Girard Awning

[David Fischer]

I have a couple of questions, but need to give you a few details first.  I have a 1997 Beaver Marquis which I purchased new and have had zero problems with the Girard until one day two years ago, a super wind came up and knocked the awning down.  All three arms broke where they connected to the coach.  Needless to say I was in a real hurt for a while.  I talked it over with Andre at Girard and since I needed new cloth and new arms and insurance was going to cover a new awning, that is the way I went.  I had it shipped to Alliance in Florida and they did a good job putting it in along with the paint work.  
Now the rest of the story.  After leaving Alliance we headed back to SC and the front arm broke right at the elbow.  I   called Girard and they reluctantly sent me a new one which I had replaced in SC.  We had to come back to our home in New Mexico in November of 2011 and just when we got to Albuquerque the same thing happened on the replacement arm.  When notifying Andre at Girard he informed me that they would send me a new one but my warranty is voided after this replacement,  on the grounds that I misused the awning.  I didn't make a big deal of it at the time but just not more than an hour ago I pushed the in button and as the awning was coming in it broke again.  It broke at the elbow of the front arm.  So Monday is my day to confront Girard
Question #1  Has anyone had a similar problem?  #2  Does anyone know who the president of Girard is and by chance have his email address.  #3  How do you misuse an awning when you just push a button to make it go in or out.

[Edward Buker]

It does not seem by chance that the same arm keeps breaking. They must be breaking at the weak design point and it would seem that some adjustment might be involved. By design these arms are supposed to be at their strongest when fully opened into a locked position. Any chance through some adjustment the front arm is not fully extended and locked when the others are? Was the awning fully extended when the arm broke? Was wind involved or did the break occur while just opening or closing? I have not had an arm break but I thought a little more of a description of what was happening when it broke may help someone determine what is a relavent experience when it comes to a break.

 It is a tough call how to handle this problem given you need Girard's help to get at the root cause and be able to resolve this problem.

 I saw the name Jerry Rennert listed as President but I do not know how old that info is.

Later Ed

[David Fischer]

Ed, Each time it happened was when the awning was going in or out.  It never happened when in an idle position.  The outfit in Albuquerque told me it looked to them like a poor casting.
David

[Joel Weiss]

Girard Systems has a location in San Clemente, CA. Active officers include Marcia A Girard, Timothy Hatfield, Bin Nguyen and Jerry Rennert. Girard Systems filed as a Articles of Incorporation on Wednesday, September 04, 1996 in the state of California and is currently active. Marcia A Girard serves as the registered agent for this organization.The company's line of business includes Ret Recreational Vehicles Ret Misc Merchandise.

Officers
Timothy Hatfield,Manager
Bin Nguyen, Accountant
Jerry Rennert, Vice-President
Marcia A Girard, President

Here's the link to this: http://www.corporationwiki.com/California/San-Clemente/girard-systems/42753710.aspx

[Keith Moffett]

David
We lost the forward arm on our awning the day before the Redmond rally.  It happened that Andre was at that rally and he came out, provided a new arm and alot more.  All we paid for was the annemomiter which he also installed.  In my book this is an exceptional company.
I do recall he had advice about installation and proper adjustment being critical.  I too wonder about so many arms breaking and would be surprised if Girrard didnt have the same concerns.  Girrard will likely be at the Indianapolis FMCA rally and if that doesnt work for you I believe I would drive to San Clemente and show them the parts.  If they couldnt explain why it was my fault, I am sure you will be well treated.  Some things just need to be seen to be understood.

Good Luck
Keith

[Edward Buker]

If they both broke in the process of going in or out would definitly be a good clue in your conversation with Girard. Seems like two bad castings is possible but pehaps not as probable as some adjustment issue causing binding and stress at that joint. I have never lubed any of these joints with a dry lube. I would be curious in your conversation with them if that would be a preventative practice they would endorse or recommend any type lube procedure.

