Awning bent

[Hemling]

Light rain falling, starting to turn a little heavier. We're all relaxing inside. I start thinking I should probably go pull the awning in. I wake up to a sound like a fire hose being turned on. The front outer joint of the awning buckled under the weight of the water on top. I guess next time I'll be more on top of pulling it in. At least I have a low deductible. I don't suppose it could be warrantied? It's under a year old!

[Cecilt]

Hemling wrote:
This is the only major complaint I have (2017 Keystone Sprinter 33bh) is that the awning is so close to the sharp corners of the slide out.

Our kitchen slide is under our awning. If I extend it all the way out it sits on the top of the slide and also the door rubs the awning causing a black streak to form. My 2 solutions is if no rain I bring it in a few inches to keep it off the slide and door from hitting it. I also think this is a stronger set up with the arms slightly bent but it will not drain water. If it rains I extend all the way and put a piece of insulated pipe foam over the corner of the slide that I tilt the awning toward. This keeps the awning off the corner and resting on foam.

[Hemling]

I've done some research and discovered that mine does have the 'autodump' feature. It's supposed to tilt when it senses too much rain. Well, it did exactly that but it broke it's brackets when it tilted from the looks of things. I'm trying to work out a warranty claim with the manufacturer as I type this. Maybe it's a long shot but the worst they can say is no.

[GrandpaKip]

On our Solera electric awning, one side or the other can be lowered a bit to provide a slope for rain to run off. Has worked fine
I fabricated a sun blocker out of some leftover greenhouse shade cloth which is better than making a lean to out of the awning.

[mgirardo]

Our Colorado Carefree Electric Awning would auto dump water. It could also be adjusted. On the arm, there were 6 holes to move the awning to different pitches. It didn't pitch as much as a manual awning, but it pitched more than enough to drain water.

Since our seasonal site is across from a farm, it is always windy at our site and awning tie downs are a must or we couldn't really use the awning. So the auto dump feature couldn't work with the awning tied down. Set on the 6th position pitched the awning enough to drain water, even in very heavy rains.

-Michael

[evanrem]

When we had or walk through with our new tt the person mentioned its a sunshade not meant for rain protection. We lost an awning the same way and now ours is barely out anymore. Some have a shock that will depress when it starts to pool with water.

[rbpru]

My awning is supposedly self draining. When it loads with water, one of the spring loaded strut compresses and drains. It works but there is lots of water left behind.

When the rain ends I usually put a little slack in it to drain the remainder.

My biggest objection is the awning goes straight out and cannot be sloped to block the sun or drain water.

[Hemling]

Yeah I know it was just my dumb fault, not a warranty issue. Sarcasm via text never comes across. Mine though is an electric motor and it rolls it out evenly. I don't think I can tilt it at all. And, the big slide is right under it. If I don't pull it all the way out and tight it sits on top of the slide. This is the only major complaint I have (2017 Keystone Sprinter 33bh) is that the awning is so close to the sharp corners of the slide out.

[LarryJM]

MitchF150 wrote:
Well, if you tilt it too much, it can form a pool and if it rains more than it drains from the tilt and fills your pool.. Guess what happens??

Know that from experience..

Tilted my awning during a mild rain storm (first or second time out with the trailer back in 2002).. Tilt was too much to allow to drain off the end faster than it was raining.. Ended up pooling in the middle of the awning..

Luckily, I discovered it before it did any damage. Was able to drain the pool and looked at what happened and set the tilt about 'half' as much..

Rained just as much for the rest of the night and no pooling at all...

Worked for me. Been setting my awning at just a slight tilt from then on and have gone thru thunder storms and have never pooled my awning since then.

On edit, the only other way I have set my awning and not had it pool, was so keep both arms attached to the trailer and at it's lowest setting.. You can't open the door more than half way, but that also keeps the water from pooling..

Mitch

Well I obviously don't understand something since the more tilt (i.e. one end of the awning lower than the other) has to allow the water to drain off quicker than with less tilt so I can't see how water can pool anywhere. I have at times lowered one end of my awning to it's lowest with the other as high as I can which in addition to draining helps prevent wind from getting under the awning and "flappling it" so to speak.

Larry

[theoldwizard1]

I am in the middle of a "project" to make such a repair. A whole arm assembly was more than 50% of a new awning. Careful examination shows that the arms are made out of extremely thin aluminum channel extrusion. The one that got "mangled" the worst is 60mm wide (just under 2.5") by 50mm tall (about 2").

I bought a piece of 2.5", 0.125 square tubing and cut one face off, making it a channel,but it is still too wide by about 4-6mm (about 1/4"). Next plan is to narrow the channel by taking 1/4" out of the middle of the 2.5" face and welding the 2 angles back together. (If I was starting over, I would just buy 2.0" 0.125 angle and save a few dollars, although one side of the angle would have to be trimmed to 1.25")

[Acampingwewillg]

Depending on the awning, it can be bent back into better shape. I had the same issue in May with a Zip Dee awning from a snow load. I got it back into pretty good shape with one other person helping.

[darsben1]

No it is not warranty as there is no manufacturing defect

[MitchF150]

Well, if you tilt it too much, it can form a pool and if it rains more than it drains from the tilt and fills your pool.. Guess what happens??

Know that from experience..

Tilted my awning during a mild rain storm (first or second time out with the trailer back in 2002).. Tilt was too much to allow to drain off the end faster than it was raining.. Ended up pooling in the middle of the awning..

Luckily, I discovered it before it did any damage. Was able to drain the pool and looked at what happened and set the tilt about 'half' as much..

Rained just as much for the rest of the night and no pooling at all...

Worked for me. Been setting my awning at just a slight tilt from then on and have gone thru thunder storms and have never pooled my awning since then.

On edit, the only other way I have set my awning and not had it pool, was so keep both arms attached to the trailer and at it's lowest setting.. You can't open the door more than half way, but that also keeps the water from pooling..

Mitch

[LarryJM]

MitchF150 wrote:
But, don't tilt to too much.. That's just as bad!

Mitch

O.K. I'll bite HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH and WHY IS THAT JUST AS BAD????

Larry

[MitchF150]

Just tilt the awning enough so it drains the water off one end or the other... But, don't tilt to too much.. That's just as bad!

I've lived thru many rain storms with my awning.. Only thing I bring it in for is wind...

Good luck!

Mitch