Every worry about your awning opening when driving

CavemanCharlie wrote:

RV daytrader wrote:

hondapro wrote:
Never worried about it,most likely will now. lol

Same here...never even thought about it.....now I will have nightmares until I put on some lock!

I don't know about nightmares but, I will certainly check it out someday.

Some of the locks suggest in this thread (but not all) would require me to have ladder to get high enough to install them.

We could use the awning hook. Depends what kind of device you get.

RV daytrader wrote:

hondapro wrote:
Never worried about it,most likely will now. lol

Same here...never even thought about it.....now I will have nightmares until I put on some lock!

I don't know about nightmares but, I will certainly check it out someday.

Some of the locks suggest in this thread (but not all) would require me to have ladder to get high enough to install them.

hondapro wrote:
Never worried about it,most likely will now. lol

Same here...never even thought about it.....now I will have nightmares until I put on some lock!

Never worried about it,most likely will now. lol

pnichols wrote:

4x4van wrote:
Yup, it CAN happen even if the arms remain locked to the side of the RV and the ratcheting mechanism inside is intact and in the correct position, exactly as Dutch_12078 writes.

It happened to me on our first outing with my last RV. A&E 9000 with the aluminum weatherguard. Strong wind coming in at about the 1:30 position, roller started to unroll even though the ratchet lever was in the correct position and intact and the legs were still locked; the wind was strong enough to overcome the mechanism. It was a bear to unroll and re-roll in the heavy wind, but eventually got it done. And to verify that nothing was "broken", we continued to use that awning with no changes for 12+ years. I did, however, fabricate a metal strap that wrapped around the roller and locked it against the side of the RV.

On my current RV, the first mod was to add this, which is almost exactly like what I made for my previous RV.

I did, however, fabricate a metal strap that wrapped around the roller and locked it against the side of the RV.

The above is what I have on our Class C awning roll ... except that I bought a commercial version, which can be loosened from the ground using the stock roller ratchet lever wand that came with the RV.

Yes, my original hand-made metal version required me to go up on the roof to lock/unlock it. For my current RV, I too bought the commercial version that I linked (although I bought it in white). It's definitely nicer to be able to lock/unlock from the ground using the awning wand.

1320Fastback wrote:
I use Velcro straps to hold the sliding support bars shut on ours. If the bars can't open, the awning can't open. Also leave the switch in Up position.

Velcro straps and the small locks/clips will do nothing if the right wind angle comes along. This happened with our 5th wheel on a Texas backroad, thankfully. The awning & roller flew off and the arms stayed on the RV in the correct position. We were so thankful we weren't on an interstate because it was like a torpedo. After that we searched and found the 'awning lock' on the internet.

Well I wasn't worried till I read this thread.

The awning on my B cranks out with a scissor support then you drop legs down. If you don't crank it doesn't move and is pretty well inclosed when fully closed. Not sure if it would be a problem in high winds or not.



I could wrap a strap around the middle since there is a small gap between the awning and the van roof.

4x4van wrote:
Yup, it CAN happen even if the arms remain locked to the side of the RV and the ratcheting mechanism inside is intact and in the correct position, exactly as Dutch_12078 writes.

It happened to me on our first outing with my last RV. A&E 9000 with the aluminum weatherguard. Strong wind coming in at about the 1:30 position, roller started to unroll even though the ratchet lever was in the correct position and intact and the legs were still locked; the wind was strong enough to overcome the mechanism. It was a bear to unroll and re-roll in the heavy wind, but eventually got it done. And to verify that nothing was "broken", we continued to use that awning with no changes for 12+ years. I did, however, fabricate a metal strap that wrapped around the roller and locked it against the side of the RV.

On my current RV, the first mod was to add this, which is almost exactly like what I made for my previous RV.

I did, however, fabricate a metal strap that wrapped around the roller and locked it against the side of the RV.

The above is what I have on our Class C awning roll ... except that I bought a commercial version, which can be loosened from the ground using the stock roller ratchet lever wand that came with the RV.

Yup, it CAN happen even if the arms remain locked to the side of the RV and the ratcheting mechanism inside is intact and in the correct position, exactly as Dutch_12078 writes.

It happened to me on our first outing with my last RV. A&E 9000 with the aluminum weatherguard. Strong wind coming in at about the 1:30 position, roller started to unroll even though the ratchet lever was in the correct position and intact and the legs were still locked; the wind was strong enough to overcome the mechanism. It was a bear to unroll and re-roll in the heavy wind, but eventually got it done. And to verify that nothing was "broken", we continued to use that awning with no changes for 12+ years. I did, however, fabricate a metal strap that wrapped around the roller and locked it against the side of the RV.

On my current RV, the first mod was to add this, which is almost exactly like what I made for my previous RV.

Dutch_12078 wrote:

ItsyRV wrote:
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the point of this discussion is not about the arms malfunctioning or the locking lever in the wrong position, but rather about when the fabric roller assembly breaks internally and the roller and fabric are now free spinning. Is that the correct purpose?

The most common awning unwinding while underway problem is caused by a strong quartering wind getting up behind the roller and overriding the cam lock on one end of the roller allowing the fabric to unwind. Nothing broken, usually just worn enough to not hold tight. Any of the several devices made to prevent the roller from turning work well to prevent the problem at minimal cost. Power awnings are less susceptible to the problem unless something breaks in the gear box.

That's exactly why I installed a separate positive mechanical rotation lock on my awning's roller assembly (see my post earlier above). It can't unroll regardless of how well the roller locking lever or cam lock is or isn't working.