One could also envision the wind stressing or slightly bending a part, or cracking a casting, and then the act of closure is finishing the job. While these awnings are an elegant mechanical design they are weak when compared to other designs and prone to failure given the stresses involved. I would consider doing whatever it would take to link up with Andre at the most convenient point you could and have him do the adjustment and repairs. That seems to me to be your best shot at getting the awning right plus any tips that could help prevent this issue again.

I am sure that wind damage can occur before the anemometer can react and possibly leave the awning fittings with a stress crack waiting to fail. Maybe that is all that is going on here.

It would be nice if there was a kit (use at your own risk) where you had several aluminum tubes with hooks on the end that went over the arms, then went to the ground and then with the use of straps and ground screw in stakes this whole arangement could be stabilized. You would need to install a switch that removed the power to the drive board while this was in use. I'm sure Girard would frown on this arrangement but it would seem to make the awning more usable in conditions that cause stress and breaks now.

Later Ed

[Steven Link]

David,
I can tell you from experience that these arms will Break and BREAK OFTEN if they are out of adjustment. I have broken three but finally have learned with help from Andre at Girard what you need to look for to see if they are right. If you can put the awning out about 3 feet and stop it you can check the adjustment visually but you will have to be on a ladder and even with the awning. When viewing the arm from either end of the awning the articulating point of the arm should not be either significantly higher or lower than the mounting points on either end of the arm. If the articulation is off more than about 1 inch it will put undue stress on the joint and it WILL BREAK. The stuff is just made from cast aluminum and is not real strong except in the fully extended position. All of mine broke when extending or retracting but in all cases they were not adjusted properly. Two times it was the dealer's fault and one time it was  my fault for trying to adjust the awning so water would run off better. Also Girard recommends to not leave the awnings out in the rain.
I will say that the people at Girard are probably the best folks to deal with as none of us now have a manufacturer that will stand behind our coaches. They Will Stand Behind Their Products. Contact me if you need more info.
Good Luck
Steven Link

[David Fischer]

Steven:
Thanks for your input.  I spoke to Andre this morning and ordered a new arm, which I had to pay for, even though the awning is just a year old.  He claims that if you read the warranty it really doesn't cover everything, and they have the right to make the decision themselves.  I need this done quickly so I didn't fight it.
I am not too sure what your meaning of articulation point is.  Can you explain as I will have to put this in myself with help from a neighbor.  If you adjust for rain, would that not put it our of the 1 inch range your mentioned?  
Andre was of no help to me on any of this other than follow the directions that come with it.
David

[Steven Link]

David,
Think of the articulation point as your elbow or in other words the joint where these things break.  If you use visualize your hand as the mounting point at the leading edge of the awning and your shoulder as the mounting point at the coach then the elbow (as the arm extends) should remain in the same plane as the elbow and shoulder. If the elbow is higher or lower(than the shoulder or hand) there is excess stress which will cause it to break. The adjustments are all at the coach mount side just make sure to adjust according to the directions. It does require two people as the arms are shrink wrapped and are spring loaded under a great amount of pressure. I found that two 8 ft step ladders with 2x8 boards cut to support the awning as you remove the broken arm and replace it works well. But then I am a Jack leg engineer and probably a bit lucky. So far my last replacement over a year ago is holding up well. Let me know and I will try to send you some photos of my awning if that will help.  
Again Good Luck!
Steven

[David Fischer]

I posted several days ago and had a very good response to my Girard problem.  Steven Link gave me some good advise and said he would send me some photos. That is what I am asking for now.  I got the arm up and the fellow who helped me said that the arm in question (the front one above the door) was way off of where it should be on the lead rail.  The insert screws were loose and they moved more towards the center putting more load on that arm.  Anyway we moved it back.  I would like to see a photo of the inside of the outer rail when the awning is out.  I would like to see how far from the outer edges the arms are placed.  Any help would be appreciated.

David

[Steven Link]

David
Here are the photos of my awning. Hope this helps
Steven