electric awning

[Dennis_Smith]

Has anyone changed from a manual to an electric awning? I have had two RVs and nothing but problems trying to get the awning out or back in. So for Christmas we are going to buy an electric one. Push a button and it goes out and push a button and it comes back in. Where is the best place to get one and what prices have people paid to have this done? My present one is 16 feet wide. Thanks for any help or advice in advance.

[jdphillips73]

Just bought our second RV. The first we had for 7 years with a manual awning... it suffered a 8 inch tear from a windy day, not stormy...

The new RV (Forest River Salem Cruise Lite) has an electric awning. OMG, I would never go back to manual. After years of owning a manual, the ease of pressing a button to make the electric come out (even has a remote control for times when Im too lazy to press the button) is awesome. BTW... We only paid 16k for our new 32' camper with electric everything... cant believe that these awnings go for 1k. wow!

[wrvond]

Retired Alex wrote:
I am able to tie down my electric awning without using poles.

Your awning looks just like mine, so I am curious about how you determined your awning doesn't need poles.
The only thing I can figure is you leave the locking knobs loose, allowing for spring loaded "give" in the awning arms. Is that correct?

Thanks

[Steamguy]

I had a 20-footer which was one of the Carefree designs with the springs. It was not easy for me to deploy and store. One of the springs eventually gave out and I converted it to manual. WHAT a JOY to use it ever since. I think I used it five times as much in the first year after the conversion as the totality of all the other years.

Conversion cost around $200, IIRC.

I have photos and the how-to on my blog. CLICKY - GO HERE

[Dennis_Smith]

I went to camping world this week and for $1800 can get the old one off and and a new one installed. This is for a 16 foot and the switch installed inside the camper. Guess we now know what we are getting for Christmas. I hate our manual one. They had a nice display in the store, press a button and 15 seconds later your in the shade.

[VolFamily]

Haven't had any issues with wind with our electric awning. We do like the ease of operation and auto-dump, but I think we would still prefer the manual simply to choose the pitch and angle of awning that suits our needs. Our trailer is so tall that with the awning out, any slight angle to the rain gets everything underneath wet. Kind of defeats the purpose.

[wmoses]

Retired Alex wrote:
I am able to tie down my electric awning without using poles.

Some awnings need the poles, due to the design of the arms. See the photo of my RV.

[Retired_Alex]

I am able to tie down my electric awning without using poles.

[wmoses]

Dennis Smith wrote:
What kind of tie down or poles do you use when you tie down the awning?

Dennis,

No company makes these poles, but some intrepid RVers have made their own. Essentially what is needed is a pole to support each end of the extended awning, pitched to your preference, with the awning tied down also at each end to the ground. The poles are vertical to the ground so with the tie down angled outwards to the ground provide a brace for the awning restricting the roll from flying up and back towards the RV.

I have not made my poles up yet.

[wannavolunteerF]

not sure what brand the OP has, but Carefree offers a conversion kit. Change their manual to electric using your actual awning, just replace arms and add electrical parts.

[Dennis_Smith]

What kind of tie down or poles do you use when you tie down the awning?

[wmoses]

Lynnmor wrote:

wmoses wrote:
If one uses awning support poles along with awning tie downs then an electric awning would be just as stable and robust as a manual awning, so that one would have the best of both worlds.

Since you install manual poles and manual tie downs, I guess that you have the worst of both worlds.

And in a word I guess you would be wrong. 😉

With the poles / tiedowns you have the option of putting them up and resting easy, OR you have the option of not putting them up and standing with your finger on the button wondering when to push.

If you know that you are in calm / gentle breeze conditions you can opt to not put them up at all.

Either way you have more options and more time to get on with camping. You might want to do a search on the subject (hint - look in the FR forums) and maybe you will have a different opinion.

[DarylSue]

Retired Alex wrote:
There are 2 types of electric awnings.

One type just extends and has an automatic dumping feature that allows one end of the awning to collapse when there is a rain water build up on the awning. The problem with this type is that you never know which end of the awning is going to drop and allow the water to run off. Many of my friends, with this type, have been soaked when the awning dumps. Also you cannot adjust the height of this awning to compensate for the sun's angle, it just extends straight out.

My preference is the Dometic 9100 electric awning. There are two adjustable arms on it that permit you to slope the awning so rain water drains off the end you choose. Also these arms allow you a 24 inch adjustment on the height of the awning so when the sun is low you can lower the awning to get more shade.
The Dometic is available from Camping World for $982.

Yes......get the adjustable pitch awning if your gonna go to electric.

[NMWHITIS]

Lynnmor wrote:

wmoses wrote:
If one uses awning support poles along with awning tie downs then an electric awning would be just as stable and robust as a manual awning, so that one would have the best of both worlds.

Since you install manual poles and manual tie downs, I guess that you have the worst of both worlds.

Were you at Charlestown State Park by any chance??? We had a bad storm roll through there. I think I saw your rig (it was almost indentical to mine!!)

Anyway, I saw a couple awnings flipped back over rvs. Hadn't heard of it moving a popup though. We got some pretty good hail with that one.

[Lynnmor]

wmoses wrote:
If one uses awning support poles along with awning tie downs then an electric awning would be just as stable and robust as a manual awning, so that one would have the best of both worlds.

Since you install manual poles and manual tie downs, I guess that you have the worst of both worlds.