Do you leave the awning out, or roll it up??

[ols1932]

We never leave our awning out if we're going to bed or if we're going to be away. We've seen too many ripped awnings and bent awning arms over the period of our full timing. The wind has a way of all of a sudden appearing. If it occurs at night while you're in bed it's difficult to get up in time to save the awning.

Orv

[Ozzie]

Yup - been down that road before...the weak point is not the hardware, you can fasten everything down, but cannot avoid that big sail catching the wind.
We have been fortunate in that we haven't had to replace any awnings, but have gotten burned a couple times. One time our awning was on the roof of our motorhome - I barely got that one repaired.
Of course it always happens when we are away and can't button things up. As much as we love having the awning out to keep outdoor stuff protected, we pull it in when leaving for more than a few...

If I was going to buy a piece for a winter escape (like Hemlock), I would look into something a little more substantial to withstand the wind.

[bsmeaton]

Which reminds me - I have the factory awning arms and springs as well as all the hardware in my basement. Free replacements to anyone that breaks one, we'd just have to figure out how to get them to you.

[Ozz]

Brad, you are a good man.

[exav8tr]

Being new to this RV'ing thing, I prefer to keep my awning rolled up when not sitting outside. Of course, I haven't stayed too long at many places yet. I guess I just get nervous when the wind starts blowing. I have even been out there at midnight rolling it in. When we leave for the day I always bring it in........

[ols1932]

quote:Originally posted by pparamore

Being new to this RV'ing thing, I prefer to keep my awning rolled up when not sitting outside. Of course, I haven't stayed too long at many places yet. I guess I just get nervous when the wind starts blowing. I have even been out there at midnight rolling it in. When we leave for the day I always bring it in........

Smart man. That's good insurance and it doesn't cost a cent!

Orv

[Ozz]

Sue and I put it up this early evening, all was well, except the broken De-Flapper. The awnings are really built well, they take a lot of wind action, I was pleasantly surprised. I have changed out two awnings, and am amazed at the engineering. We will have gusty winds for the next three or so days and nights, so we wouldn't enjoy any advantage of having it out.
Ozz

[Redrover98]

Ozz,
I agree with you on the makeup of the awnings. I made some stakes out of 1" x 14"long angle iron with one end cut to a point and two holes drilled in the top end. I use a large black "trucker" bungee with each end hooked to the stake.I then use a ratchet strap from the awning to the doubled over bungee. We also use a 15' shade cloth that has five grommets which add more bungees and stakes. We are down in the Florida Keys from Oct til March and are right on the ocean. There are few days that the wind is not gusting and a few when the RV is rocking. My awning is always out and can only think of just three or four times when we roll it up. Two of those times was when we had a tropical depression roll through. We do, however roll it up if we are going to be away overnight or leave the area for a long time. We have been volunteering down here for the past five years, with three different fivers and have not lost an awning.

By the way Ozz, great looking tie down system. Looks good for at least gale force winds.LOL
Stay warm..Dee

[hazmic]

I HAVE TO AGREE with Rich and Orv and Phil. You will find the deflappers stretch the awning. I have said this before and will again 2 rules 1 never go to bed with the awing out and 2 never leave the campground with the awning out. Mary says why did we have the awning put on as we never use it. I keep telling her that it was part of the package. The awnings will stretch quite a bit with the deflappers but it is your unit and do as you want. This is just my way of doing what I think is right.

[Dustytuu]

After we had to go out in our night clothes and put the awning down we never left it up over night after this. Neighbours probably got a laugh out of that.

[Glenn and Lorraine]

quote:Originally posted by hazmic

I HAVE TO AGREE with Rich and Orv and Phil. You will find the deflappers stretch the awning. I have said this before and will again 2 rules 1 never go to bed with the awing out and 2 never leave the campground with the awning out. Mary says why did we have the awning put on as we never use it. I keep telling her that it was part of the package. The awnings will stretch quite a bit with the deflappers but it is your unit and do as you want. This is just my way of doing what I think is right.

