What are your rules for the awning?

[cestlaviethree]

Do you leave your awning out when you leave?

Do you trust wind sensors?

Do you use tie downs?

We love the awning's shade and versatility even more in the summer, but we have seen 4 RVs have their awnings ripped off in the last 2 months.


Thanks CLV3

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[poppin_fresh]

IMO, water is not the enemy to an awning. Properly pitched it will shed off without too much issue. Rain with no wind rarely causes issue from what I have seen.

The issue with an awning is WIND. It is not so subject to gravity and therefore can exert its force down, up, or sideways. That is where a lot of awnings meet their demise since they aren't designed for these types of force.

Whenever I leave, or am in doubt, I roll it in.

[Glowrdr]

Can't believe I've never considered this. Just took our trailer out for the first time ever this past weekend. Put the awning out on Thursday, and rolled it back up on Sunday when we left,

Hmmm - I think I might have to change that thinking (or at least keep it in mind). Even rained a couple of those nights and I didn't think much of it.

[4x4van]

During the summer, we camp at the Colorado River in 115* heat; the awning goes out when we arrive, and stays out till we leave, UNLESS the wind comes up. During the winter, we camp at Glamis (sand dunes). Awning is out during the day, but I will usually bring it in at night since the wind tends to come up. Both winter and summer, I have been known to get up in the middle of the night to bring it in if the wind comes up, I often play it by ear.

Actually, in 27 years, the only time I've "almost" lost an awing was while driving down the road in a major wind storm, and it started to unroll and pull away from the MH. The only time I actually DID lose an awning was when I tried to move the MH about 5 feet after the awning had already been opened...hit my brother's RV with the end of the awning and broke all 4 mounting points!

[EsoxLucius]

Lost a Carefree Freedom WM awning in Rocky Mountain National Park. Every afternoon weather comes over the mountains with very gusty winds. I saw it coming, but I couldn't get the awning in before a 70 mph wind gust took it right over the top of the RV. I couldn't get stakes into the ground to tie the corners down so I found two 50+ lbs. rocks and tied to them. When the wind took the awning one rope tied on a rock broke, but the other rock was picked up and hurled into the side of the RV on the edge of a refrigerator vent. Insurance covered the repairs in Denver. Watch that awning, never leave it out at night or when you leave, and if winds will be over 15 mph you better bring it in.

[Sillybugs2]

PNW here and where we camp except for the beach usually the rain isn't super heavy and not much wind so we use the awning in those cases and watch the weather reports. Ours is electric but adjustable to tilt it.

[NYCgrrl]

Based solely on tent camping in the NE I'd never leave my RV's awning out if I was leaving for an extended time or going to sleep for the night.

[azjeffh]

For those that believe tie downs are the answer, you might want to talk to these owners. I guess the good thing is the straps are now keeping the awning wrapped around the roller tube.

[hotpepperkid]

tmm2good wrote:
NO
NO
NO

X2

[skrams]

On our popup 12 years ago heavy rain bent an awning pole. But other than that, and in 9 years of our current rv, we leave it out at night and if we leave, unless we know for sure there's heavy wind coming. Never had an issue.

[MacZulu]

DE88ROX wrote:
Ive been camping for the better part of 24 years. Every time I set up, the awning is unrolled and its never rolled up until I leave.

Only time im in my trailer is to sleep or get get dressed. If it rains, i need some shelter. Plus, We have a few things that are always setup under the awning and im not going to pack them away every time I see a dark cloud.

I see so many people camp and never use the awning, they just sit there baking in the sun. To me, that's an extension of my living space and im going to use it as such.

To each their own....

This is my sentiment as well, we love our awning rain or shine. We walked away from any rv with no awning when we were looking in the first place. We live in a high rainfall area, and wind storms don't usually sneak in here. But anything can happen, so we try be aware of conditions at bedtime and if leaving site for awhile.

To each their own....

[rhagfo]

navegator wrote:
Two simple rules.

Nice sunny weather, bring out and enjoy shade.

Rain or wind, retract and secure, this avoids having to replace, repair torn or bent torque tube and arms or canvas.

navegator

Take in the awning when it rains?? Well you could never put it out here in here PNW!! We put it out because of the rain, to have a dry space for chairs etc. Also sometimes nice to sit outside during a rain storm.

DE88ROX wrote:
Ive been camping for the better part of 24 years. Every time I set up, the awning is unrolled and its never rolled up until I leave.

Only time im in my trailer is to sleep or get get dressed. If it rains, i need some shelter. Plus, We have a few things that are always setup under the awning and im not going to pack them away every time I see a dark cloud.

I see so many people camp and never use the awning, they just sit there baking in the sun. To me, that's an extension of my living space and im going to use it as such.

To each their own....

Last summer we Hosted for, four Months the awing only came down once, when the darn weather forecast called for high winds in the area, that was a waist of effort!! :S

We don't have a small awing 20' unit and it is 10 years old, yes we are looking a replacing this year, but it will still be up 24/7.
Yes it is a manual, and I trust the triangle, I also pull the leading and trailing edge support bars banjo tight.

20'X8' = 160 sq. ft. I use to sail on a boat with a 1,200 sq. ft spinnaker, a little wind doesn't bother me.

[allen8106]

tmm2good wrote:
NO
NO
NO

Same here, if you disobey this the awning gods will strike your awning down and you will buy a new one.

[austinjenna]

I myself dont want to wake up in the middle of the night and throw my lights on the ground and roll it up if I need to from some storm. I installed the LED lights strip under the awning so i have light if the awning is in or out. It takes less than 5 seconds to use the power awning in or out so when I hit the bed the awning comes in. Mine also has the auto dump and adjustable arms so I can tilt it.

[rhagfo]

well spent four months hosting, and working last year AKA Retirement Preview.
The 10 year old awing was out the entire time except for a day when high winds were forecast. That day the winds were lighter than many of the other days. I traveled for work at least four times during that time and I left it up. I like the protection from the rain here in the PNW.

I will point out that the upper braces are pulled tight before locking in place, so the front and back edges are banjo tight.

This is a picture from our last night at the park. Pulling the lights would be the biggest issue likely about 2 minutes to throw on the ground.

[hawkeye-08]

On our "must have" list when we were trailer shopping was adjustable pitch awning (the brands of trailers we were looking at all had power awnings, adjustable pitch was a seldom seen option).

The trailer we got has adjustable pitch, turns the power awning into a useful awning.

I'm one that brings the awning in when away from campsite or weather issues.