2014 Bourton "Carefree" wind out awning

On our 2014 Bourton we have a Carefree (American) electrically operated wind out awning.  It is very easy to operate at the press of a button but what if the electric supply fails?  The brochure tells me how to get over this problem by getting a ladder and inserting a 3/8th socket and ratchet tool at the top of the awning to manually wind it in.  This is fine but I have no intention of carrying around a ladder and tools just in case.  Hopefully there won't be a problem so it would be interesting to know if anyone has had a failure?

Yours is the first time I've heard of an Auto-Sleeper with an electrically operated awning. I guess you are not the first owner of the van and suspect a previous owner added it?

According to MMM and Out and About, they were fitted as standard on AS vans as from 2011 so perhaps AS stopped after our 2014 model.  Thanks for your reply.  Let's hope all will be well.

Jimmee wrote:According to MMM and Out and About, they were fitted as standard on AS vans as from 2011 so perhaps AS stopped after our 2014 model.  Thanks for your reply.  Let's hope all will be well.

I have been in the Auto-sleeper Owners Club for many years, have seen thousands of vans on rallies but never seen an electrically operated awning. They have not been offered as an option on new vans in that time either.

The Carefree 12v awning was fitted onto the Anniversary Executive in 2011, of which 50 were made, as well as onto our 2014 Bourton so they are about.

The only awning option shown for the Mercedes Benz Coachbuilts in the 2014 A/S brochure (which I still have a copy of) is the Thule (Omnister) canopy awning (up to 5 Mtrs). It was part of the Premium Pack and that is what is fitted to our 2014 Malvern. We were not given an alternative option for the Carefree when we ordered ours at the NEC show in October 2013.
I suspect that it must have been a very special order if it was factory fitted - AS should be able to advise you of the build standard if you give them a call and quote the build number which you will find on a sticker inside the glove box.

Yes, ours was a special order.

You can order different things although A/S don't offer them as an option.We have heated seats in our Worcester a Mercedes option if you ask but not generally offered by A/S. So is an adjustable steering column as we found out after the van was delivered.
I suspect A/S bulk buy the cheapest spec cabs they can and options are a pain to them. It is possible.
Sorry cannot advise on the awning question.....but what a great addition  

I have seen some specialist tools that are like a socket on the end of a ratchet pole, might be worth checking around?

Thanks groundhog, yes, A/S can fit anything within reason.  We've always found A/S very helpful all round.  We agree about heated seats, great in the cold weather.  A heated steering wheel is great too (not got one on our Mercedes though).  Not checked to see if we have an adjustable steering column on our Mercedes.  It hasn't caused a problem so far.  We are very pleased with the electric wind out awning, nice and easy to operate.  We'll look around for the ratchet pole socket thingy.  Thanks for the tip.  Angela and Jimmee

Peter Brown wrote:Yours is the first time I've heard of an Auto-Sleeper with an electrically operated awning.  I guess you are not the first owner of the van and suspect a previous owner added it?

I've learned so much about Auto-sleeper motorhomes from this forum.

I know three owners of Anniversary Executives and I've seen there vans many times and didn't realise that they do in fact have this motorised awning.  I asked and now know that all three have, and although they have had slight niggles with their awnings, overall they are happy with them.

I am very familiar with a couple of Bourtons and they definitely don't have this awning but it seems others may.

Yes the forum is excellent and a good place to find out things we didn’t know. We can all help each other.