind them doing at all and REALLY don't mind paying their price. It's definitely a job I could never do alone.
Our little pop-up...about a million years ago it seems:
First travel trailer:
Second Travel Trailer: This is the one thing I do miss with the manual awning. The arms could be lifted off the bottom support and slid under the camper. The awning itself would lay flat against the camper making it extremely easy was wash the top. I do miss the ability with the electric ones.
Previous camper, electric awning had the tilt feature, and rain dump feature, also had knob set screws to keep it sloped in a fixed position. This one was reachable from the ground.
Current Campe, electric awning. Really High. Notice 5 steps into the camper from the ground, then the height of the awning. Impossible to reach from the ground. Electric is essential here:
Getting the new awning on the back side soon:
