Girard awnings

[Cal Krupa]

I have 4 Girard electric awnings on my coach. The PS front awning is not working. Yesterday I was able to bring it all the way out but the fabric was loose. I brought it back in but on the next try the unit would only move a couple of inches in or out. After several tries the unit quit operating. I had to push the stop button on the actuator switch to get it to move a little. When it retracted it seemed to go back in ok.


Has anybody experienced this with Girard awnings?

Cal

[BoaterAl]

Cal...would you be so kind to post an avatar with your bus info ? Needed is make, model, number of occupants including, dogs, cats, birds, include gender, are you right handed or a south paw, do you drive in or back in to your bus barn ? just kidding :o.

Another member can then help you ...as they own a bus like yours.
AL

[Cal Krupa]

I spoke to Girard yesterday and he thinks the fabric is bunched on the roll up. I need to get my son in-law over to help unwind it. I will keep you all posted.

Cal

[Hoffman]

Cal, Any chance you have a resolution to your issue that you can post? Inevitably someone will run into the same symptoms and your experience could be priceless to them.
Thanks

[Hoffman]

We never heard back from Cal, but I do want to share my experience.
My awnings always went out, but then would not come back in easily. Sometimes travel a few feet or inches, then stop.
The solution was to change the Over current protection threshold for the Girard. There's a device labeled Current Limiting Device, a square box a bit larger than a hockey puck. There's one for each awning, installed near the awning control box. The large front curbside awning box is above passenger seat on my H.
Unscrew this box and there's a small potentiometer which you can turn counter clockwise to reduce the threshold where the device cuts out power to the awning motor. I've read where some people have removed the box all together. YMMV. Try 1/2 turn and see if your awning starts retracting again. I've had to adjust mine a few times over the last 6 mos of ownership, but now it retracts flawlessly every time. Pics available if requested.

[Joe Camper]

Joe do u know if your awnings Incorporate an electric brake on the motor??

[Ck2hans]

Joe:
My awning goes in and out OK, but will never retact the last 2" on its own. I have to use the manual crank to get it back in those last 2". Do you think adjusting the potentiometer is the answer to achieving the complete retraction?

[Joe Camper]

I remember when power roll traps on semi trailers first began to became prevelant. The ones that go left to right like a grain trailer or dump. The motor in the tube design same as an awning.

The motor has to have a
electric brake that engages as soon as it hits the limit or it won't stay put at either end.

They originally were fitted with 12v brake same as the 12v moror. When operating, the motor would draw the lions share of the amps thus starving the brake with a lesser voltage and the brake would drag. Both the brake and the motor suffered.

The fix was going to a 9 volt brake coupled to the 12v motor.

Do these awning motors have a electric brake and what voltage if they do? A dragging brake would irritate the potentiamiter. Just a guess.

[Gil_J]

There are in and out stop adjustments.

As for a brake, here's a commonly used motor. It has a spring brake. I've never taken one apart to see how they work. I suppose they might use a electromagnetic to pull and release the brake when power is supplied in either direction.
15995

[Joe Camper]

Gill on truck traps they r electric but weather its electric or mechanical if its dragging that would be bad right?

Is there a coil on the donut that has that spring captured? May be.

On second look they have a spline there that tells me it's not the brake. Truck tarp motor brakes used a friction disk that would slip. If this design started dragging u would hear the splines grinding.

Joe keep an eye on it and u might have the correct solution.

Hans maybe your limit switch could be out of wack somehow check it both ways mechanically and electrically.

[Hoffman]

Joe Camper: I don't know if I have a brake system.

Ck2Hans: The potentiometer might be your issue, or it could be your stops. I've heard the stops aren't hard to adjust, just need a long ladder, but I don't know how. The potentiometer is easy to adjust but may not solve it.

Joe H.

[Joe Camper]

U definitely got it but still guessing on the type. Its probably the one Gill showed with a spline.

I think U could very well have solved the problem correctly by adjusting the potentiameter.