A&E OneStep power awning motor problems

[howardwheeler]

My power awning has some kind of bind in the power mechanism. All the hardware struts are fine, not twisted, bent or otherwise a problem. They all move freely. But either the motor or the tube or whatever is inside the tube is binding. The motor acts like it has no power. I push extend and it weakly goes out a little then slows to a stop. If I wait a little it will sometimes go out a little further. It will retract a little easier but still not right. I found the motor leads and bypassed the controller. With a strong battery it did do better but still moved very slowly, not at all like it would when it was working. So I don't think it's the controller or wiring. It is either the motor or the tube. So two questions. First, what is inside these awning tubes? If I figure out how to remove the motor, is there some spring inside that's going to slap me in the face? Second, does anyone know how this motor is removed? It has a Chinese puzzle assortment of screws that seem interlocked with other parts. If I could get it off I think I could verify which part is wrong. If anyone has other suggestions, they are more than welcomed.

[howardwheeler]

Now you can see the big main gear. Once you have it apart its simple to go back together. But it was not intuitive in my book as to how it was to come apart. Everything is interlocked. To get to certain screws or bolts something else had to be removed first. Next time will be a breeze.

[howardwheeler]

Once the spring is loosened from the bolt holding it on, the main gear could be pulled away from the motor housing.

[howardwheeler]

The other end of the spring shaft with the three prong gripper that grabs the inside of the tube. The whole shaft is about 2 feet long.

[howardwheeler]

The motor has a electric brake on the far left end. I could hear it click. I never took the motor itself apart but did lube the ends of its shaft. The big gear that meshes with the smaller motor gear had bronze bushings. I took them out and lubed them as well as everything else that rubbed. I might eventually take the other end off and clean and lube it as well. Thanks again.

[howardwheeler]

Victory! I built up the courage to pull the motor and torsion spring assembly out after Doug said it wouldn't kill me. I'll follow with some pictures but I got it all out and disassembled and bench tested the motor. Seemed really solid so I took apart all the bushings, took the spring off and lubed everything that moved with waterproof silicone lube and reassembled. I had counted the number of turns that the spring flipped the motor around once I drilled out the rivets, and retwisted the spring the same revolutions in reverse when I reassembled the whole affair back on the tube. It was 9 revolutions. I had to cut the wires from the little plug in the arm to the motor leads plug so I resoldered it and coated the solder joints with liquid vinyl tape. Then I pushed the extend switch. It goes in and out as smoothly as new!! I am now an expert on A&E awning repair and ready to give advice!!! Thanks everyone for the help. If the motor had of been bad, Dometic has a replacement assembly that requires you change both torsion assemblies at each end of the tube. Total runs around $450 for just parts. I'm not sure what was binding but all smooth now. I'll post pictures in a minute.

[Rmaitland]

Hey there! R u still available?

[howardwheeler]

I'm pulling it out all the way tomorrow. I'll thank everyone then if all works out!!

[dougrainer]

22%Over wrote:
Dometic may not offer the motor for the Onestep model, but they definitely have them available for their 9000 series. I know this because I replaced mine with a brand new one a few years back and it is an "in tube" motor.

You do NOT understand what we are talking about. Others and the OP want JUST THE MOTOR. You replaced the 9100 motor/drive assbly which is what the Weatherpro is. The DIFFERENCE is the 1 step and the Weatherpro had external motors mounted to the drive assbly. You did not replace JUST the motor. You replaced the motor/drive assbly which is how Dometic supplies the part which has the motor attached inside the tube. Doug

http://compare.ebay.com/like/261324751945

[22_Over]

Dometic may not offer the motor for the Onestep model, but they definitely have them available for their 9000 series. I know this because I replaced mine with a brand new one a few years back and it is an "in tube" motor.

[dougrainer]

From your pic, the unit will slide completely out and off. It is only about 12 inches long total. Make sure the arms are indeed secured or they will push out fully. You need to support the front of the tube/fabric since the motor assbly is not there. Doug

[howardwheeler]

So Doug, you think I'm okay to go on and pull that motor assembly off because the torsion on the other end will hold everything. I have zip ties on the arms at both ends. In the pictures, can you see the screws still on the assembly on the round part that was riveted to the tube? I don't know what those are. I cannot find anywhere a service manual for this awning. For a company as big as Dometic, it seems strange.

[dougrainer]

howardwheeler wrote:
I don't know where RV junk yards are in Texas. Any ideas? My motor isn't in the tube but rather on the end of the awning arm. I am still not sure how to get the motor off. Can anyone tell from the pictures I posted how this thing comes off? A shaft with a spring around it goes right through the middle of the assembly. Sorry to be such a pain, but this thing is really a puzzle to me. If the fabric were bad I'd just get another one, but it really hasn't been abused and looks nice. And it's fabric instead of vinyl.

I am telling you have to buy the complete WEATHERPRO motor and rear Torsion. Dometic NEVER offered just the motor, you had to replace or buy the complete assbly. Dometic does NOT offer just the motor regardless if it is IN the tube or outside the tube. The reason the One Step was dropped so soon was a problem with the motors and the arms. That is why they went to the Weatherpro design. Doug

[howardwheeler]

I don't know where RV junk yards are in Texas. Any ideas? My motor isn't in the tube but rather on the end of the awning arm. I am still not sure how to get the motor off. Can anyone tell from the pictures I posted how this thing comes off? A shaft with a spring around it goes right through the middle of the assembly. Sorry to be such a pain, but this thing is really a puzzle to me. If the fabric were bad I'd just get another one, but it really hasn't been abused and looks nice. And it's fabric instead of vinyl.

[wa8yxm]

Finding a new motor is fairly easy but you have to go through a dealer and they order it,

or you can go to a salvage yard and pick up a used one from a rig where the awnign tube buckled.. Just have 'em wack the first 3 feet of tube off, that is more than enough to contain the motor, Specify tube with motor inside.