do you leave your awnings out?

Carefree makes a couple of different kits to auto retract your awning.
Depending on the awning you have, the cost can be around $80 to $200.
They either use a vibration sensor in the awning, Cheap, or an anemometer, Expensive..

In 2001 while camping direct ocean front in Flagler Beach Florida our awning was torn off our travel trailer. We were down highway A1A eating out when a severe storm approached.Unbelievable lighting show over the Atlantic Ocean that evening!!

This was our second trailer but our first ever brand new trailer... a 1998 Coachmen 297RKS high profile wide body 102" Even though the awning was tipped to one side and tied down the rain & wind were so intense the awning couldn't handle the water weight or wind. The awning tube was bent in a U shape and broke the picnic table when it collasped,the awning extending arms were ripped out of their mounts on the camper.

Our Collie ... Morgan looked very stressed out when we got back that evening,normally thunder and lightening didn't effect him.Some leftover seafood calmed him down though.

We no longer leave the awning out when we leave the camper. Insurance covered the awning repl./labor... cost was around $1400.00

A lesson well learned,about 8 other campers lost awnings that same night.

2006 Dodge 3500 DRW LB 4x4 QC 48k miles
2007 Mountaineer 336RLT XPS Ribs
2000 Lance 1130
2 Camping Collies (always ready ti go)

My Electric awning has 5 positions on each side. If it's nice both sides are at the highest position. if its a little breezy both sides are in the middle positions. If its windy both are in the lowest position. If there is a chance of rain one side will be 2 holes lower than the other and if its raining hard I might drop the low side another hole. My awning is out (unless its snowing) the whole time we are setup.

crcr wrote:
We leave ours out at night, and during rains (ours auto-dumps water). Also leave it out when leaving if only for an hour or so, unless bad weather is threatening. We don't tie it down, either. However, the campground we always go to does not have any history of damaging winds and sites are very protected by a lot of trees. If we camp somewhere else, I might reel it in more.

I believe the weather patterns where one camps is the biggest factor.

100% what crcr said. The gentle rattle of the brackets makes for a good notification that it's time to roll 'er up.

I have support poles for each arm of my awning and tie those down securely using ratchet straps and dog ties. I've had it out in 35mph winds (actual reports via a weather site the next day). I did ultimately take it in, but it held just fine.

Last trip out for the year 2013 I left the awning out while we went sightseeing on a beautiful day along the coast of Maine. It was tilted some, but as I found on our return, that little shower we had where we were was a CG gully washer and the insufficiently tilted awning couldn't shed water fast enough. $1850 and intimate discussions with the insurance company, we eventually had a complete new assembly. Traded that trailer this summer so we have an electric awning now. Do I leave it out when we 'wander' - yep, but it is tilted to the max. Do I leave it out overnight - yep, and again, tilted to the max. These tilts are usually against prevailing winds plus I usually tie it down too though the new power awning doesn't have a way to use the standard deflappers I have so they need some design revisiting.

We leave ours out at night, and during rains (ours auto-dumps water). Also leave it out when leaving if only for an hour or so, unless bad weather is threatening. We don't tie it down, either. However, the campground we always go to does not have any history of damaging winds and sites are very protected by a lot of trees. If we camp somewhere else, I might reel it in more.

I believe the weather patterns where one camps is the biggest factor.

The OP is from Texas. We have been fulltime for 4 1/2 years and the only state we didn't leave the awning out was the 6 months we were in Texas. Sure we've rolled it up a few times when high winds were forecast but we found in Texas we spent more time than it was worth and just left it rolled up.

After frantically trying to put away an (absent) RV neighbor's awning as a gust front came through and nearly went sailing myself - I won't leave ours opened unless we're sitting under it. Also - I'm a light sleeper, and if the awning is out and there's a breeze - I can feel it rocking the RV.

Now, I HAVE enjoyed sitting under it in the rain - watching the grandkids run/splash under the awning runoff point....LOL!!

If we need the protection from sun or light rain it's out. Put away at night if weather is questionable. When we're away from camp any length of times its rolled up.
I've also had to roll it up at night in the rain; not fun
Jim