Tie down Electric Awning

To my understanding you should not tie them down because you stretch the fabric to tight and it will eventually rip were it attaches to your rig. Your not even supposed to extend them all the way out. (I only mean a couple of inches from all the way out) Right or wrong that's the way I use mine!

Happy Trails!

Well if using LED tape lights you can retract the awning and will utilize it when it's rolled up or unrolled you do not have to disconnect if you do it right.

I have a Care Free electric awning and tie it down with large corkscrews and ratcheting straps.

My DW is always complaining because every time we leave the campground or when we retire for the night I unhook the straps and roll up the awning.

DW also complains because I don't allow her to hang lights on the awning. I look at the awning as a sunshade and cover for light rain.

JRS & B wrote:
We have a CareFree electric awning. It has enough slope that we do not tilt it at all, and it never fills with water. We have left it out in long heavy rains (without strong winds) in Florida with no problem.

But I do not tie it down. I just figure that if the wind does get strong enough, then the fabric will rip. So I retract it. That is one of the benefits of having an electric awning in the first place.

x2

We have a CareFree electric awning. It has enough slope that we do not tilt it at all, and it never fills with water. We have left it out in long heavy rains (without strong winds) in Florida with no problem.

But I do not tie it down. I just figure that if the wind does get strong enough, then the fabric will rip. So I retract it. That is one of the benefits of having an electric awning in the first place.

I tie mine down with Flower pots filled with cement and ratchet straps. Been doing this for years

Last year I had the trailer at a campground not far from home. I did this so I could reseal my driveway. I had my awning down and tilted towards the front, some towards the back, I had it tied down. When I came back after working at home a torrential down pour had came through and left about 20 gallons of water in the center. Scratch one big rod and fabric! Two weeks ago I was at the same campground for a camping trip, I had a spot right behind the one I had last year. Well, this year it rained almost all the time, I had my awning with a BIG tilt in it. No damage to it plus I had it strapped down. The campers in the spot I had last year had their awning out, tilted and strapped down. Somehow the rain water bent one of the back rods. I helped the fellow try to straighten out the rod so it would slide back up so he could roll up his awning. We managed to get up but not all the way. Moral of the story, anything can happen. That spot just doesn't like awnings!

I just tie mine down just as you would a manual one. I have straps that I loop over the end of the arms and attach them to any anchor point I can whether it is picnic table or stakes I put into the ground. You just don't have the ability to retract quickly in the middle of the night. You have to go out and unhook before retracting. Keep the straps taut but not tight. They are just there to prevent the awning from folding over ontop of the camper. But I also have to undo the locking knobs on the arms anyway to retract so its no big deal.

I tie my Dometic awning down every time. I make sure pitch is detnfor drainage, black knobs are tight and tie down to 12" rebar spikes. Never had a problem and tightens/stabilizes awning and hardware very well and don't have to worry about it. Doing it with this type awning for three years and only brought it in once for storm.
Steve