RV Awning Not Working: Won't Retract, and How to Close It by Hand

An awning that is out and will not retract is a travel problem before it is a repair problem. This page covers power awnings; a manual awning's faults are springs and fabric and are not covered here. All three makers publish a manual method, and each one is a different mechanism, so the first job is to work out which awning you have. The maker's name is usually printed on the roller tube or an end cap.

Two safety points apply to all three. The arms are under tension from gas struts, and Carefree states what that means when the motor is released: "The arms are under tension from the gas shocks. When the motor is removed the roller tube will be able to free spin and both arms will extend from the gas shock tension." And the manual methods below are for closing the awning, not for repairing it. Dometic is explicit about what comes after: "After awning is closed manually, it will require service by a qualified service technician."

Lippert and Solera: the manual override nut

Lippert's Solera awnings carry a nut on the motor that a drill can turn. The procedure is two steps, and the maker gives the direction:

• Remove the rubber grommet from the drive head assembly. That exposes the manual override nut on the motor. Lippert notes where the drive head is: "The drive head assembly is always located on the right side of the awning as it is viewed from outside of the unit."
• Turn the nut with a 7/16 inch socket and a cordless drill. Lippert's instruction is "spin the manual override nut clockwise to extend or counterclockwise to retract the awning."

The maker also notes the procedure works when there is no battery at all, which is the case it was written for: "This procedure may also be performed to extend or retract the awning in the event of dry camping or camping without a battery."

Dometic: auxiliary power first, pull strap second

Dometic publishes two methods and says to do them in order: "Perform procedure under, "A. Auxiliary Power Method" on page (7) first. If this fails, perform procedure under, "B. Pull Strap Method" on page (8)."

The first method feeds the motor from outside the coach, and the maker names the source: "A 12 Vdc automobile battery may be used as an external power source." It carries a shock warning, and it is not a formality. Dometic's instruction is to "Disconnect 120 Vac power from RV, and 12 Vdc power to awning" before the wiring connections are touched, because "There may be issues mimicking a power failure with electric current still present, or power may return unexpectedly."

The auxiliary method itself is one step: unplug the motor connector from the hardware connector, which sits in the upper part of the right hand arm assembly, then feed the motor from the external battery. The pull strap is the fallback when the motor will not run on known good power, and Dometic states what it needs before you start: "This procedure requires a 5/32" hex key, and help from at least one other person." The knobs are loosened so the arms can move, the motor connector stays unplugged, and the maker adds one technique note that decides whether the fabric survives: "Move pull strap diagonally (to left or right) as awning rolls up. Otherwise, awning fabric may crease or form a bulge, and could permanently stretch fabric." It is also the point at which the maker stops calling it owner work.

Carefree: the emergency terminals on the motor head

Carefree's service manuals test the motor rather than drive it from the switch, and the same terminals are what a stranded owner uses. The procedure from the Travel'R manual:

• Get to the motor wires. On an installation with an external plug, disconnect the plug. On one with a single switch, remove the switch plate and disconnect the motor wires from the switch.
• Attach jumper leads to the emergency terminals on the back of the motor head.
• Connect the other ends to a 12 to 18 volt DC source, such as a drill battery. Carefree adds one line that matters when nothing happens: "It may be necessary to try then reverse the leads on the battery and try again."

If the motor runs on the drill battery, the motor is good and the fault is upstream. If it does not run in either direction, Carefree's table says the motor is defective and is replaced.

With the awning closed, the diagnosis is a short list and it starts at the electrical end. Lippert's table opens at the travel lock and then the fuse; Dometic's opens at the supply. Neither reaches the motor first, and that ordering is the point.

The LED test, which needs no meter

Dometic publishes the cheapest check in the whole field, and it works because the two things are on different circuits: "The LED light strip (if equipped) is on a separate circuit from awning motor. If LED lights work, but awning motor does not, check awning motor's fuse (at fuse panel or converter) before closing awning manually."

That one sentence splits the fault tree. Lights on and motor dead is a fuse or the motor's own supply. Lights off as well is the coach supply, and the awning is not the thing to look at.

The fuse, and where it is

Lippert's first two checks for an awning that will not open or close are the travel lock and the fuse, in that order: "If optional travel locks are installed, ensure that they have been unlocked", then "Verify the fuse is good", then "Check for power at the motor when the switch is in the extended or retracted position."

Dometic puts the awning motor's fuse at the fuse panel or the converter. Carefree rates the awning circuit in its specifications: "Circuit Rating: 15 amp", in both the Travel'R and the Compass manuals, and the Freedom Freestyle wiring diagram carries a 2A In-line Fuse. Neither Lippert nor Dometic prints an amperage in the manuals read for this page, so the fuse on those awnings is identified by position on your own coach's panel, and the panel legend is the document that names it.

The travel lock and the ignition interlock

Two switches stop an awning that is working perfectly, and both are checked before anything is taken apart.

• The travel lock. Some awnings carry a lock that holds the roller for travel. Lippert's first troubleshooting line is that it must be unlocked. A lock that is engaged looks exactly like a dead motor.
• The ignition interlock. On a motorhome, the awning is locked out while the ignition is on, and that is the system working. Dometic gives the test: "With vehicle ignition in ON position, attempt to open awning." If the awning does not respond, the interlock is functioning. If it does respond with the ignition on, the interlock has failed, and Dometic's instruction for that outcome is not a repair: "The awning MUST be disabled, then serviced by a qualified service technician." The maker also states the limit of the test: "Testing of ignition interlock system is only applicable to motorhomes."

Dometic's own list of things to rule out before a manual close is the same four items in the same order: "Rule out simple causes for power failure (RV disconnected from power, blown fuse, low/discharged battery, ignition interlock, etc.) before attempting to close awning manually."

