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We purchased a new 2017 Fleetwood Bounder 36H on July 1, 2017. The dealer service currently has it which marks a total of eight weeks in three visits. The coach's workmanship and quality are the worst that I have seen. One thing that seems to have no answer is the Carefree awning. Great idea if it worked. The structure and foundation of the system are so weak that the awning auto retracts in a nice breeze. Fleetwood made the decision to include the awning control in the Ilumiplex system eliminating the on/off switch supplied by Carefree. I would be concerned anyway as the awning bounces up and down in just a nice breeze so if I did shut it off I fear that any small gust would break it right off. Anyone have any suggestions? We will work through the rest of the poor design and quality issues but the awning concern seems to be hopeless. We have resigned to putting our lawn chairs under trees as the awning is useless.

When pulling my slide in the aluminum cover gets between the RV and slide prevents from coming in how do I tighten the awning on a slight to Carefree Colorado

We've developed a strange electrical issue in our 2007 Tiffin Phaeton. I noticed when the awning is extended and I turn off the electric water heater switch (since we're billed for electric), the awning retracts. We've had the RV 2 1/2 years and this just started. Now I've noticed that when the water heater cycles on/off on its own, the awning also retracts. Some wiring worn through and shorting? Both controls are in the same control display above the driver, so wires are all in the same general location.

I am considering a screen shade or screen room addition for my 2015 Holiday Rambler Vacationer and would like to know if those on the forum have recommendations and/or lessons learned from previous experience. The awning on my Vacationer is quite high and the front pullout actually comes out under the main awning.

Sure, the window awnings are the lesser concern, if installed, but their failure can wreak all kinds of havoc. I grabbed my iPad and shot a little clip for folks who have Bruster awnings, now that I've seen my biggest one fail two different ways, in the course of our first six months' ownership... The YouTube video is .

As a new Beaver owner, I'm stomping out gremlins as fast as I can, developing a maintenance and inspection program for the bus. Really, I cannot stress enough the importance of reviewing all manuals for the RV itself, the chassis, and its components; and then compiling all applicable checks into one simple list. In addition to that, I've created an airline-style maintenance tracking book, so that broken items are tracked and their repairs documented. Since our January 12th purchase, I'd logged 71 maintenance writeups. And, I think this is on the plus side of average, in terms of failures in motorhomes that are six years old. Recently, while running my monthly checklist, I was shampooing the carpet and got warm from the afternoon sun pouring in the driver's side windows. Lowering the eight-foot Brustor awning, I heard a loud clunk and the interior brightened as the forward end of the rolled fabric fell onto the unfolded awning arm! Turns out, these awnings have a weakness: the retainer for the non-motorized end is made of nylon, and cracks due to vibration. The retainer can be broken and the awning remains marginally secure, propped inside the clamshell cover, held in place by a tiny stainless sheetmetal screw. That one screw then becomes all the sole difference between a safe operation, and catastrophic damage to the coach followed by sending an aluminum fixture that might weigh thirty pounds hurtling into oncoming traffic at seventy feet per second. The failure seems confined to my longest awning: the shorter versions all seem fine and work perfectly. But, there is even more bad news: Brustor is a Belgian company that makes a wide array of products and might be on its way out of business. All attempts to locate a dealer for parts have been unsuccessful. Check your awnings regularly, folks. And, if you find a parts dealer for these otherwise nice fixtures, let me know. Followup June 21, 2013 I had another small problem with this longest awning: at the beach, when it extended, there was a loud <clunk!> and the awning fabric was suddenly hanging over the window supporting the endcap. The arms dangled into open space, not attached. Thank goodness no paint was harmed during this failure. Unlike before, when technicians had marred the side of the coach attempting to reinstall the arms after a similar failure. Sure enough, I had not included the 4mm stainless screws that attach the arm-end to the sliding shoe of the extruded endcap in my checklist. They'd apparently backed out, leaving the endcap held against the coach enroute by the fabric and nothing more. Almost more critically, the sheetmetal screws that attach the arm to its base (the base that slides up and down the track mounted to the side of the coach) was bent, its endplug nearly pulled upward through the gap in the extruded arm. That screw holds massive spring tension and could cause a mess when it breaks. I removed the endcap and arms from the side of the rig, bagging all the hardware and plugs; the wife retracted the fabric into the shell for transport. This is a shop repair, not one easily performed in the field. So, in addition to the checks outlined in the first part of this post, be sure to check the endplug with its stainless screw for security and tightness, at the base of the arms. And, the screw securing the top of the arm to the long endcap (onto which the fabric is mounted) needs to be checked for security.

I have an 05 Expedition with a WeatherPro electric patio awning that will not closed. I have rolled it up manually and have it tied off so that it can not open on its own. I have some questions that I could use some help with. 1. Is the motor on the top of the awning arm or inside the roller tube assembly? 2. Has anyone replaced the motor on their own? Regards, Amby N

Okay, this is one for the record books. My wife was on a ladder tonight, outside the coach, helping to reinstall a window we'd re-glazed and tinted. I was sitting in the driver's seat, leaned right to retrieve a cordless electric screwdriver from atop the dashboard. There was a familiar sound; it dawned that, outside, the large awning was extending! Indeed, some testing revealed that a person sitting in the driver's seat can extend the awning by placing all his/her weight on the right side of the seat. This could be awkward, rolling down the highway. Needless to say, all the electrical connectors under the driver's seat will be disconnected, reattached and secured tomorrow. We're poised to make a 400 mile Thanksgiving trip, and the last thing I'd like to leave alongside the highway en route is that big awning assembly. Meanwhile, has anyone out there experienced this?

We have ordered an Allegro 36LA and have been scouring the Internet for ideas that we might want. One of the items we are not sure about is screen rooms that attach to the awning. We are not full timers but plan on taking trips lasting a month or so at a time. Perhaps staying one or two weeks at each stop. Does anyone have any experience with awning attached screen rooms? Are they worth the hassle? Do you use them much? Can they be used at most parks? BTW: we are new to RVing. Paul Anderson

I recently was parked on the shore of Lake Superior watching the wind and waves. We had just pulled into a rest area when a big gust blew my 12 foot Dometic awning loose and half way onto the roof of my Class C Coachmen. I had never used it and it was all closed up properly stowed by the dealer we bought it from. The supports were broken and bent and the awning itself was destroyed. I would like to replace it with one that is easier to use and doesn't require locking and unlocking with a long rod. It would be nice if it wouldn't blow off in 70 MPH gusts. I have yet to visit the Coachmen factory which is 140 miles away but I would assume a Coachmen dealer could do the job. If you have any suggestions about the awning I could get and/or the installation I would appreciate it. Thank you, Ham Brown dignifyde@aol.com