How to fit a Carefree motorhome awning

Watch the video
Step-by-step guide

Sunshades and awnings for motorhomes are one of those essential purchases for many people and a new entrant to the market are the American-made Carefree units. These are fitted as standard to Auto-Sleeper and Bentley motorhomes and can even be ordered in a truly decadent 12V powered-version.

MMM ran a competition to win one of these cool sunshades in the July issue of the magazine and… drum roll… the winner is… David Turner. Best of all this superb prize also included fitting, so we met up with David at the Lincoln show to watch it being fitted by awning guru Graham Clark and Carefree’s Ian Hughes. See the video below.

In this case the awning was fitted to a Burstner Solano T725 low-profile based on a Fiat Ducato, but these sunshades can be fitted to all models of motorhome in both coachbuilt and van conversion flavours. All that’s needed are the dedicated brackets to suit each vehicle.

Fitting took about three hours but would have been quicker if it hadn’t been for journalists snapping photos and shooting video footage (ahem!). 

Once fitted, the 12V operation meant that the Carefree awning glided neatly out of it’s housing at the touch of a button. Once extended, the legs can simply be dropped down to support the out edges of the unit. For travel, these simply lock into the front edge, making a neat self-contained unit.

To find out more about these new awnings, simply contact Scan Terieur (the UK agent for Carefree awnings) by clicking here. Or ring them on 01923 800353.
 

Click on the video below to see a Carefree awning being fitted

STEP ONE








Unpack the parts and check nothing is missing. The six coachbolts secure the aluminium brackets to the motorhome’s body. The weight of the awning is supported by these brackets and hooks in place, being secure by the six self-tapping screws. The red wand (pictured above) is actually an adjustment tool. The white clips are for leg supports, although they were not used here.

STEP TWO








Getting the position of the aluminium brackets correct is vital, so a great deal of time was spent carefully measuring, marking and aligning the three brackets. The exterior light, rear window, side door and the shower cubicle on the driver’s side all determined the positioning of the brackets.

STEP THREE








Once satisfied with the position, pilot holes were drilled and their position on the inside carefully checked. The holes were then enlarged to take the main support bolts. The plate itself can be attached with either silicone sealant (making it removable) or Sikaflex (which makes it stronger but permanently bonds the brackets to the body). Silicone was used here and can be seen oozing out of the lower holes.

STEP FOUR








At this stage, the awning is test-fitted and the wiring connections planned. The 12V electric motor for the awning is at the left hand end of the awning, but wiring connections had to be made at the right hand end of the unit – a channel behind the awning case hides the wiring.

STEP FIVE








The wiring lead had to be extended in this case and this was carried out using crimped connectors. Next the hole for the 12V electric cable was drilled and the cable fed through to the interior.

STEP SIX








The position of the actuating switch was worked out next and handily the power to the control panel over the door ran through an overhead locker. So the switch could be entirely hidden inside a locker.

STEP SEVEN








With all the 12V wiring connections made, the operation of the electric awning is checked before all the internal panels are replaced. Once everyone was satisfied with the operation the cables were tied up, the debris from drilling vacuumed up and all the panels replaced.

STEP EIGHT








The final step to the fitment is to secure the awning in place using six small self-tapping screws. These don’t take any weight – that’s the job of the three large brackets – and allow the awning to be removed for either maintenance or cleaning.


Click here to download the pdf of this feature, published in the January 2011 issue of MMM.