We were at Cherokee over Labor Day. It came a couple of good rains, and one HUGE downpour. We have a manual awning, and I tilt it to let water run off. so I had no problemsHowever. There was one guy with a first time used 5er, and Electric awning. He didn't know how to tilt it, I'm only guessing you can. So it filled with water, and actually pulled the awning support rails OVER the screws holding them to the camper side. It is a total loss. another guy also had an electric awning, and somehow it filled with water BETWEEN the sheets of vinal. We had to hold it up, while he rolled it up to force the water out. So Moral of the story. Either tilt your awning, or roll it up. Just one more reason I love my manual awning.

You can absolutely tilt a power awning. I do it to ours all the time. Sometimes it’s just easier to roll it up (especially if there are going to be high winds), but if you want to keep the awning out to cover items underneath from rain you can tilt it easily.

Not all power awnings, mine has the self dump feature, it won't let the water get so heavy that it'll break but you also can't decide where you want the water to flow. Saw the guy from Coldwater review a unit where you could set the angle and if you started to retract it the arms would pop to their normal position before continuing to retract, very slick system I thought.

My electric awning tilts, no problem.Too bad no one showed him how that works.Mike

Mickeyfan0805 wrote:You can absolutely tilt a power awning.SOME power awnings. The Carefree of Colorado power awning that was installed stock by K-Z on my Spree had zero tilt and a dump feature that would dump water all over whomever was unfortunate enough to be underneath the awning in a heavy downpour. :M I hated that awning so much I had it replaced with a manual Dometic 8500 which could be tilted WAY down to allow water to easily run off it. The Coachmen we purchased later had a Dometic power awning that would tilt quite a bit and also would allow rainwater to easily run off. :B The devil is in the details. ;)

Terryallen, Maybe the 5th wheel owner was like me, so many things to learn in RV, that at the time the details of awning were not mentioned or quickly forgotten. I have had TT's for years, and just went to a 3 year old Class A. So many things different to learn. Electric awning is not quite as important to learn about as generator, auto levelers, and driving the beast.

Rain, and awnings. | Good Sam Community

austinjenna
Explorer
Sep 14, 2018
Just to drift the subject a little bit, how do you guys with power awnings clean them? Especially if it's been collecting garbage and bird poo from trees immediately overhead?

I tilt my manual one down and can beat the bottom of it with my hand or broom to remove all the loose stuff before closing it, and it's easy to quickly wash off if necessary.

I do the same with my power awning, push both arms in and lock them and sweep it off - no different then a manual awning.
When dewinterizing I roll the awning out, spray it wet and spray Tilex on it and roll it up for 20-30 minutes, unroll and spray it again and it looks like new.
LarryJM
Explorer II
Sep 13, 2018
TurnThePage wrote:
Just to drift the subject a little bit, how do you guys with power awnings clean them? Especially if it's been collecting garbage and bird poo from trees immediately overhead?

I tilt my manual one down and can beat the bottom of it with my hand or broom to remove all the loose stuff before closing it, and it's easy to quickly wash off if necessary.

To clean my awning I use a scotch brite scrubber pad on an expandable pole. The pads are replaceable and you can get the basic setup at HD and then I put the pad (it screws onto any expandable pole) on a longer 4 to 8' expandable pole and I can then reach the entire awning from the ground with it lowered all the way. I put the scrub pad in a sock on the pole and use that to spread the 303 that I spray onto the awning around after it's cleaned.

Larry
ktmrfs
Explorer II
Sep 13, 2018
Mickeyfan0805 wrote:
You can absolutely tilt a power awning. I do it to ours all the time. Sometimes it’s just easier to roll it up (especially if there are going to be high winds), but if you want to keep the awning out to cover items underneath from rain you can tilt it easily.

x2 on ours also. in addition it also has the "auto dump" feature. I always tilt when camping but at home did use a hose to verify the "auto dump" feature worked. It did, but I wouldn't want to be standing near the awning when it decided to dump
Terryallan
Explorer II
Sep 13, 2018
IB853347201 wrote:
Ours, and most power awnings, dump automatically. With this feature available why would anyone buy one that didn't or buy a manual one? Seems just silly! IMHO

Truth is Manual awnings are much much more robust than electric awnings. Manual awnings will take a lot more wind with out breaking. And you can carport a manual awning that gives it much more strength. In truth. A electric awning would be a deal breaker for me. We use our awning. Especially in the rain. After all. that is what it is for. We usually put the awning up when we arrive, and only take it down when we leave. Unless there is a hurricane or tornado.

And yes. Manual awnings are easier to clean as well. Take the supports off the side of the TT, and let them slide under the TT, and you can reach the entire awning from the ground.
JesLookin
Explorer
Sep 13, 2018
Hammerboy wrote:
SoundGuy wrote:
Mickeyfan0805 wrote:
You can absolutely tilt a power awning.

