Oop's - Page 2

Blue Dogs · 08-12-2015, 03:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ian Smith

Update all fixed,tech agrees it was water damage. He put in larger bolts as recommended even though the bolts did not pull out. Final cost $1400 and I told you so from my wife.

I agree, not enough slope to drain the water and not retracted soon enough. User error!!!

As always thanks.

I hate it when that happens but we all do it.

Happy you are all fixed up,and no serious side effects. Happy camping!

RWJSIM2003 · 08-12-2015, 04:32 PM

I wish the awnings had more slope to them. I have adjusted them down as far as they can go and would still be worried in a heavy rain that they would not hold up. Wife gets a little mad when I wont leave them out in the rain or if we are leaving but I don't want the awnings ripped off or collapsed when all I have to do is push a button to retract or extend.

RomanyLife · 08-12-2015, 04:37 PM

I certainly can understand how you can feel that way, I was the same after ours fell off, but after doing a lot of research and some of our own testing, we feel much better about it. At the steepest setting, you can turn a HOSE onto it and the water will NOT collect at all, it runs right off. At that angle, water simply cannot collect, unless you had really slack awning fabric, then it might get a slight toe-hold at the rail at the bottom, especially if you have them extended so far that the awning begins to roll back on itself, creating a "curb" effect at the bottom. Mine actually DID keep going past full extend and started rolling back up in the reversed direction!!! Make sure that "curb" isn't there when you fully extend it.
If I rolled mine in every time it rains a little here in Washington State in the winter, we would NEVER have them out. It's nice to have a dry patio area.

atom ant · 08-13-2015, 12:09 AM

I'm not sure how you could add pitch. I was thinking you could move the slide brackets down on the side, but then it wouldn't be aligned to retract.

I am glad they have a pitch. In rains, I have adjust once side down and one up, and it definitely won't hold water then.

Rick and Mindy · 08-13-2015, 01:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by atom ant

I'm not sure how you could add pitch. I was thinking you could move the slide brackets down on the side, but then it wouldn't be aligned to retract.

I am glad they have a pitch. In rains, I have adjust once side down and one up, and it definitely won't hold water then.

I may be wrong, but I thought I read in our literature somewhere that you can adjust one side of the awning lower then the other for rain drainage purposes and the awning will still retract properly. You can leave it that way, would that not take care of any rain problems? I don't use my awning that much so I can's speak from experience.

r time soon · 08-13-2015, 01:42 AM

You are correct Rick. The carefree manual states the following:

DO NOT SET THE ARMS AT MORE
THAN THREE (3) POSITIONS DIFFERENT BETWEEN THE
SHALLOW AND STEEP PITCH. DAMAGE TO THE ARMS AND
CANOPY CAN OCCUR IF THE AWNING IS RETRACTED WHEN
THE ARMS ARE SET AT MORE THAN 3 POSITIONS
DIFFERENCE.

Chris

RomanyLife · 08-13-2015, 01:45 AM

Yes I agree. We only do that if we are trying to have the water drain away from us to a certain point. Otherwise we just keep them level but steeply pitched. I doubt anyone has more rain than we do and they work fine. There is no way that water can be retained when they are steeply sloped like that.

Shane Wood · 08-13-2015, 02:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rick and Mindy

I may be wrong, but I thought I read in our literature somewhere that you can adjust one side of the awning lower then the other for rain drainage purposes and the awning will still retract properly. You can leave it that way, would that not take care of any rain problems? I don't use my awning that much so I can's speak from experience.

Yes Rick
I have set one arm as high as it will go and the other as low as it will to try it out and it retracts normally. As Brad said I have been in a monsoon with it in these settings and no water pools it just runs off

atom ant · 08-13-2015, 06:50 AM

Its fun with the 2 awnings, as I set them opposite so they are pitched up in the middle and water runs out at both ends.

5th_Time · 08-13-2015, 03:21 PM

After you take out the sheetmetal screws, is there any kind of wood reinforcement behind there? What are you screwing the lugs into?

RomanyLife · 08-13-2015, 04:47 PM

There isn't much behind there. Ours went through the sheet of fiberglass, then through the 1/8" thick aluminum frame. Carefree recommends a molly back there, and we agree. Can't OVER do it here! If yours is like ours, you can go into your forward wardrobe and there will be a plastic outlet cover in there. Remove it and you can see the fasteners from the inside! It's quite enlightening!

travelin' texans · 08-13-2015, 05:11 PM

The exterior is laminated with fiberglass, approx. 3/8" plywood, if lucky you might hit an aluminum stud, approx. 2" of Styrofoam & finally 1/8" interior paneling. A 1/4" x 1 1/4" lag should be more than enough just put one in each hole on the arm with a dab of silicone. Mine had 2 screws at the top & 1 at the bottom, not enough, but fortunately I didn't lose it.

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