How to Retract an Electric RV Awning Manually
The awning on a recreational vehicle, or RV, can be deployed and retracted manually or electrically. Operating a powered awning at the touch of a button is convenient, but such units occasionally fail. There can also be instances when no power is available to the awning, perhaps because a fuse has blown or the drive battery is discharged. Powered awnings typically have a backup retraction system driven by a hand crank mechanism or an override run from a nine-volt battery or jumper cables attached to the coach battery.
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Instructions
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Install the hand crank mechanism, an offset drive with a rotating handle sleeve on one end and a knurled insert at the other, into a receiver on the side of the awning's drive motor. Rotate the crank counter-clockwise to raise the extended awning. There will typically be a securing device located near the crank receiver which locks the awning in place when it is fully retracted.
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Touch a nine-volt battery, such as the ones found in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, to the two contacts on the side of the motor drive housing. The motor will retract the awning. Pull the battery away from the contacts when the awning is fully retracted; typically the motor will act as a lock to secure the awning in place.
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Run jumper cables from the coach battery to two terminals on the outside of the awning's drive motor. Depending on how the leads are connected, the awning will either deploy or retract. Hold the leads in place long enough for the awning to fully retract, and then disconnect them.
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Consult the manufacturer's literature to learn how to retract your awning if the motor itself has failed. Typically a set of screws or bolts must be removed from the motor housing so the awning's drive gears can be pried away from the motor cog, at which point the awning can be furled manually by turning the roller tube clockwise. Once an awning has been fully retracted in this fashion a mechanical lock must be set in place to prevent it from deploying again unintentionally.
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Tips & Warnings
The manufacturer information pack supplied with your awning will typically contain a hand crank, a nine-volt battery, override jump leads and/or a wrench as appropriate.
All mechanical devices, whether manually operated or motor driven, can be dangerous. Always exercise caution when working around drives, motors and gearing.
References
Resources
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