SOME power awnings. The Carefree of Colorado power awning that was installed stock by K-Z on my Spree had zero tilt and a dump feature that would dump water all over whomever was unfortunate enough to be underneath the awning in a heavy downpour. :M I hated that awning so much I had it replaced with a manual Dometic 8500 which could be tilted WAY down to allow water to easily run off it. The Coachmen we purchased later had a Dometic power awning that would tilt quite a bit and also would allow rainwater to easily run off. :B The devil is in the details. ;)

A couple we camp with has this awning, does not tilt but will dump when it gets "full" and you don't want to be under it when it does. Ours on the other hand does tilt thank goodness.

Dan

We also have the Carefree of Colorado power awning on our Arctic Fox. On ours you can tilt the awning. There are optional arms that push in spring loaded buttons that you use to adjust the tilt. It came from the factory with the optional adjustable arms.

Ours is from Carefree of Colorado, the Longitude model.
mike-s
Explorer
Sep 13, 2018
IB853347201 wrote:
Ours, and most power awnings, dump automatically. With this feature available why would anyone buy one that didn't or buy a manual one? Seems just silly! IMHO
Doesn't do a thing when the wind kicks up, though. Silly to expect it would.
LarryJM
Explorer II
Sep 12, 2018
Ralph Cramden wrote:
LarryJM wrote:
Ralph Cramden wrote:
LarryJM wrote:
IB853347201 wrote:
Ours, and most power awnings, dump automatically. With this feature available why would anyone buy one that didn't or buy a manual one? Seems just silly! IMHO

Cost and dependability. Anything having a motor and electric wiring and exposed to the elements is not a question of will it fail, but when!!!:S

Larry

Hmmmmmmm. Starter motors on a vehicle? Some ABS systems have a motor under the vehicle and all have a ton of wiring on the frame behind the tire where it takes rain spray, Ever see how much water gets inside the door where the power window motor is or in the cowl where the wiper motors are? The first year Dometic came out with the 9100 awning they had some issues with motors but lately not so much.

And you honestly believe that car systems with 3 to 5 year warranties and upwards of 10 on drivetrains are built with the same reliability standards as an awning with maybe a one or maybe two year warranty .... I have some prime real estate in the La. delta region and a nice bridge in NYC just for you. My opinion is still the same it's not if, but when. I now have close to 40 years with two different manual awning with no mechanical issues at all or repair costs outside of material replacement save for a couple of plastic knobs that broke.

Larry

Holy cow Larry....unknot your panties. All I said was Dometic had some water intrusion issues the first couple years they had the 9100.......the newer motors are a different design. I would much rather have a manual onnour 17 Rockwood. Try and get one even when ordering from the factory.

No re read you post to me questioning my belief that electric awnings are less reliable than manual ones and My PANTIES are just fine THANK YOU :p:B

FWIW here are two recent threads in just the last 6 months discussing electric awning issues:

Electric awning motor

Terrible Quality

Larry
mosseater
Explorer II
Sep 12, 2018
Very happy to keep my manual Dometic. I once forgot to tip it and we came home to about 20 gal of water in the center of it. I couldn't believe it didn't rip it off the trailer. Just keeps on working ten years later.
spoon059
Explorer II
Sep 12, 2018
Know how to use your equipment, before you need to use your equipment. My power awning can be manually tilted and has auto dump. I learned how to use both before I needed to use them. Just like knowing where your jack and spare tire are, before you get a flat tire on the side of the highway.

For that matter, how many people know if their trailer tires have a different size lug nut than their tow vehicle? Mine is different, so I carry a 4 way lug wrench in my trailer. My buddy had a flat earlier this summer and did NOT have a lug wrench for his trailer. Luckily we were in a group and someone saw him and stopped to lend a hand/wrench.
Ralph_Cramden
Explorer II
Sep 12, 2018
LarryJM wrote:
Ralph Cramden wrote:
LarryJM wrote:
IB853347201 wrote:
Ours, and most power awnings, dump automatically. With this feature available why would anyone buy one that didn't or buy a manual one? Seems just silly! IMHO

Cost and dependability. Anything having a motor and electric wiring and exposed to the elements is not a question of will it fail, but when!!!:S

Larry

Hmmmmmmm. Starter motors on a vehicle? Some ABS systems have a motor under the vehicle and all have a ton of wiring on the frame behind the tire where it takes rain spray, Ever see how much water gets inside the door where the power window motor is or in the cowl where the wiper motors are? The first year Dometic came out with the 9100 awning they had some issues with motors but lately not so much.

And you honestly believe that car systems with 3 to 5 year warranties and upwards of 10 on drivetrains are built with the same reliability standards as an awning with maybe a one or maybe two year warranty .... I have some prime real estate in the La. delta region and a nice bridge in NYC just for you. My opinion is still the same it's not if, but when. I now have close to 40 years with two different manual awning with no mechanical issues at all or repair costs outside of material replacement save for a couple of plastic knobs that broke.

Larry

Holy cow Larry....unknot your panties. All I said was Dometic had some water intrusion issues the first couple years they had the 9100.......the newer motors are a different design. I would much rather have a manual onnour 17 Rockwood. Try and get one even when ordering from the factory.

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