Awnings

[Toolguy5]

Even though we have led awnings lights we like to hand decorative lights from the awning. The question I have can you strap the awning down, it is an electric awning. If it got a little breezy why we were out or sleeping this would help from wind flipping the awning.
In use ratchet straps with springs attached to dog ties screwed into ground. This still gives some flexibility.

Thanks for your help.

[austinjenna]

My rule is if were away or sleeping...awning gets pulled in. Its the push of a button vs $2000+ to repair/replace. Only 2 kinds of rver's, those who have damaged an awning and those who are unaware of how "flimsy" they really are.

We went camping this weekend - beautiful, hot weather 0% chance of rain, then it thundered, lightening, hail and lots of wind. 4 folks lost there awning completely that I saw, my neighbor had tears on both sides of his, and a lot of canopy pop ups and tents in the dumpster the next day. If I am away or at night it gets rolled up. I have had too many close calls

[Ralph_Cramden]

You can tie down an electric awning and leave it up for months with no issues. What you need to do is mod it. I have telescopic, adjustable poles so I can carport our Dometic 9100 and ratchet strap it down tight. I also have adjustable poles that connect from top near the rail to roller arm, so deflapper clips can be used.

It was tested a few years back when a front blew through with documented 70 mph gusts. No damage whatsoever.

There were a couple of guys on the Forest River boards who were selling brackets and poles as kits.....I don't think they still do.

It's a very good mod....and all self storing.

[rhagfo]

I don't have a picture handy, but we use three ratchet straps on our 21' manual awning to hold it down. We were hosting on the Oregon Coast and very seldom needed to bring it in. We did have some protection from the south by trees and brush. The middle strap was connected to two light hanging tabs. The fabric with grommet you can get at CW.

[Bar-OneRanch]

Be careful not to put too much tension on the straps if you tie it down. We were at Myrtle Beach, and it's always windy there, so I had put the tie downs on that we had used with last trailers regular awning. It started to pull the screws out of the side of trailer at each end of the fabric.
Chris

[laknox]

To those of you who =do= tie down your electric awnings and who have the "auto dump" feature to dump rain off, have you had this happen while tied down? Any issues with the awning "recovering" after the dump?

Lyle

[laknox]

ctr50863 wrote:
I want to replace manual awning with electric..only need the arms..what brand would you suggest?

If you do a lot of camping where it's windy, keep the manuals. Had I the option to delete the electrics, I'd do so in a heartbeat. Yes, the electrics are nice and handy, but they're =fragile=!

Lyle

[ctr50863]

if I would want to keep manual awning can I get arms that are better for wind/rain?

[ctr50863]

I want to replace manual awning with electric..only need the arms..what brand would you suggest?

[DiskDoctr]

BobKrogstie wrote:
Kinda like this?

EXACTLY how we do it 😉

Right down to the S hooks around the awning roller tube :C

We NEVER roll in the awning while camping. But we do steeply angle the awning when expecting heavy rain.

IMHO it is water weight that causes the most damage to awnings, more often than wind (except for unsecured awnings that simply lift up in wind and pretzel)

[AlaskaShooter]

If we are not there to monitor wind or asleep then the awning comes in. Lost count of how many awnings we've rescued for the clueless in our primary RV Park who arrive, put the awning out and then leave theirs unattended and a cell moves in and it blows 30-40 mph. Seen several wrapped over the roofs of rigs as we could not access controls and save them.

[FLY_4_FUN]

My rule is if were away or sleeping...awning gets pulled in. Its the push of a button vs $2000+ to repair/replace. Only 2 kinds of rver's, those who have damaged an awning and those who are unaware of how "flimsy" they really are.
my .02

Daryll

[neschultz]

I see this a lot at long term places. If you strap it down, when do you roll it up for wind? Or do you? I’d love to do it this winter but I’d worry about the wind tearing it off the TT. We currently stow the awning every night and every time we leave the TT.

[Michelle_S]

You can and we do, but you have to be careful not to pull it too tight because it's easy to bend an awning arm.

[BobKrogstie]

Kinda like this?