Faulty Wind Sensor for Awning

jomidabr · 12-19-2012, 08:00 PM

Had the RV in the shop today for a once over before our trip. One item I declined to fix was a faulty wind sensor on my awning. $150 for the part and about 2 hours labor. Didn't seem worth it to me. Am I missing something??

rream · 12-19-2012, 08:25 PM

Not if you are careful and retract it when you will be out of the area and put it in when you go to bed.

flaggship1 · 12-19-2012, 09:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rream

Not if you are careful and retract it when you will be out of the area and put it in when you go to bed.

And before you drive away form campsite - see things not to do thread.

ernieh · 12-19-2012, 11:35 PM

On my previous coach (03 Journey DL) they thought that the sensor was bad. The sensor and the black box were paired at that time, so A&E replaced both. Didn't fix the problem, so they said that it had to be the harness.

Winnebago makes their own harness and just uses the pigtails from A&E. I found that one of the connectors on the Winnebago part was loose. I was able to secure the connector and it was still working when I traded the coach this year.

jomidabr · 12-20-2012, 06:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rream

Not if you are careful and retract it when you will be out of the area and put it in when you go to bed.

That's what I was thinking, but was looking for a sanity check. I'm not going to spend the 300-400. Thank you.

jzick · 12-20-2012, 07:00 AM

It would not surprise me if a majority of owners with wind sensors on electric awnings turned the sensor off most of the time. Most of the people I have talked with are like me and find the sensors either retract the awning for no reason or cannot react quickly enough to retract and protect against gusts. We manually retract ours whenever we feel the wind is too high or we are going to be away. We also retract it at night.

RickO · 12-20-2012, 07:02 AM

You made a good call IMHO.

I don't trust the sensors to protect my awning even when they ARE working as designed.

Rick

griztim76 · 12-20-2012, 07:27 AM

The awning sensor on our 2004 Windsor was sheared off by the previous owner. We were told that the part is no longer available. Any idea where the part can be located? It is a Carefree Mirage by Girard. Thanks....

Steve Ownby · 12-20-2012, 07:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by griztim76

The awning sensor on our 2004 Windsor was sheared off by the previous owner. We were told that the part is no longer available. Any idea where the part can be located? It is a Carefree Mirage by Girard. Thanks....

Call these guys.

http://www.girardrvawnings.com/products/windsensorV.php

wa8yxm · 12-20-2012, 10:22 AM

If that is an A&E Weather pro with the "lighthouse" wind sensor up on the roof.. i'd nto bother, odds are good the new one won't work either.

If it is the new "motion detector" type.. no comment, The reason for this is No experience, Can't comment on that which I don't know.

Jeeperrmartin · 12-21-2012, 09:12 AM

My awning goes up when there is hardly any wind, and it can be bouncing up and down a foot or more, and wi not retract.

I have had it check 2 dealers and the factory. They always says it is fine.

I pretty much put ours up if we are not outside. After all you just have to push a button.

Ramzfan · 12-21-2012, 10:05 PM

I tested mine when I first got the coach and found that it did not work unless you had a "steady wind" with no gusts. Almost impossible here in Nevada. I just put it out now when I'm home and put it away when I'm leaving. Like the man said, it's just a push of a button.

Craig_R · 12-21-2012, 10:30 PM

Ours works, but it's one of those things I would never trust to work if I wasn't right there. We always retract ours at night or when we leave the coach. Even if it's just for a walk around the campground. If we are not within a few steps of the coach it comes in. Having the wind rip the awning off, and all of the collateral damage that could involve, would be way too expensive to just ignore.

If it were to stop working I wouldn't rush out to have it fixed, but it would become one of my hobbies simply because I hate things that don't work as designed.

ernieh · 12-21-2012, 11:59 PM

I don't know what A&E has done in recent years, but the Carefree awning on my current coach has a real motion sensor mounted in the awning. It seems like a much better system because it depends only on the actual movement of the awning.

chuydog · 12-22-2012, 01:26 AM

Do you mean that a sensor feels movement in the awning itself and then retracts? I wonder if that could be installed and eliminate the wind sensor altogether.

Jeeperrmartin · 12-23-2012, 09:45 AM

I have mine set at the lowest setting.

I think the old spinner ones would have worked better. Set them at so many revs, and if it goes above that retract. The number of revs being equalled out to wind speed.

okie-dokie · 12-23-2012, 09:58 AM

I have the Carefree of Colorado awning. I have the motion sensor in the forward end of the awning. I set it on the lowest setting. We leave and never worry about the wind. It has three settings. I belive it has a mercury switch. If the awning bounces it retracts. I've had it for about 2 years.