If a power awning will not move, the problem is usually 12 V power, not the motor: check the awning fuse, the switch, and any power or mode switch that may be off. If you need it in now, every major maker has a manual override.
RV Awning Not Retracting or Extending: What to Check
At a glance
- Check first: the awning fuse in the RV fuse panel, the travel locks, and any power or mode switch left off.
- Getting it in now: Dometic, Carefree, Lippert and Girard each have a manual override that closes the awning without power.
- Where it stops: motor replacement, limit adjustment and anything to do with bolts pulling out of the wall are service work.
On this page (7)
Why won't my awning go in?
Most of the time it is power or a lock, not a broken motor.
Dometic's support page for an awning that will not close starts at the RV fuse panel: check that the patio awning fuse is not blown. Then rule out a low battery and, on a motorhome, the ignition interlock, which stops the awning opening with the ignition on.
Some awnings refuse by design. Carefree's Eclipse cannot move with the mode switch in the center OFF position, and a Lippert Solera will not move until the travel locks are released.
Symptom table: what to check first
Do the first check for your symptom before anything else.
| Symptom | First check |
|---|---|
| No movement at all | Awning fuse in the RV fuse panel; travel locks released; power or mode switch on |
| Lights work, motor does not | The awning motor's own fuse, which is on a separate circuit from the LED strip |
| Motor runs but the awning does not move | Service item: Lippert says check for power at the motor, then the drive head |
| Stops partway or closes by itself | Wind or motion sensor setting, and the motor's thermal cutout after repeated use |
| Moves slowly | Supply voltage at the low end of the motor's range |
| Sags or will not roll tight | Rafter arm locking knobs, fabric square on the roll tube, roll tube not bent |
| Rolls up crooked | Fabric centered on the roll tube and between the arms; screws at both ends of the rail |
Sources: Dometic's awning support knowledge base, the Lippert Solera Smart Arm owner's manual and the Lippert Solera Classic manual.
Power and controls
If the fuse is good, check the switches and the voltage.
Girard wants the Awnings Power Main Switch ON. If the LED lights work but the motor does not, Dometic points to the motor's own fuse at the fuse panel or converter.
A slow or stalled motor usually means low voltage or heat. Carefree's Altitude slows at the low side of its 10 to 14 VDC range, and after repeated use you wait about 15 minutes for the thermal protection to reset. Girard wants a minimum of 12 VDC at the motor when it runs 10 to 12 inches and stops.
Tip: An awning that retracts but will not extend may be locked out on purpose. On Lippert Solera Smart Arm awnings built after May 2018, moisture in the 12-pin connector locks out extend and the awning light, and the touchpad lock LED blinks.
When the awning closes by itself
A wind or motion sensor may be doing its job. With low batteries, Carefree's BT motion sensor beeps every 30 seconds and partially retracts the awning until they are replaced. On Lippert's Smart Arm, set the wind sensitivity again after every retraction.
How do I get it in right now?
Use the override for your exact awning, not the first video you find.
- Dometic 9100, auxiliary power first: disconnect 120 Vac and the 12 Vdc feed, unplug the motor connector in the upper right arm, and run 16 gauge minimum leads, black to black and red to red, to a car battery, with a 3 A in-line fuse on the red. Reversed leads extend the awning.
- Dometic 9100, pull strap if that fails: with a 5/32 in. hex key and a second person, who holds the pull strap firmly in the roller tube's utility slot while the two screws in the right-hand top casting come out.
- Dometic 9200: press the release, remove the right-hand cover and nut cap, and turn the override nut counterclockwise with a 3/8 in. socket. Stop at fully retracted: continued torque can damage the motor.
- Carefree 12 V awnings such as the Altitude: detach the red and black motor wires and jump the motor from a 10 to 14 V source such as a drill or car battery, reversing the leads if it moves the wrong way. Never use a 110 V source; Carefree says it will permanently damage the awning. The Freedom WMNL instead uses a 3/8 in. socket in the right endcap and retracts only.
- Lippert Solera: if the motor is dead, strap the retracted awning around the outer arm and the mount arm first. Pull the rubber grommet from the right-side drive head and spin the override nut counterclockwise with a 7/16 in. socket on a cordless drill.
- Girard GG750: remove the three screws in the endcap opposite the motor and turn the square override shaft with a 13 mm wrench. It can only close the awning.
A Dometic 9100 roller tube, like a manual roller awning, holds a wound spring that will close the awning quickly and unexpectedly. If you are not sure the strap is secure, stop and call a technician.
A manually closed awning is parked, not fixed. Dometic says to reinstall the two top casting screws before travel, leave the wiring disconnected, and have it serviced.
Arms, locking knobs and uneven rolling
On a manual awning, or one that sags or rolls crooked, the fix is usually in the arm settings.
For a Lippert Solera Classic that will not roll in: rafter arms stored with the knob loose, cam lock in roll-in, outer arms closed. On a Carefree Altitude under 12 ft, set both arms to equal pitch before retracting, or Carefree says the arms and canopy can be damaged; at 12 ft and longer the Altitude allows up to five positions of difference. On a Lippert Solera, pull the arm joint down to set pitch and never push it up, which can break the gas strut.
Rolling up backward is not a fault: Lippert says pressing RETRACT runs it back the right way. For a crooked roll, re-center the fabric (see the table). A torn or stretched canopy means replacing the awning fabric, and the awning types and sizing guide explains each system.
Where to stop
Past the fuse, the switches and the override, most faults are service work.
Dometic sends an awning that will not roll up, arms that will not extend, or reversed operation to an authorized service provider. Motor replacement and limit adjustment are service work too: Girard warns that a wrongly set limit will run the motor against a closed awning and destroy it.
Bolts or rivets pulling out of the sidewall are not an owner repair. Dometic's 9500E instructions require solid backing behind the bolt pattern, floor to roof, or the awning may become unstable and could bend or collapse. Arms under gas strut tension are technician work too.
Common questions
Can you repair an RV awning?
Owners can replace a fuse, release travel locks, reset a wind sensor, replace key fob batteries and use the override. Motors, limits, arms and wall mounts go to an authorized service provider.
What are common problems with RV awnings?
A blown fuse, a lock or switch left on, a motor in thermal cutout, a sensor retracting the awning, and shifted fabric. You can check all five yourself before booking service.
How do I retract my RV awning manually?
With your maker's override, which for most brands means a socket or wrench on an override nut or shaft. Afterward, keep it closed until a technician has seen it.
What do I do if my RV awning bolts are pulling out of the wall?
Retract the awning if you safely can and take it to an RV technician. No awning maker publishes an owner procedure for this.