Super Secret Safety System for the Girard Awning?

[Steve Morris]

Deb and I were mooch-docking at my brother's rural home Friday through Monday. It was so quiet and pleasant compared to a busy campground! All we heard were birds, wind, and the sleep-inducing patter of rain.

Yesterday, I was getting a head start on preparing to leave before the next rain rolled through. I hooked up the trailer to the Land Cruiser, raised the jacks, unplugged from the house, plugged in the 7-pin, etc. Meanwhile, Deb and my sister-in-law were sitting under the street-side awning enjoying a cool drink in the shade. I sent my brother around to the back of the trailer to check the lights, when a strange thing happened!

I turned on the ignition of the Cruiser, and turned on the running lights. The lights all worked properly, but the oddity was that the awning started retracting!! I used the remote to stop it, turned off the ignition and lights, and then tried it again in case it was some weird fluke. Nope, lights came on and awning retracted.

I've checked the Oliver manual and the Girard manual, and see nothing indicating this feature. Looking at the Girard installation instructions, I don't even see how this could be triggered. I can't imagine the turning on the lights creates some RF interference that causes the awning to think the remote button has been pushed, but I guess it is possible. I didn't think to try it with the curb side awning, but I definitely will the next time I hook up!

Ours is a 2023 trailer with both awnings. Could someone with a similar setup give this a try to see if it is a "feature"? If this is intentional, it should minimize those stories of people pulling out of camp and forgetting to retract an awning!

 

[mossemi]

I would open a service ticket!  But it seems like a pretty good safety feature.

Mossey

[topgun2]

Sure do like the view out that rear window.  Shame it was raining but it does set the mood.

 

[Frank C]

Girard does have a couple of special features on some awning motor controllers that are normally utilized when the awning is an installation on a motor home, to prevent driving off with the awning still extended.  The Girard manual details both a parking brake off retract, and an ignition on retract option.   Maybe Oliver figured out a way (accidentally or intentionally) to utilize one of those features by tying into the 7 pin harness running light connection. 

[mossemi]

I believe that if you insert an ATC fuse into the trailer side of the 7 pin connector between socket 3 and 4, it will send power to the running lights.  So I was pondering the possibility of that also supplying power to the awning.

Mossey

[Ollie-Haus]

Now I have another test to run in the morning! Never stop learning when it comes to a new Oliver. Thanks for sharing Steve!

[Patriot]

6 hours ago, Ollie-Haus said:

Now I have another test to run in the morning! Never stop learning when it comes to a new Oliver. Thanks for sharing Steve!

Chris,

Let us know your findings! 😊

[Steph and Dud B]

16 hours ago, mossemi said:

I believe that if you insert an ATC fuse into the trailer side of the 7 pin connector between socket 3 and 4, it will send power to the running lights.

Not if you have a factory lithium package. They don't connect that 12v pin to the batteries. We used to carry a 7 pin socket wired that way for use in an emergency. If you had to leave your trailer on the side if the road at night because of a breakdown it would light the running lights while you were gone. (Should have incorporated a flasher unit, now that I think about it...)

[mossemi]

40 minutes ago, Steph and Dud B said:

Not if you have a factory lithium package.

Thanks for pointing that out!  I assume that’s to prevent alternator charging.

Mossey

[BBL]

On 7/4/2023 at 11:14 AM, Steve Morris said:

The lights all worked properly, but the oddity was that the awning started retracting!!

Steve - we are currently on the road as well and were at a Harvest Host a few nights ago when I extended the awning for some shade. The truck was connected but no lights on.  Almost as soon as the awning went out, it started retracting.  I pushed stop, then out and it went out and then proceeded to come back in. At that point I extended it and then shut off the switch (there was zero wind out and we were sitting there). 

Will have to figure out if this is an adjustment to the sensor or something different.

Best of luck!

Brian 

[NCeagle]

Our Girard awning retracted every time I locked my previous truck with the key fob.  It took some time to figure that out and I thought the awning was possessed for a while.  🙂  We have a new truck now and it doesn't do it anymore.  It wasn't a feature - it was a nuisance - that I didn't research or fix because we got the new truck soon after I discovered what it was and it went away.  Almost certainly had something to do with the frequency of the key fob...

[Coastal Aggie]

On my 22 it would cause it to retract any time the lights of the truck came on such as opening the doors or locking/unlocking it. i suspect its tied to the trailers running lights as those would come on as well.