Carefree Simplicity Awning

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Okay...this shouldn't get an altogether thumbs down...it does have its good points, like its cost compared to the A&E awnings by Dometic...but compared to the A&E, it has a lot to be desired.

I know, you get what you pay for.

When we bought the Holiday Rambler, it was missing the awning...it had been ripped off against a tree, according to the PO.

So, I started shopping around.  For a 20 foot awning...which is what we went with so we could use the same screw holes...the Carefree was MUCH cheaper than the A&E, so I bought one...had to special order it.

I also ordered the center leg and cradle...but it was on backorder...so I received the awning about a month before the center leg.

From the factory, the springs were not wound tight enough.  From day 1 I had to help it to roll itself back up.  Then I figured out how to tighten the springs, so it does work correctly now.

The legs are way flimsier than the A&E...even the cheapest A&E awnings are a lot beefier and sturdier in their construction.  The little spring latch that holds the top arm in place at the top knuckle is a joke...flimsy, and barely catches.

The holding strap rivet broke off on one leg the first time I used it.  I still haven't reriveted it back on yet.  Right now I hold the whole thing together with zip ties when we travel...I don't trust it by itself.

The top knuckles are built way cheap.  And bent already.  The top arms are so flimsy that the Deflapper straps we use bend them inward WAY more than the A&Es we've had in the past.

And the main roller tube?  Forget about it.  In just the month that we used it without the center leg, it bent with gravity...and still has a very significant wobble when rolling it up and unrolling it.  Neither of the A&Es we have in the past...from 14 feet to 18 feet...ever got a wobble, and we never had a center leg with the A&Es, although you should have one on any awning over 12 feet.

The switch is clunky...the one that you select to roll up or down.  Light duty in construction...but that describes the whole awning really.  Light duty in the extreme.

The hardware that attaches it to the RV is ugly, also light duty, and no where near as nice as A&Es hardware and finish.

The good?  The awning fabric itself is as nice as the A&E...just as thick, with great stitching and a nice color.  The seams don't leak, and the hems are well done.

If you have to replace your awning, don't go with a Carefree Simplicity.  MAYBE their higher end awnings are decent, but not the Simplicity.  Spend the extra dough and get an A&E by Dometic.  Its worth the extra 300 bucks or so to get an awning that will last and not have to be replaced in 3 years.

We've had ours for 1 and a half years, and it appears that it is already about at half of its useful life.  I will be surprised if it makes it to 3 years before I have to replace it again.

I can only give it one thumbs up...for the awning fabric.  One out of Five.



Kev

[LJ-TJ]

Hey Kev, don't hold back now, tell us what you really think.  :)rotflmao

[ClydesdaleKevin]

LOL LJ-TJ!

They do indeed sucketh!  I'd never buy another one...not even a window awning, if this is any indication of their quality control and attention to detail.

That said, I highly recommend avoiding Carefree altogether and spending a little more for an awning from A&E...an awning that will last you until the fabric finally wears out and all you have to do is replace the fabric.

Kev

[LJ-TJ]

Well all kidding aside Lauren and I hope to put an awning on our rig this summer and pretty much came to the same conclusion. So it's always nice to see your thinking's going in the right direction. Hm?

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Just remember, LJ-TJ...anything 12 feet or over, get a center leg/rafter support.    Makes the roller tube last forever, and all you'll have to worry about until you are pushing up daisies is the awning fabric...after 12-30 years...lol!

Sometimes you can't put the leg dead center...fridge vents and stuff get in the way...just get it as close to center as you can.

A center leg makes your awning hardware last a lifetime...that and a lot of deflappers and paying attention to the weather.  Of course, this statement only applies if you get an A&E, and NOT a Carefree. 

Kev

[Oz]

This is a very good observation and extremely important to check out before buying a new one!
However, for those who may be interested in getting a used one or buying a rig which has one on it already...

I had a Carefree Simplicity awning on the Chariot.  It was installed by the PO one year prior to my purchasing it.  It was 20' length with no center brace.  I used it 7 years.  Quite often for about 5 of those years.  I did think the supports were a wee bit on the thin side and the tensioning did need adjustment.  There was only a negligible sag in the middle, almost unnoticeable.  The rest of the hardware was good.  It was very easy to operate by only one person and it functioned very well.

While camping near Gettysburg one year, a severe storm rolled in very quickly with heavy rains and strong winds.  I didn't have time to even roll-up the awning.  I stood in the kitchen and watched for it to be totally destroyed.  However, it stood up very well, to my great surprise and even greater relief.  Now, an important note here... I had the flappers on it AND I had home made tie downs on the ends made of 1" ratchet straps connected to springs and attached to screw-in dog chain yard stakes.  Without them, I sure the awing would have been flipped over the top of the rig.  Several other RVs in the park at the time did exactly that.  Only the ones which had tie downs survived. 

My evaluation is that the awning may not have been top quality, but it was definitely adequate, at least for the part-time camper.

Again, this awning was made in 2002 so, the quality of manufacture may have certainly gone downhill since then.  I mean, just look at the quality of products sold by Wal-Mart these days... Like the old saying goes, "They don't make things like they used to."

[jkilbert]

i had a 21ft carefree on my travel trailer and even with the center rafter the the tube bent. I replaced it with a one from Shademaker that i purchased from RVworkshop.com. it's similar in design to the AE awnings and seems to be very sturdy. one plus was at the time of my purchase RVworkshop shipped free to a business, so i had it shipped to my friends care home. the Shademaker on my TT and the AE on my Winnie look almost identical with the same clutch assembly. i wonder if they are the same and just marketed under different brands.

john

[tiinytina]

the new one on Gone is a Carefree Fiesta model I believe... 18' and quite sturdy, easy to operate etc.  we don't have a center post but then again we don't use it too often and roll it up if any "weather" is set to come in... the deflappers that came with it are fairly useless but have not replaced them yet. Happy with it over all... so guessing you get what you pay for applies for Carefree products....

Tina

[ClydesdaleKevin]

I have to admit, the Simplicity is Carefree's bottom of the line, so maybe their better awnings, like the Fiesta, are better.  And if Mark's lasted 7 years, I'm going to guess they used to make them way stronger than they do now.

There is no question though that the A&E is superior in every way except price...lol.  For the occasional weekend camper, the Carefree Simplicity would probably be adequate...but if you use your RV a lot, or plan to in the future, or plan to fulltime it some day, then go with the A&E.

I'm with Mark on the use of deflappers and tie downs.  When we are going to be set up for long periods of time, I bring the legs down and stake them down, I use 6 sets of deflappers, and long long stakes near the legs as tie downs, with ratcheting straps to the long stakes...2 per side.  Even the less-than-satisfactory Carefree Simplicity has survived severe weather and winds up to 70 miles an hour with this set up.

Kev