Can you strap down these new awning designs?

A lot of elect awnings are strapped down here at the CG we are at in Bar Harbor. DW has asked me about tying them down and I don't want to with the wind gusts. Light wind okay, but not gusty winds.

TenOC wrote:
However, I can not find a way to place the awning at an angle to prevent rain water from collecting on the awning. Is there a way to adjust one side of the awning lower that the other? ? ? ? ? :h

If it has gas struts and knobs on the metal arm you must compress the strut on one side. Tighten the knob to hold. Takes a little force to compress.

What's the big deal with tying down an awning, electric or manual. It's your choice. Do it sensibly, keep an eye on the weather and you will never have a problem. It's your RV to do and use as you feel the need not as someone else thinks you should.

I tie our electric awning down or we would never be able to use it most of the summer being along Lake Champlain. I slope it to maximum for possible water run off, wrap a couple ratchet straps over the tube down to a couple screw in dog tie outs. I haven't been using bungees for shock containment though am considering doing so. Some folks at our CG leave their awnings out from mid-May to mid-October, tied down, with most being electric. I've only seen two damaged in over 15 years there as a weekender or seasonal, both manual, both weekenders and neither were tied down or even sloped for water runoff. Ours is retracted whenever we leave for home.

No, I don't like to pull mine in with a wind. But the number of times that I use it without having to pull it in are priceless. I press a button a BAM! It's so cool that I have to look around just to see who else noticed the coolness! LOL

I don't tie them down. There's always been another option for shade.

I tie the awning down, but when the wind gets above 15 mph, I retract it to play it safe.

IMO, tie downs for electric awnings are band aids and, for me, aren't worth the trade off for the convenience and extra cost of electrics. I'd take a manual any day. Having straps all over the place is just inviting a trip and, with older people walking around, a broken hip, or worse. The =only= thing I've seen that would make the electrics more "friendly" is the telescoping post, though I'd have a foot on it where I could screw in some large lag bolts to hold it down.

Lyle

I use a homemade version of these:
Tiedown

Our awning has the scissor type arms and is very sloped, so water accumulation isn't a problem. I've been tying it down since the beginning and we're going on the 8th season with this camper. Never had a problem. I use the tie downs over the tube, not the arms. This works great in all but the highest winds. I do pull it in if severe weather threatens.

The one thing I wish it had is adjustable arms to control where the water will runoff.

-Drew

You modify them by adding aluminum telescopic poles that self store. Then you can tie them down with ratchet straps and ground anchors. Do a web search. I have also added additional poles so deflappers can be used. I had mine tied down last October and it took a brief storm with 65 mph gusts recorded half a mile away at the ranger station. Running them constantly in and out works well until you have to change out your first motor.

There is a guy at Forest River Forums who makes and sells the poles and bracket kits for the Dometic 9100 for around $200, however if you can source the material you can make your own for less than $60.

newman fulltimer wrote:
you are not suppose to tie down the electric awnings

Per CAREFREE: "We don't recommend it, but if you do put the straps on the roller, not the arm".

Been tying mine down since 2008 never had a problem.

TenOC wrote:
However, I can not find a way to place the awning at an angle to prevent rain water from collecting on the awning. Is there a way to adjust one side of the awning lower that the other? ? ? ? ? :h

My electric awning has a gas strut at each end that will compress under the weight of accumulated rain. When 2 or 3 gallons collect, one side or the other will lower enough to drain the awning.

Just don't be standing under the unlucky end when it drains. (grandson got a shower that way once)