We never leave the awning out unless we are right there because we get sudden winds that will shred a awning fast. Sometimes even sitting under it we will barely get a chance to get it in when the wind comes up but once in a while a wind comes so fast it's grab on, hang on and hope for the best.Friday we had just finished setting up, got the awning and the chairs out and were relaxing when I heard a odd wind noise. It was calm right by us but just beyond the treeline something sounded like it was shredding the trees. I had just gotten up saying we had better put this away because the wind is coming up when a DUST DEVIL pops out of the trees.I pointed it out to Honey and even thought of getting a pic until I realized it was heading right across the awning side of the trailer. I grabbed one side of the awning just as the other side was being lifted and thrown back as the locking bar kicked out and the awning ballooned up. I've seen dust devils but never felt one. It is a incredible strong gust with pebbles and sand basting you. Even at 230# I felt myself being lifted up but finally the lard won out and the awning just needed to be reset. After that we did not have so much as a breeze for the rest of the day.

Down in Florida in January RVers leave their awnings out all the time; tied down to stakes in the ground. Maybe they are just lucky or ...

So that what a dust devil is like! I've seen them while driving across wide-open places in western states, but always they were off in the distance.

We have stopped leaving the awning out and we no longer hang stuff from the awning when it is extended. The wind on the gulf coast is quite strong at times and can catch you off guard. We have used tie downs when wintering in Florida but the awning comes in if high winds come up. Those things are expensive to replace!

We were out at a remote site near Tonopah Nevada troubleshooting a telecommunications cable. It was hot so we had left all of the doors open on the car and were standing by the open trunk discussing our next move. I heard something coming, turned towards the sound just in time to be hit by a fast moving dust devil. Like Jim in Denver wrote, sand and grit all around us.It moved off at what seemed like 30 - 40 MPH.Our clothes and car were full of sand and grit.

Dick_B wrote:Down in Florida in January RVers leave their awnings out all the time; tied down to stakes in the ground. Maybe they are just lucky or ...Last time I was at home I visited the seasonal camp ground the rest of my family uses. They showed me my brothers 5er and I thought he was there as his awning was out and tied down but he had not been up in months. Must be nice, we can't even enjoy a rain sitting under the awning because of the gust.BTW they all think we are nuts for boondocking out in the middle of no where. They like the community, we like the quiet.

Why we never leave the awning out | Good Sam Community

mr__ed
Explorer
Jun 23, 2013
I'm another one who rarely uses the awning. I have used tie-downs, deflappers, you name it. They all help but are no guarantee a sudden gust won't cause damage. Right now I'm encamped in Albuquerque and virtually every afternoon strong winds can be expected. I can't be babysitting the awning all day so I just leave it up.

If it can be arranged I try to get a spot where my entrance door will be in the shade during the hottest part of the day (afternoons). This pretty much negates the need for an awning.
JiminDenver
Explorer II
Jun 23, 2013
That's about what mine was going to look like after the dust devil except I think it would have been draped over the roof since we never tie down.
deleted-2
Explorer
Jun 23, 2013
Oooooo....ouch Jeremiah :E
That would most definitely ruin anybody's day.
jerem0621
Explorer II
Jun 22, 2013
Here is why I don't leave my awning out.. Nature conveniently put it away for me.

It's replacement will never have to deal with the same issue. If I leave camp, it gets put up. EVERYTIME

PS.. it was tied down when we lost it. Nature is brutal.

Thanks!

Jeremiah
Vulcaneer
Explorer
Jun 22, 2013
Dick_B wrote:
Down in Florida in January RVers leave their awnings out all the time; tied down to stakes in the ground. Maybe they are just lucky or ...

And it is not unusual to see the awning torn off the side of the coach. But the side that is tied to the ground is still there. Just that the awning is laying on the ground. And some bodywork needed on the side of the coach.
ChadHinton
Explorer
Jun 22, 2013
We leave our awning out only while we're with it at the site. We quit putting the lights on the awning after one season as I got tired of cleaning the bugs off the white underside that were attracted by the lights.
MarshaNichols
Explorer
Jun 21, 2013
That's why many don't put lights on awnings...in a sudden wind storm, no time to remove those and then roll up the awning. Many people are now putting the lights on the ground below their awnings! Happy camping!! :E
wa8yxm
Explorer III
Jun 21, 2013
I have attwood (A&E Weather Pro) Power awnings and as with many of the older A&E's the wind sensor... Is junk.

So I put it out and in under 100% manual control and tie it down well.

Over 2 dozen rigs lost their Awnings here in the park Monday.. I'm not one of them.
Tvov
Explorer II
Jun 21, 2013
We routinely leave the awning out up here in New England, especially in wooded campgrounds. Using "de-flappers" is the only extra thing I do. I watch the weather and will roll up the awning if it is supposed to be windy... but if a rainstorm, leave the awning out and sit out under it and enjoy the storm. At night I lower the awning until I can just open the camper door.

If we are planning to be gone for the whole day, I will roll up the awning if there is any question about the weather.

Again, this is mostly in Connecticut, where we usually have ample warning of bad weather.
Opie431
Explorer
Jun 21, 2013
We use the belt and suspender method.

We use tie downs plus tie the awning to the picnic table or trees. We camp 80-100 nights a year. We have seen ruined awnings but we have very seldom taken ours down.

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