We have our awning out whenever we are parked. We also use the dog tie out things and straps. We just snug our straps (with a twist on them to keep them from singing in the wind) so they are taut, but we do not tighten them so that they pull downward on the arms and roller. We also have ours at a slight angle for water runoff. We have done this for 2 1/2 years now and the only time we have put it in was when wind gusts were predicted for up to 75 mph. Normal gusts of 20-30 have not caused any problem.