Handy Hints, Gadgets, Products & Gizmos

legolas wrote:

amandasgramma wrote:

chezmoose wrote:
I can't take credit for this idea, but do plan to give it a try...

Last year while camping with friends, they used two square buckets (similar to kitty litter buckets) to secure their awning. They filled the buckets with water and attached ropes (or bungees?) connecting the awning to the bucket handles. The buckets weigh very little to transport and can double as water dishes for the dogs if you leave the lids open!

This is a good idea for small winds, but we were in the Hell's Canyon and our friends had their awning out when a HUGE wind blew up. They had the awning tied down with the screwy kind of things that are to hold big dogs on a chain and they had 5 gallon buckets full of the biggest rocks they could find to fit. The wind hit and the awning was toast......

I have seen several awning tragedies....as a result my awning policy has 2 parts Part 1- Daytime, awning out when I am present; Part 2- Nighttime, awning out when I am present and awning in when I go to bed.....way better safe than sorry. Besides why have the awning out if you aren't actually using it?

We have yet to have an awning have problems (tearing/wind ruining it). The screen room holds the awning down thru winds that normally would be a problem. We camp where it's usually hot.....the awning AND screen room keep the rig cooler. We boondock, a/c is not an option. We've been in the screen room during high winds (nothing over 15-20 mph) and found that the winds are buffered by the screen room. DH always parks the rig so the winds (generally speaking) come from the left or right....not directly under and up from the long edge. Granted, there have been times when we've had to rush to get it down.....a time or two it was at night, but we find it's worth it. :) :) Takes less than 5 minutes to drop it and get the awning rolled up. And, I'll admit, I wondered about our sanity while in Quartzsite (north of Q) one year and a tornado set down in Blythe....Winds were 85 mph, husband was gone, took 3 of us women (one with a sling on her arm) to get that dang thing rolled up.