Weatherpro Awning Control Box

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TNROY

TNROY

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 4, 2006
Posts
115
Location
Kalamazoo, Michigan
I have been having a problem with my awning not working reliably. I have installed a new motor and the awning works better but still not 100%. Dometic techs have diagnosed that I also need a new control box. As my awning is 10 years old, a direct replacement is no longer available. Instead they advised that I need an "upgrade" kit. The kit also includes a new wind sensor that mounts to the forward awning arm. In addition they said that there is a new cable included in the kit.

Has anyone had to make this change? If so, how difficult was the installation? If the main cable needs to be replaced I am concerned about finding the routing of the old cable and fishing the new cable in. Is this they type of change I would be able to do myself, or does it require an expensive pro to do it?
 
Have you sprayed WD40 on the shafts to the roller and all pivot points on the supporting arm assemblies yet? Silicon spay not worth a hoot in my opinion.

Have you tried turning off all electrical items in the coach when you retract? Low voltage will cause slow to no retract.
You may want to try and run a separate 12 volt line from the battery right to the awning motor and test to see if that corrects the problem temporarily

I have had two electric awnings. The first had a wind sensor with a mind of it's own. Told them on the 2nd awning don't install the wind sensor.

We never leave the awning out when we leave the campground for a day. Have had two awnings blown away.

My current electric awning is now 13 years old.
 
My A&E awning is getting cranky extending or retracting, I used a dry lube on all moving parts which helped some. I'm going to pull the control box when we get home and put it on the workbench and reverse engineer the circuit. Hopefully I'll be able to fix/improve it.
 
John Canfield said:
My A&E awning is getting cranky extending or retracting, I used a dry lube on all moving parts which helped some. I'm going to pull the control box when we get home and put it on the workbench and reverse engineer the circuit. Hopefully I'll be able to fix/improve it.
Click to expand...

I've not had much success with dry lube other than sliding windows. Try with WD40 just once like I did and see if it helps.
 
Thanks all for your replies. I have lubricated all of the joints. The new motor seems to be working just fine. I've checked and found 12.5 volts reaching the motor. I have disconnected the wind sensor to eliminate that possibility.

At this point I am committed to the replacement control box. I'm hoping someone that has made the change will pipe in with the complexity of accomplishing the change over. I am concerned with the possibility of having to find the wire routing if that needs to be changed. I have contacted Winnebago and the were moderately helpful in "suggesting" the routing of the wires but would not commit 100%.
 
My awning has never worked right (Weatherpro same vintage as yhours) I ended up disablign the wind sensor (Toggle switch on left side of box) and that made an improvement.  However it also disables some other feathers.  One thing that can affect is is the spring. yes there is a spring (Other end from motor) if it extends but will not retract, add a turn or two of pre-tension, if it retracts but won't extend, back off a turn.
 
I no have the new control box ordered and, hopefully, on the way. I tried through the internet to find an older style box to match what I have. Found a few "used" ones, but no one had any "new old stock". It seems that everything other than the newest styles have been discontinued and are obsolete. After getting the proper part numbers from Dometic I found a source that was about $100 less expensive than my local dealer. Now I only need to find a local source for "Mate n Lock"  15 pin connectors to mate with the one provided by Winnebago for the old box. Sure would be a much neater connection than individually splicing wires.
 
When putting the awning in and out are you using the remote or the switch by the door?  My awning was only moving a short distance at a time and would take 5 or 6 tries to get it to go in or out.  I only used the remote, and found that changing the battery in the remote made a big difference for a while, but now it is back to taking 3 or 4 tries to bring it in, and two to get it to go out, so I may need a new control box as well.  Now it makes no difference if I use the remote or the switch by the door.
 
John Canfield said:
My A&E awning is getting cranky extending or retracting, I used a dry lube on all moving parts which helped some. I'm going to pull the control box when we get home and put it on the workbench and reverse engineer the circuit. Hopefully I'll be able to fix/improve it.
Click to expand...
John, just wondering if you ever got around to having a look at your controller?
 
This is going to sound crazy, but when we bought our coach it was relatively new (still under manufacturer's warranty).  We didn't check the house batteries for water right away because they had been set up with the cables all ACROSS THE BATTERY ACCESS PORTS.  Literally had been set up so you couldn't check them at all!

We also had what we thought was a completely useless Weatherpro awning...it would only respond occasionally.  After checking everything, it appeared that there must be a circuitboard issue.  Much frustration, since it would be many months before we could get to REV group service...

DH around this time installed battery watering device on house batteries.  They WERE low on water!  Lo, and behold, we get the batteries properly filled and THE AWNING NOW WORKS.  EVERY TIME. 

Weatherpro awnings are VERY sensitive to low battery conditions...who knew?? :eek: :eek: :eek:
 
It is not low Water, it is sensitive to,  it is the the resultant low or discharged battery.
 
Alfa38User said:
It is not low Water, it is sensitive to,  it is the the resultant low or discharged battery.
Click to expand...

...uh, yeah...thus my last sentence....

"weatherpro awnings are sensitive to low battery conditions"....(rolls eyes)
 
All electric awning are sensitive to low voltage, mine won't retract unless I shut off most 12 volt items. The power for it was tapped off a 12 volt ceiling light. 
 
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