Warning - Wind Storms and Awnings don't mix !

[hazmic]

I think everyone that has read this has come to the conclusion that to use the rule of thumb. IT WORKS. Also I have seen what the clamps,straps,bows and who knows what else has done to a awning. When the above items are removed from the awning,look at it closely and note how out of shape it has stretched from being out and pulled on in the sun. Then people wonder why they do not roll up like they did when new and are now stretched out of shape. Would I get rid of my awning? NO NO NO. Just use common sense about when and when not use the awning.

[Bluegill]

The weather over here has been so weird the last 5 weeks or so, I havent even had my awning down one time.
We have another storm hitting us tonight....

[sreigle]

Joy, are your "grippers" those wide ones or the smaller ones? I've hear the wide ones tend to loosen in wind although I've not seen that first hand. Ours are the smaller ones and I've never had a problem with them.

We did have an awning end up on the roof when it was not tied down once, though.

[campbud]

We pretty much go with the weather when putting the awning up. If it is one thing I hate is running out in a storm to put it up! We never leave the awning out if we are not there. We learned our lesson the one time we did.

[noneck]

When we were newbe's we would set camp, awning out, pretty lights up, and decorated with wind-socks. Most of the trips were in or around NYS, mid summer. As we matured (I prefer this word...) and venture further from our home state we began to see how randomly old man weather can behave. Once we camped at Association Island which is in Henderson Bay, Lake Ontario a gail blew up from the west....mind you there's nothing west of this little island but the great lake. Our trailer was positioned perfectly broadside so the dinette/sofa slide could over look the beautiful sunsets. A gail blew up out of no-where, my son and I ran outside to "save" the awning which started flapping (mind you it was downwind and well protected from driect hit of wind)...well, it was all I could to ratched down my side to prepare to roll-er up and my son was just hanging on to keep from blowing away! These were 50mph winds, sideways rain, and not fun. We survived, so did our awning... Post storm anyone with awnings out towards the water now had them reposition over the RV roofs, and either ripped loose side rails or bent to conform to trailer side/roof. Had we gone out...geez, nevermind. Roll'er up and please put any potential flying objects down off picnic tables for other campers safety. A couple of pic's...sorry preMonty.
Thanks,
Chuck
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[melnjoy]

Steve, yea we use the larger grippers. I've heard the smaller ones work better, but since we had 8 of them we figured we would be fine. Hazmic is right about the grippers and other addional stuff on the awnings do stretch it out of shape. Mel is home now and has looked at the awning and says it is just the fabric that is in need of replacing, and of course that is because it is all stretched out of wack. Since we have decided to only use the awning when he is home, and there are two of us available to put it up or down, we will probably just replace the fabric and not buy an automatic one. BlueGill, where is over here?

Joy