Crank out, side arm-less awnings, major issues?

I had a box awning on my previous TC. It was an '03. I believe it was 8' wide and extended 6'. It was a hand crank and I would go that route again. The electric is a waist of money for me.

It was spring loaded so if water builds, it would suddenly dip and dump the weight. So you could get a big surprise if you happened to be standing under the awning admiring the rain shower. I really don't remember wind being an issue but the springs worked up and down.

The only issue I had was with the plastic end covers. Sun baked them very brittle so I had to re-enforce them on the inside with epoxy and paint them. Carefree really likes to see you coming for replacement parts. The canopy was covered with the aluminium housing when retracted, so it was completely protected.

That type of awning will be my first choice if I ever need to replace our current awning.

I'd be concerned about that weight cantilevered out from the roof of the TC.

Down riggers make the structure so much stronger.

I have an 8'5" Carefree freedom wall mount manual box awning on my camper and love it. It's vinyl with a white case and I chose camel fade as the color. It's a very sturdy awning when the support arms are attached to the camper. In a gentle breeze the awning holds up well but I always crank it back up at night just in case the wind gets a little stronger so I don't have to go out and roll it up. The awning sure helps in keeping the interior of the camper cooler during the day and it's really enjoyable sitting under the awning when being outside.

the directions say this has "direct response" on my carefree on my 5th wheel this is a sensor in the roller tube that senses movement and auto retracts the awning. Yes it has closed my awning in wind before.