Adjusting pitch on a Thule/omnistore awning

Can anyone tell me how to adjust the pitch on the Thule/omnistore awning fitted to my new Bourton, when wound out the front rail is far to high and the legs just dangle in the air unless at the highest setting, I am sure there is some easy way of doing it but cannot seem to find any information about it.
Many thanks in advance
Don

I think I'd be a bit careful when winding it out, there is a fair old load on the inner pivots when its fully-out, & you can possibly do some damage, I wind mine out about a metre or so, then drop the legs to the ground to take the weight, (even lifting it slightly) then carry on winding-out & adjusting the legs as I go.
Mine will only 'drop down' until its wound-out fully, so if yours is 'hanging-high', maybe its not fully wound out.

Hi modelman, 
                      The awning is fully wound out as it has reached the stage where it goes "slack" and you have to take it in a little to restore tension, I think the problem is that A/S have mounted it at the point of the roof joining the side panel and it is on a curve, I have searched online and the pitch is adjustable but I cannot find a site which will tell me how to do it.
Don

hi,
I suggest you contact Johns cross motorhomes, they are good at all things including awnings,
Chris

I have to wind mine out ( Broadway FB, same awning) about a metre and a half before I can reach the legs and lower them. The legs telescope out quite a lot, you should be able to lower them so they don't dangle in the air.
I think the pitch adjustment is more of a gimmick than a real adjustment. I noticed a couple of weeks ago that if I get hold of a leg and push the awning up, the brackets swivel upwards a tad. I think thats all it is. You are already on the low setting, pushing the whole thing up adjusts to the higher setting.
I never found out any more info on it but can't check the manual tonight as the van is with Peugeot being serviced.
Allan

Just a thought... Are you on level ground?  If the ground drops away on the side where the door is, that could lead to rather a lot of 'dangle'.

Hi ajrm,
           The awning when extended a metre and a half needs a step to reach the front rail and as I am 5ft 10 the pitch is set wrong, and as I do not want the awning set that high I have managed to discover via another forum how to adjust the pitch and also via the Thule website so as soon as I return home I will adjust it which hopefully should solve the problem, many thanks to all who have replied.
Don

Hi Don
I'd appreciate if you could post the information. I'm 5'11' and still can't read it till its almost 2 metres out!
Allan

Hi Allan,
            The pitch adjustment seems to be only on the roof mounted awnings , mine is on the rounded section where the roof and side meets, it is a thule 6200 awning ( the model number is on a plate on the inside of the front rail) the adjustment is on the blocks where the arms join the main section, if you go on the Thule website, go to awnings and select the roof mounted 6200 model which yours probably is and then download the user manual ( at the bottom of the page) for it it gives you the details, it is only in a pictogram form with no written instructions but seems easy to follow, under the cover for the blocks there are 2 bolts it is the top one you turn anticlockwise to lower the pitch, I have not done mine yet as I am away at the moment and need a stepladder to reach the main body of the awning but I will be doing it this weekend when I return home, I will post how successful it is.
Don

PS if yours is adjustable it will say on the mounting blocks " adjustable pitch system"

Hi Don, got my van back today so will have a look later. Mine says it is an adjustable pitch system
Allan

hi,
I'm surprised you didn't notice this when the van was handed over by the dealer, I would have rejected it as unusable,
Chris

I was wearing bigger shoes.....

The Thule system allows for various pitch angles depending on how many washers you put under the head of the 4 mm Allen bolts that regulate it. For a Boxer panel van the suggestion is to use 2 washers (that is what I have on my Warwick Duo). The diagram showing the options can be seen at:


[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]  

and take the User Manual button.

My Warwick came with an extra sheet of instructions recommending the use of just 2 washers, as per diagram "I" on the above webpage.


EDIT: Sorry folks, I don't know why, but the above link will not post properly. If you use Google and search for "thule omnistor 6200 instructions", you will find it OK

I think as Don says, on ours it's just a case of winding in or out an adjuster. I haven't had time to have a look yet. When we had the handover, reaching for the awning end was easy because we were on a flat concrete workshop floor, we rarely stay on a level site and the awning is always a lot higher than the ground!
Allan

Hi Allan, just had another look at thule website and as Spospe says it appears that an Allen bolt has to be adjusted with various amounts of washers dependant on the pitch required, I think we will need 4 for our coachbuilts, I will be setting off for home tomorrow so hopefully on Friday or Saturday I should be able to adjust mine, I will post results.
Don

padraigpost wrote:Hi Allan, just had another look at thule website and as Spospe says it appears that an Allen bolt has to be adjusted with various amounts of washers dependant on the pitch required, I think we will need 4 for our coachbuilts, I will be setting off for home tomorrow so hopefully on Friday or Saturday I should be able to adjust mine, I will post results.
Don

I think that you are right and 4 washers will be required for your coachbuilt van. Generally coachbuilts are higher and have more upright sides than panel van conversions and so need more 'droop' on the canopy, so that it is easier to reach the legs when the canopy is rolled out a small amount.

Well, I looked in the van and have the awning instructions. You are all right, looks like adjustment consists of adding / removing washers to get the right angle. Took this image from my handbook.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Just need to check how many washers are under the bolt on mine.
Allan

ajrm wrote:Well, I looked in the van and have the awning instructions. You are all right, looks like adjustment consists of adding / removing washers to get the right angle. Took this image from my handbook.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Just need to check how many washers are under the bolt on mine.
Allan

When we got our Warwick Duo, there was an extra, loose-leaf page to the instructions and it was annotated with recommendations for various vans. The X250 series of panel vans were specifically shown as needing two washers to clear the side door when open and the awning light. The basic message is to adjust the awning until you can open and close it without it hitting anything and you being able to reach it easily to release / replace the legs.

Just adjusted mine today, it had only 2 washers fitted and as my washers seemed thinner I added 3 and it seems about perfect, it is just a matter of winding out the awning about 18 inches and removing the  plastic cover on both adjusters and  using an allen key to remove the bolt, add washers and replace, I found it made it easier to screw back in if you support and lift slightly the front rail with one hand while putting the bolt back in with the other, all in all took about 10 to 15 minutes

Does anyone know if Fiamma awnings have a pitch adjustment?

G

Gram: sorry for the delay in replying.

Our two Fiamma awnings fitted to Duettos had no pitch adjustment at all and did not need it either. I do not know if this applies to all their models or not; the ones fitted to the Duetto were the rather short 2.5 metre types and longer models may droop more.

Thanks, Spospe.

It's just that the awning on my Symbol is rather high so it's a bit of a stretch to reach to unfold the legs when the awning is a metre or so extended,

G

It's ok for you tall fellas to complain about the height of your awning front rails! Imagine how it is for people like me, I'm only 5'3" !! And I know motorhomers who make me feel tall (not many though) even at my shorty height.

Barry.

Hi Barry. We aren't all that tall either otherwise we would be able to reach!
We are in France at the moment, it's very hot and I have used the awning every day for the last week.
I ignore the instructions and wind the awning out till I can reach it( about 1.5 metres).
Nothing bad has happened to me yet!
Allan

Barry,
         your Winchcombe awning is positioned the same as my Bourton on the roof and not the side of the van, you will probably find that it is set up the same as mine was for a van conversion with only 2 washers on each of the adjustment blocks, you will need to add probably another 2 each side I added 3 per side on mine and now I can reach the front rail after it is wound out about 1 metre.
Don