Community Forums

twc88 · 06-19-2019, 12:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by twc88

I was having same issues closing but mostly opening one end would hang up and not open. I read through the adjustment procedures several times and then had at it. What I found was the lead rail needs to be level front to back with the coach but even more important is that the bottom of lead rail is level with ground in and out. This changes the angle that makes it ride over the pins correctly. I also dropped the pitch as much as I could in the process and still have it clear the slide-out. The awning now works flawlessly, and is much quieter when it closes and opens out of the cassette, no more clunking and banging.

Tom C

All I can say is it has gone in and out many times without and issue since.

Doug Darby · 06-19-2019, 03:18 PM

Tom,
I have read your response several times and I want to have a good understanding of your description. Your post says:

"What I found was the lead rail needs to be level front to back with the coach but even more important is that the bottom of lead rail is level with ground in and out. This changes the angle that makes it ride over the pins correctly. I also dropped the pitch as much as I could in the process and still have it clear the slide-out."

So my understanding is that the lead rail is level with the coach ie not higher or lower on either end. And the part about being Level with the ground in and out means to me that it is at 90 degrees to the side of the coach wall? But then you say you dropped the pitch as much as possible and still clear the slide-out? That seems to me to contradict being with the bottom of the lead rail being level with the ground? I am missing something. Can you try to walk me through the differences in Level with the coach, Level with the ground, and dropping the pitch? Thanks for your patience. From my limited experience with my awning and the multiple failures, it always appeared to me that the only chance I had of it extending and retracting and latching properly on retraction on both ends was to never drop the pitch and keep it square (90 degrees) to the coach wall. And in that position it just does not offer much usefulness for shade being 12.5 feet high sticking straight out. I sure would like to be able to get mine to operate as you describe yours is.
Thanks again

RonLC · 06-19-2019, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by twc88

All I can say is it has gone in and out many times without and issue since.

When your awning is retracted can you see the bottom locking pins on each end?

When mine is fully up I can see the bottom pin on each end. The awning is flush with the end caps...not sticking out.

twc88 · 06-19-2019, 06:33 PM

Doug

The pitch of the awning can be raised or lowered( up or down), but needs to remain level front to rear of coach. Meaning you can not have front or rear, higher or lower than the other end, use a level (level with coach front to rear). Then with awning extended put a level on bottom of lead rail at a 90* to coach ( sideways) there is a flat surface and that also needs to be level perpendicular to coach. The front to rear adjustment is done on the coach side of the arms, the other adjustment is done on the lead rail end of the arms. All this does is rotate the lead rail so it rides over the pins when closing properly, so it will then reopen when asked to do so.

There are several screws on each end (inner and outer) plus a locking bolt, make sure you know which is which and read carefully, the inner and outer end of the arms are different and adjust differently.

P.S. I dropped the pitch so it only clears slide by several inches when opening, in order to gain as much shade and shed as much water as possible without hitting. There is a spec on max and min pitch in book.

Ron

You are correct pins are visible, if lead rail is rotated to much, awning will drop to far over pins and will not open correctly, not enough and it will not close correctly. Awning needs to drop over pins but not to much, just right.

Tom C

RonLC · 06-19-2019, 09:18 PM

[QUOTE=twc88;4827177Ron

You are correct pins are visible, if lead rail is rotated to much, awning will drop to far over pins and will not open correctly, not enough and it will not close correctly. Awning needs to drop over pins but not to much, just right.Tom C[/QUOTE]

Sorry but I don't understand your answer to my question: "When your awning is up, can you see the bottom pins?"

I don't think you should see them.

Renegade RV · 06-20-2019, 07:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RonLC

Sorry but I don't understand your answer to my question: "When your awning is up, can you see the bottom pins?"

I don't think you should see them.

On ours the bottom pins are visible. While I’m no expert by any means I believe the bottom pins guide the lead rail up into the locked position. I too was concerned that they are visible but after watching the awning deploy and retract several times the bottom pins guide the end caps on the lead rail up into the correct position to lock in place. Looking at the owners manual and the pitch adjustments I can see where if the lead rail is not rotated correctly after increasing the pitch of the awning the lead rail may not seat correctly.

twc88 · 06-20-2019, 09:41 AM

Renegade RV

Exact reason it must be level from front to back first. otherwise lead rail would need to be different on opposet ends which can't happen.

Tom C

Doug Darby · 06-20-2019, 10:13 AM

Thanks Tom.. I think I have a clear picture of it now..

doug

RonLC · 06-20-2019, 02:40 PM

I called Carefree and asked if the front and rear lower pins should be showing in a fully retracted Apex. She went out to the factory floor and looked at the model hanging on the wall for reference. Then she reported that the lower pins front and back were showing.

The two major adjustments that I have had both finished with no pins showing. The hook on the end of the awning, when almost up, did a little downward dip and went under the lower pins thus hiding them. Last time it worked that way for three times and on the fourth iteration the pins were exposed. So, the little downward dip move must be hard to keep in adjustment.

RonLC · 06-22-2019, 09:08 AM

Yesterday I polled some Renegade Facebook Owners Group Members with this request:

Verona LE Owners: Please look at the ends of your Carefree Apex awning when it is fully retracted flush with the end caps and see if the bottom silver pin is exposed on either end or both ends.

The replies so far are 4 owners said that both their pins were exposed and 2 owners said both theirs were hidden. Then I posted the below:

This is very strange. When we got our 2019 coach October 17th the awning failed to fully retract at the walk through and we did not close until it was adjusted 4 hours later. No pins were exposed. A few months pass with the awning being rarely used. When it was used no pins were exposed. Early this month, however, when we cycled it, the back pin was exposed but the front pin was not. Since we were at the beginning of a four month trip we decided to stop at a Carefree dealer and have it looked at. They worked 2.5 hours and when finished no pins were exposed. It worked like that for three iterations. On the 4th cycle both front and back pins were exposed. I then called Carefree Customer Service and got a nice woman and asked her it the pins should be exposed or hidden, She had no idea but went out to the factory floor to look at a reference Apex awning hanging on a wall and told me that both front and back pins were exposed in the fully retracted awning. I am not sure that was good information. Here and in the iRV2 forum we have a split between exposed and hidden pins on the same awning on the same coach. Does anyone know where we could find some pictures or drawings that show the awning in a fully retracted position?

Doug Darby · 06-22-2019, 10:56 AM

Ron,
I posted pictures of both my front and rear with pins exposed on the FB thread. Here are those pictures for those that may not have seen them. Not saying it is correct, just how it is. I didn't have my ladder to get up close to the rear pin so it is pretty grainy but you get the idea..

ARS1 · 06-22-2019, 12:22 PM

I have the same issue on my Valencia 38BB but the rear is closed and the front won't come in all the way. I had to zip tie it closed on the drive home from our last trip. I'm trying to get it to the dealer though as it's still under warranty at the moment.