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hogdriver · 05-24-2013, 10:24 PM

My 2013 Aspire has the Carefree electric awning. I've used it 10-12 times so far. The other day a huge windstorm threatened it and I retracted it hearing some "thump, thump" noises. I examined the awning and was shocked to see one end of the awning roller had one barely holding screw. The other end had two factory screws...both were halfway backed out. I checked the screws and they all seemed "over torqued, nearly stripped" . No doubt by a happy assembly worker with an over zealous impact driver. Check your awning rollers before disaster strikes! I drilled some more holes in the roller and added two more number 10x1/2 inch stainless screws and the roller seemed much more stable.

Skip426 · 05-24-2013, 11:11 PM

Dave , that portion of the awning would have been assembled by the Carefree workers. Maybe another warning in the RV Systems forums is in order.
BTW. Nice catch & timely repair.

Pops Youell · 06-08-2013, 06:06 AM

Dave is that a before or after photo. You said you added two more screws, was that two per side or just two total?

hogdriver · 06-08-2013, 06:20 AM

The photo above is AFTER the screws were added. (I can only add one photo on a posting via my iPad). You can see the factory square drive screw and to the left is one of the #10 Stainless phillips screws I drilled and placed in the end. Sorry I didn't take "before" pictures but they were so frightening I rushed to fix the rollers. The roller ends were askew and one side was barely held in place by one remaining screw.

poodles · 06-29-2013, 06:34 PM

I have this same awning on my 08 HR and it came loose on the highway this week. I pulled over and unrolled it a bit then rolled it back up. When I got home i unrolled the awning again and it would not roll back up. The motor is fine and the gears are turning the shaft that goes into the roll but it is slipping and won't roll up the awning. Mine only had one screw in each cap, seems pretty flimsy to me.