HUGE Awnings
We're getting a Work & Play primarily because its the only camper I have enough confidence in to handle a very large awning. At first I was going to attach a pole tent to the side of the Work & Play b...
Forum Discussion
Hi,
I guess the problem with using 6 each 10X10 easy up tents is that there will be water pouring into the center of the area when it might rain. In good weather, it will work out well.
Most awnings are not more than about 25' long. I have a 15' long awning, and would much rather have a pair of 15' awnings than a single 30' long one. Mainly it is because the center of the tube is not supported, and can bend with age, especially while driving down the road. Flex while driving is much more forceful than while camped.
I was recently looking at a Heartland Cougar toyhauler RV. It has a pair of awnings on each side of the RV, so that each is about 12- 18 feet long. There will be a small gap between the awnings, where rain can land, but not really enough of a problem to soak someone wanting to eat breakfast under the awning.
The problem is that a 8' wide awning that is 15' long is 120 square feet of sail area. That can be enough to tip over a RV if it is light, with a 20 MPH wind. The larger Cougar toyhauler comes with a 15,675 empty weight, adding 75 gallons of water will raise that weight by another 750 pounds or so.
The problem with building a awning more than 10' wide (measured from the RV sidewall out to thin air) is that the RV wall needs to support all that weight 10 feet away from the RV. Much like taking a 10' long pipe wrench and attaching that to the side of the RV, put 200 pounds on the other end of that wrench, and you are likely to break something - as you also tend to twist the RV over in that direction. 200 pounds of weight 10' from the sidewall is 2,000 foot pounds of torque. Increase that to 30' and you get much more weight just to hold up the awning, and then you have that 100 pounds that is 30' from the mounting point, and 200 pounds that is 20' from the mounts, 350 pounds that is 10' out. All this can add up to well over 1,050 foot pounds of torque on the structure that it is mounted to.
How about installing a pair of 15' long awnings. Then put up 3 each 10X 10 or 12X12 quick up awnings that can be bungy cord attached to the RV awning, as well as supporting their own weight onto the ground with tent poles, and attached to prevent wind lift with tent stakes. So the RV awning will assist in stabilizing the portable awnings, and keep them from blowing in the wind!
Yes you will have problems with rainwater getting between the gaps, but overall it will be fairly dry, at least compared to the pits where everyone is walking in the rain and normally mud or wet gravel.
Have fun camping and Racing!
Fred.
I guess the problem with using 6 each 10X10 easy up tents is that there will be water pouring into the center of the area when it might rain. In good weather, it will work out well.
Most awnings are not more than about 25' long. I have a 15' long awning, and would much rather have a pair of 15' awnings than a single 30' long one. Mainly it is because the center of the tube is not supported, and can bend with age, especially while driving down the road. Flex while driving is much more forceful than while camped.
I was recently looking at a Heartland Cougar toyhauler RV. It has a pair of awnings on each side of the RV, so that each is about 12- 18 feet long. There will be a small gap between the awnings, where rain can land, but not really enough of a problem to soak someone wanting to eat breakfast under the awning.
The problem is that a 8' wide awning that is 15' long is 120 square feet of sail area. That can be enough to tip over a RV if it is light, with a 20 MPH wind. The larger Cougar toyhauler comes with a 15,675 empty weight, adding 75 gallons of water will raise that weight by another 750 pounds or so.
The problem with building a awning more than 10' wide (measured from the RV sidewall out to thin air) is that the RV wall needs to support all that weight 10 feet away from the RV. Much like taking a 10' long pipe wrench and attaching that to the side of the RV, put 200 pounds on the other end of that wrench, and you are likely to break something - as you also tend to twist the RV over in that direction. 200 pounds of weight 10' from the sidewall is 2,000 foot pounds of torque. Increase that to 30' and you get much more weight just to hold up the awning, and then you have that 100 pounds that is 30' from the mounting point, and 200 pounds that is 20' from the mounts, 350 pounds that is 10' out. All this can add up to well over 1,050 foot pounds of torque on the structure that it is mounted to.
How about installing a pair of 15' long awnings. Then put up 3 each 10X 10 or 12X12 quick up awnings that can be bungy cord attached to the RV awning, as well as supporting their own weight onto the ground with tent poles, and attached to prevent wind lift with tent stakes. So the RV awning will assist in stabilizing the portable awnings, and keep them from blowing in the wind!
Yes you will have problems with rainwater getting between the gaps, but overall it will be fairly dry, at least compared to the pits where everyone is walking in the rain and normally mud or wet gravel.
Have fun camping and Racing!
Fred.
