Do you find awning useful?

Terryallan wrote:

Acei wrote:
How well do awnings handle strong winds? If we are hiking during the day, do they need to be retracted when we are not at the site?

We don't. We have a manual awning, and tied down it will weather 20 mph + winds with no problem. However if like last year at the beach, a hurricane comes thru, you might want to roll it up.

For us. The awning goes out when we setup camp, and comes back in when we break camp to come home. The rest of the time it is out.

As for if you need an awning. It all depends on how you use your RV. If like some, you NEVER come out of the RV. You don't need an awning.
If like us. You use the RV as a camper, and You rarely go inside the RV, You need an awning.

I partially agree and partially disagree.

The stories of the random afternoon thunderstorm (or clear-day dust devil) and the campground full of destroyed (manual or automatic) awnings are quite common...so don't blindly go hiking with your awning out, nor leave it out for the duration of your stay. Of course a little common sense and attention to the weather you can know with reasonably good certainty whether to leave the awning out or in.

NEED to have??? NO!!!!

NICE to have??? ABSOLUTELY!!!!

Be aware that mundane thunderstorms like to eat them and that windy nights will cause rattles, so our awning doesn't spend all that much time out...

...However, LOTS of nice time has been spent sitting underneath the awning, in the shade, or enjoying a light rain outdoors.

I think you may see that most folks leave their awnings up most of the time for the reasons I describe, but they go in and out easily- and I think most folks enjoy their awnings with reasonable frequency.

I love my manual awning also.
Keeps me cool and dry.
I tie it down and have never had an issue with normal winds.
If I'm camping on the beach I will not leave it out at night.
Protects my chairs, grill, radio and Motorcycle.

I haven't missed not having an awning. Where I camp, I don't really have a need for it. Our camp chairs are usually further away around the campfire; our outside meals are eaten at the picnic table (which is further away). An awning would simply shade a square of space that isn't used.

When I do want shade, I use my EZ-up type canopy and place it where I want to sit - not where the awning is located.

But the campgrounds I visit are in national forests - the campsites are more spread out than at RV Parks, the forests provide a lot of shade, and when I'm outside, I like not having a ceiling.

How useful an awning is depends on many things. First, which direction is the RV facing? If the curbside is the north side, then that is going to be the shady side anyway. If you are out in an open windy area there is no telling how long that awning will remain part of your equipment inventory. Great to have if it is raining & you want to be outside anyway. Great for keeping the damp air at night off you. Great to hang a string of rope lights from. A useful extension is a mesh tarp tied onto it to provide more shade while still letting air through.

Yes very useful - and again when you go to sell it. Not too many people want an RV without an awning. If you don't use it, at least unfurl it and maintain it once in a while. They tend to wick moisture which causes mildew.

To pacify the naysayers - no, you don't have to get one if you really don't want to, but don't be surprised if it is not listed as optional. Can't see you saving much over deleting it from a ordered unit. And woyuld be kind of dumb to remove it, since they already drilled holes for it. Happy camping.

Edit: I wish my tanks had an auto dump feature... :P

allen8106 wrote:

Acei wrote:
If you were to buy a new RV, would you pay for this option? Or is this just a waste of money?

Like others I wouldn't buy a camper without one but I would definitely only have a manual awning. I have had both and prefer the manual because you can change the angle better which allows you to hide from the rain better. My current 20 foot power awning only goes straight out. If the wind blows very hard I get wet while I'm grilling.

Not sure what kind of power awning you have but mine tilts to whatever angle I want and it also has an autodump feature in case it's raining while it's not tilted so it safely dumps the water from the awning. Sounds you got some strange first generation piece of crap.

The ignorance regarding power awnings around here is quite staggering.

To me, an rv is not an rv without an awning! :C We use our's all the time; keeps the sun off the side of the camper and provides a place to sit outdoors on those rainy days.

Acei wrote:
If you were to buy a new RV, would you pay for this option? Or is this just a waste of money?

I find it very useful ...

1. Provides shade and protection from rain for outside things and cooking. This is worth it's weight in GOLD IMO when it's really raining heavy. Can leave wet umbrella and/or rain gear outside vs. having it drip everywhere inside the trailer. Our trailer didn't come with a MUD ROOM ... did yours:W

2. Helps keep trailer cooler on very hot days by shading a lot of one side of the trailer depending on how exposed that side is because of trailers orientation and surrounding trees or lack thereof.

Detractors will worry about wind, etc., but in 40 years we've never lost or had an awning damaged from this. We only bring it in if there is severe or high wind warnings.

Larry

vote for awning. we have power now, had manual before. both are good but we love the power one better :)

it becomes another room. you will use it!