Do not use awnings in heavy rain?????? Really???

There are two concerns:

1. If the awning gets wets, you really need time to dry it before rolling it up - otherwise it will be subject to mold and mildew and you'll ruin the awning material.

2. If there is any wind involved with the rain, it can do a TON of damage to the awning. Awnings have been known to rip off the RV if the wind catches it just right.

For both, there are mitigating factors. Watch the forecast and if today is wet and tomorrow is dry and you're parked for both, you can use the awning in the rain today and let it dry out tomorrow. As long as the awning is only open when you are at the campsite, if you notice the wind picking up, you can quickly close the awning and head inside - remember to open the awning as soon as the weather clears to dry it out properly. This will keep the wind from catching the awning and ripping it off.

Don't leave the awning open if you are going to be away from the rig - if a wind or storm kicks in, you could come back to massive damage. Only open the awning during the times you are in the campsite and when the winds are low.

almost all the 'scissor arm' electric models say this
a few have a gas rod piston support on one end that will compress and dump water when too much gets on the awning
all have wind sensors to retract the awning when the breeze kicks up and some have a rain sensor and will retract when it rains
turning these off might void the warranty

my suggestion would be to replace the electric awning with an old fashion manual awning that lets you adjust the height and tilt

so you can sit outside when it rains