Awning Stretch?? Never heard that one before. My old Monty had nearly 4 years of usage and most often when we were set up for more than a night the awning was down. When down I use 2 ratchet straps attached to HD rubber bungee at the awning barrel and 2- 18" X 1/2" re-bar stakes set at 45° into the ground. I also use 3 to 4 deflappers on each end. I also have a half sun screen that has 4 bungee cords attached. My awning never stretched.
Here in Florida, during the winter, we do get some 45 MPH winds and my awning is usually down and no damage, including stretching, ever occurred to it.

[Ozz]

The reason we put it up, aside from lacking enough de-flappers, is was that the thing was so darn noisy. If we were having periods of wind and then Sunshine, we would leave it out, but it has turned cool, wind and blowing rain for a few days, no upside of having it out.
Dee, I envy you down in the keys, what type of volunteering do you do there? How is that new floor working out?
Glenn, sounds like you have a good method of securing your awning.

[hazmic]

Glenn Our neighbor in TX had a new Winnebago MH and did the deflapper and straps etc and when we rolled it up where the deflappers were it had stretched the material. after sitting rolled up it could have go back to original shape ,I don't know but the deflappers and the others you could see where they were.

[Glenn and Lorraine]

Here's some pics

Note the re-bar is at about 45° but also goes through the loop of the screw down type. The reason is the sandy soil. If you used just one or the other by themselves they would pull out with the first wind. By screwing the first straight down and than placing the re-bar through the loop at a 45° it must be pulled in opposite directions.


The 12" bungee also acts as a shock absorber.

Note the smaller clamp attached to the awning skirt. This helps keep the skirt fron constant flapping.


Just 3 deflappers lately. By later in December I will be adding a 4th at each end. The winds in Jaunary and February are typically stonger than we are experiencing right now.

[Mrs. CountryGuy]

Our set up is similar to Glenn's, cept we put springs near the ground for our "bounce".

What Glenn calls the awning skirt and the little clamp, that is bout how Al does ours.

Al and I have a saying (YEP, another one! ):

Use it, abuse it, wear it out, ENJOY!

We have a dear friend that refuses to use and abuse his equipment, he trades in a 3 year old unit that looks brand new. He is saving that trailer or truck for the next owner?? Sorry, after taking the depreciation beating on driving away from the dealer, we figure we get to use this stuff. We are careful, to a point, after that, if the awning tears, we wear out the couch material, whatever, then, so be it.

We have an awning, we sit in Mission for hopefully 3 full months each year, we enjoy the awning, we have come up with what we think is a well thought out set of stakes, straps, bungie cords, de-flappers. And, so, we put er up, tie and strap it down, and enjoy. After that, let Mother Nature and her brats do their thing. If she wins, we call the insurance company.

That's our story and we are stickin to it!

[Ozz]

I agree, Carol.

[Ronnelly]

It just depends where we are. In Florida we rolled it up especially if we went someplace. WE did have it anchored down in Florida, but with tornado's and high winds there, we rolled it up often.
In Arizona we left it up for about a week, but then heard it was getting windy, so rolled it up. It is really hard to bring it in once a big wind starts coming thru.

quote:Originally posted by Ozz

I like it when it rains to have the awning out, protects the bikes and patio stuff, so I figured in the winds here and went heavy duty.
Do any of you leave yours out??

[Ozz]

Ron and Nelly, it would be good to carry a Crystal Ball. The weather forecasts sometimes are not too accurate.
I have been out there in the middle of the night retracting ours, no fun...

[TLightning]

As mentioned by a previous poster, we never leave the RV or go to bed with the awning up. Even the screw-in-the ground stakes and deflappers will not help once the wind gets to really blowing.

[Redrover98]

Ozz,
At the park where we are now, we are actually hosting. Work three days and then four days off. We clean up the campsites when people check out. There are only twenty eight sites and three of those are for the volunteers. Maybe, at the most, 5-6 check-outs on a given day. Considerate, mature RVers at this time of year rarely leave anything on the sites to clean up, so we drag a leaf rake over the pea gravel to make them look nice. We only have one bathhouse to clean and then the hard part, we walk the beach and pick up debris. Rough,very rough, but someone has to do it.LOL
The floor is still looking good and Mama is happy. Should have done it sooner.
Stay warm and be safe....Dee