Automatic door awning help

Savannah · 11-28-2009, 06:58 PM

We have an 04 Journey and our door awning is stuck OUT.

Today I had the awning out about 5 inches or so and later put it in. It went in with no problem. About 15 minutes later it shot ALL the way out like a rocket. We were all outside so know that no one touched any buttons inside. Anyway now it will not move but we can hear the "gears" turning so know the motor is OK. Looked in the useless awning book and, well, found it to be useless so now we are wondering if any of ya'll have had this happen and know the fix or for that matter know how to just get the thing in. I do believe we'll look rather odd whizzing down the highway with the door awning deployed.

It is an Oasis automatic one.

Thanks, Savannah

MrTransistor · 11-28-2009, 08:31 PM

Not a clue, but my mechanical sense says that a setscrew has come loose securing something to a shaft. That would explain both symptoms, the awning flying out and the motor running without the awning retracting. Best bet is to start in with a screwdriver and wrenches. If you are not comfortable with disassembly, then find a friend that would get a kick out of tearing in to it.

skigramp · 11-28-2009, 08:48 PM

On the back wall of the storage bay in the drivers side slide out there should be a long white rod with a hook on the end ... it will fold in a couple of places to make a crank ...

Use this to manually retract your awning ...

Navy Flier · 11-29-2009, 06:39 PM

When I had my 03 Horizon I had the door awning stop working when extended about 8 inches. I was able to remove the entire unit by accessing the nuts that attached the unit to the side of the coach. With the awning completely extended you should see these nuts inside of the housing. Once I removed the unit the electrical wires had to be cut as I there was not other way to disconnect the wiring. When the motor was repaired I used butt connectors to reattach the wiring and reattached the mounting hardware.

Beabop · 11-29-2009, 09:58 PM

You can do a search on those Oasis awnings. Ours did the same thing. The metal cog that fits into the shaft of the motor goes bad. It won't wind in as there is nothing there. We had to take the awning off as it wouldn't retract and order the part which was about $80 as I remember. Good Luck

CC38EL · 11-30-2009, 04:54 AM

Our Oasis Elite (electric) Door awning broke a week ago. The spring loaded arms are what pulls out the fabric and once the gear is disconnected, the arms shoot out as you experienced.

The motor is held to the shaft by the use of a PLASTIC MOULDED stress piece that is a part of the motor winch assembly. Ours didn't handle the stress well and sheared and the motor fell off allowing the spring tension to deploy the awning. I pushed in on the arms, bundled up the fabric and zip tied the awning shut. I then took it off the coach. Mine was held in the awning rail by 2 screws. Took those out and the awning slide out the rail with no problems.

I called Dometic and they were kind enough to offer to sell me the replacement at a cost of $474!!! Apparently, they receive the winch already assembled from another company and the plastic connector is not a separate piece.

The customer support people at Dometic were very helpful up to the part about not being able to get the winch assembly decomposed to it's pieces.

RKL · 11-30-2009, 01:17 PM

Suggest you take the motor and gear part to a local tool and die shop and perhaps they can make you a replacement piece for little $...RKL

CC38EL · 11-30-2009, 03:31 PM

Thanks. Parts are already there.

Savannah · 11-30-2009, 06:15 PM

Our son got the awning all apart and it was the cog. It was toothless with all it's teeth inside the tube. A new part is ordered (about $80) so all will be fine once again.

Thanks everyone for the info.