Three faults present as an awning that does nothing, and none of them is a failed motor. Two of them cost nothing to check.

Thermal protection, and the fifteen minutes

Carefree's motor has a cutout that most owners have never heard of, and the maker describes both the behavior and the example that causes it: "The motor has a thermal protection circuit. If the motor overheats, the circuit will shut off the motor. Wait approximately 15 minutes, operation will return to normal. As an example, this may occur if the awning is fully closed and retract switch pushed repeatedly, then the awning does not extend."

An awning that stopped responding after the switch was held or pressed repeatedly is not broken. It is cooling.

Low voltage, and what slow is supposed to be

Both makers publish a travel time, which turns "it seems slow" into a number. Lippert's figures are "Retract is approximately 35 seconds while extend is approximately 27 seconds on a fully-charged battery", and the check that goes with them is "Ensure there are a minimum of 11 volts where the unit wire meets the awning wire during retract." Carefree's range is "28-35 seconds to extend or retract", with the note that "If the power supply is on the low side of the range (10V) the awning will move slower."

An awning that is slower than those figures is telling you about the battery, not the motor. Lippert adds two more causes to check while you are there: "Ensure the pitch arms are not bent in an upward direction", and "Ensure the ground wire before the switch has a good connection to the battery or chassis."

The switch that runs it the wrong way

An awning that rolls the wrong direction is usually not a wiring fault. Lippert describes the mechanism: holding the switch past full extension starts the fabric rolling up backwards, and the fix is to run it the other way until it is fully extended and rolling correctly again. The awning is not damaged by this, and nothing needs replacing.

An awning that runs and stops short, or will not hold its pitch, is a mechanical or a limit switch problem rather than a supply problem. Three of them are common.

Limit switches, and why a new motor needs them set

The motor stops at each end because of limit switches, and they are set at the factory. Carefree states where they are and what each one does: "The motor limit switches are preset at the factory for best operation of the awning. The "OUT" limit switch is used to stop the motor when the awning is fully extended. The "IN" limit switch is used to stop the motor when the awning is fully retracted." They sit inside the motor end cap.

This is why a replacement motor is not a plug in part. Any motor that has been changed needs its limits set against this awning, and Lippert's own troubleshooting points the same way: an awning that stops before it reaches the case is an in limit switch that is not correct.

Pitch that will not hold

A pitch arm that will not stay where it is put is a fastener rather than a part. Lippert gives the procedure and the limit: "Use a 1/2" wrench to tighten the nut (Fig. 1A) while holding the bolt (Fig. 1B) on the other side of the pitch arm with a 1/4" hex wrench.", and "When tightening the nut do not tighten more than 1/4 turn at a time and do not tighten to the point of crushing the pitch arm."

Lippert also names a cause that is not a fault: "High winds can cause the pitch arm to deviate from the flat position due to the built-in safety feature of the awning." A pitch arm that moved in a gust did what it was built to do.

Fabric that rolls on crooked

Fabric that is not square on the roller tube will make the awning bind, and Lippert's check is visual: "Verify the fabric is square from unit to roll tube and is rolling up straight on the roll tube." The other half of that check is that the fabric must roll onto the tube from underneath, and Lippert's remedy when it does not is to overextend the awning until it rolls under again.

Lippert's own definition of closed is generous: "The awning is considered completely closed as long as the outer arm is overlapping the mount arm. This overlap can vary." An awning that looks slightly proud of its case may be closed.

Three jobs sit past the line this page draws, and each one has an injury mode rather than only a cost.

• Motor replacement. Carefree publishes a procedure and it is not a three-screw job: the Compass takes three motor mount screws, the Freestyle two plus both end caps, and the Travel'R a 5/16-18 screw and nut plus three covers. What makes it a service job is the tension, not the fasteners. Carefree's warning for the Compass is the clearest: "The arms are under tension from the gas shocks. When the motor is removed the roller tube will be able to free spin and both arms will extend from the gas shock tension. It will be necessary to have at least one other person holding the roller tube and idler arm."
• Anything that opens the roller tube. The roller springs are wound and stored under load. Carefree's patio awning manual carries the warning in capitals: "This procedure requires working with the roller springs. When removed from the arm, the spring is under extreme tension and will unwind quickly. Keep hands and clothing clear while FIRMLY holding the vice grips!"
• Anything that follows a manual close. Dometic's own instruction is that the awning "will require service by a qualified service technician" once it has been closed by hand, and its auxiliary power method carries the shock warning quoted above.

What is owner work is everything before those: the fuse, the travel lock, the interlock, the thermal wait, the voltage check, the pitch fastener, and the manual close itself when the awning has to come in.

The cost of this fault is decided by which branch it lands on, and the two cheapest outcomes are the two most common.

At the bottom is the diagnosis and the fixes it leads to: a fuse, a travel lock that was engaged, an interlock doing its job, fifteen minutes of cooling, a battery that needed charging, a pitch nut tightened a quarter turn. None of that is a part.

In the middle is the hardware: a pitch arm, a gas strut, a limit switch adjustment, or a section of wiring. These are modest parts, and the checks above decide whether any of them is needed.

At the top is a motor, and it is the outcome to arrive at last rather than first. The motor is the part every owner suspects and the one the maker's troubleshooting table reaches after the fuse, the lock and the supply. On a manual awning the equivalent is a spring or a fabric replacement, which is a two person job with the roller under load.

The awning is checked before every departure, and the pre-trip walkaround is where it belongs: retracted, and the arms latched. The lubrication interval and the silicone spray that keeps the moving parts free are on the maintenance schedule. Where the awning rail is bedded into the roof is a known water entry point, and roof leak repair covers it. If the fault turns out to be the 12 volt supply rather than the awning, the 12 volt diagnostic guide works the system side.