pommyg - A big difference between those that use their awning and those that do not is how do you plan on using your RV. If you drive to a location and setup in a campground for several days, chances are an awning would be nice. If you drive all over the country doing sightseeing and rarely camp in the same place more than one day, then you probably do not need an awning.
We travel a lot in our RV and use it as a portable bedroom. Have only extended our awning twice in 11 years. Takes more time to break camp and wind is your enemy. Being camped is not the only time the awning can be ripped off your RV, but traveling down the highway in strong wind can also unfurl the awning.