Community Forums

tokie · 05-22-2015, 02:35 PM

Hello all,
I did the tension adjustment procedure and find that the forward end of the awning (closest to the front of the RV) will not turn counterclock-wise (using the upper support arm as the rotating lever) unless I set the movement lever to the CLOSE position. It will not rotate CCw while the lever is in the OPEN position. In all the various posts I've read about adjusting the tension I've not read that anyone has had to, or stated to have to, change the position of the movement lever. After rotating the mechanism two turns while in the CLOSE position then reassembling it does not appear to be any tighter or have more tension.

Should I be able to rotate the spring while the movement lever is in the OPEN position?

Thanks.

RV Wizard · 05-23-2015, 04:05 AM

Hello and

We are glad to have you join us here and we look forward to reading of your adventures and experiences I am sure you will enjoy our website and forums. Good luck, stay safe and keep us posted.
If my mind is thinking clearly this early, you should be able to rotate the hardware the front end of the coach CCW looking at the end of the tube with the latch in the open position. This will add tension to the spring. Both springs should have the same tension. You can find the proper turns of a new spring for the awning length on the manufacturers website. An older spring might needs an extra turn or 2. Let us know how you make out.

Gary RVRoamer · 05-23-2015, 05:57 AM

The lever positions sound normal to me. In the Open position, the roller can rotate in one direction but is prevented from turning the other way (or the awning would roll back up again when you let go). The Close position allows the opposite rotation.

Whether those are CW or CCW depends on which end of the awning you are facing.

ahicks · 05-23-2015, 06:01 AM

tokie,
Not all of the springs are the same among all Carefree models. Agree with Gary above. Sounds like you did fine.

98FPA · 05-23-2015, 10:11 AM

I just tried tightening my A&E springs this past week. I left my cam lock lever in the "roll down" position. I did the front spring (ccw) first and then the rear (cw). I did 2 complete revolutions on both. Two did not seem to help at all so I did 2 more on both the front and rear. This seemed to help a little more but I still had to give the awning a little help at first and then the awning would reel up by itself a lot better than before. I thought about going 2 more revolutions but I'm going to wait and see how my awning works for awhile before doing more.