Best awning type

[Travelin2]

We recently purchased a 2012 Freedom Elite and it does not have an awning. We are going to install one and am leaning toward the 9100 Dometic. They are more expensive than I thought they would be. If anyone has experience or opinions about the good and bad of the one they like I would be very interested before I jump into the wrong one. Also if you know a good place to get a low price on a good product I also would be all ears. I am leary of the electric ones but if its just old school jitters let me know.

[Travelin2]

tatest wrote:
The 9100 is a good compromise for those who want power but don't want to pay much. It will mount to most larger laminated-wall RVs that have blocking built into the top of the wall for an add-on awning rail, but are not framed well enough to carry an awning supported entirely from the top.

It it a long way from "the best" but it might be the best you can put on your particular RV or that you want to pay for.

We have a couple in the RV groups I belong to, large awings on fivers. They don't leave them out in the rain, in the wind, while sleeping, or away from the RV. Awning gets deployed when we are sitting under. To us, thats the advantage of power, easy to pull to awning in when not using it

Issues with handling rain or wind loads, it's not really meant to be deployed in adverse weather.

I wonder how a person could find out if their RV is constucted to handle a case type awning or a 9100?

[moose888]

We are satisfied with the one on our Dynamax its has a aluminum shield that covers it when rolled up . the awning also has a wind sensor so if you are away from the Rv and the wind picks up the awning will roll up . When you decide to buy one I purchased a small electric leaf blower to blow the awning off before I roll it up. I learned this when I had pine needles all over my awning and had no way of getting them off without using a neighbors ladder and brome.

[tatest]

The 9100 is a good compromise for those who want power but don't want to pay much. It will mount to most larger laminated-wall RVs that have blocking built into the top of the wall for an add-on awning rail, but are not framed well enough to carry an awning supported entirely from the top.

It it a long way from "the best" but it might be the best you can put on your particular RV or that you want to pay for.

We have a couple in the RV groups I belong to, large awings on fivers. They don't leave them out in the rain, in the wind, while sleeping, or away from the RV. Awning gets deployed when we are sitting under. To us, thats the advantage of power, easy to pull to awning in when not using it

Issues with handling rain or wind loads, it's not really meant to be deployed in adverse weather.

[ScottG]

Is there blocking for the awning supports?
I wanted to replace my standard awning with a 9100 but I don't have any solid blocking at the very top edge (just under the gutter) that the instructions call for. It required two lag bolts be securely installed in that spot that would support most of the the weight of the awning.

[vic46]

The big decision is the fabric, acrylic or vinyl. Acrylic is about double vinyl but, the life expectancy is far greater than vinyl. Twice as great, maybe!

[Bordercollie]

There are a few more expensive types of awnings that retract into an aluminum case which protects them from weather and sun and possible unfurling in the wind while driving. You'll need to do a Google search of "RV Awnings" to find them.

Good to install an "RV awning lock" device to prevent accidental unfurling of standard type awnings in strong headwinds while driving.

Example Case Type Awning:

http://www.dometic.com/enus/Americas/USA/RV-Products/awnings/Products/?productdataid=72979

[downtheroad]

My advice is to get the one that has the metal wrap protector when it is rolled up. This will keep the awning material from getting torn/punctured/abraded....protects the rolled up awning from close tree branches and limbs.

[SWD]

Our old TT had a Dometic A &E awning. Worked fine for something that was 14 years old. Our new FW has a "Carefree" one. Perhaps a little more flimsey but still not bad.....time will tell!