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

[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??

[bsmeaton]

Ozz,

Can you just build a permanent steel awnig on that lot? or are they restricted?.

[Wifeofdano]

Wow Ozz! That ought to do it! We don't leave ours out if there are going to be thunderstorms.

On Edit : Dano wants to know if that flagpole is your lighthouse to find your way home after a few Coronas? hehehe

On Another Edit : Okay, I've have my glass of wine. Shouldn't your pole be lit from dusk til dawn? BTW, really like your new way of posting pictures for us!

[Mrs. CountryGuy]

Yea, takes Al a couple of hours to get ours all set up and tied down, we also use a Texas screen.

We don't have concrete we can use, so no chains. Lots of rachets and those huge curly tent stake thingys. Lots of bungie cords down to tent states on the Texas screen. We do use however a LOT more deflappers than you have. Al found some small ones at Don West in Donna and uses like 5 to 7 on each side of the awning.

We set it up once (talking in Texas for 3 month stay), and take it down once. If Mother Nature and her brats take it down we will just have to replace. So far in past 2 years in Mission we have been ok, think top winds were over 50 MPH a couple of times.

[H. John Kohl]

I use the dog tie posts and garage door spring or similar as my expansion joint. Nice job Oz.
Cheers,

[richfaa]

Humm..Will be interesting to see what happens when a really good gust gets up under that awning..Me thinks the awning will be firmly attached to all that stuff but ripped off the camper..The power of wind is awsome. Think we only had our awning down 2 or 3 times all last winter in Az.. We use nothing to secure the awning.Do not want anything to impede us in getting the awning rolled up. Hope that works as we have never seen anything that will save a awning in high winds.

[CountryGuy]

Carol here, editing my previous post, Al reminded me that I forgot to mention that we use some super duper SPRINGS in this configuration of hooks, stakes, straps, flappers etc. The springs allow all this to bounce when those strong winds catch underneath and try to lift ya like a sail!

[stiles watson]

Ozz,

For sure, you got it tied down. Rich makes a point about where the weak link is. Maybe need to put straps over the top of Monty so it won't flop.

[Okie Guy]

Watch out for the rain Ozz. As I found out it can be a $1000 adventure in less than 5 minutes.

[noneck]

Used to leave awning out till one day...camped along Lake Ontario when a storm blew in had my son on one end and myself on the other trying to hold the awning from flapping over the top. We succeeded and will never ever leave the awning down w/o good weather forecast.

[Ozz]

First, Brad, no permanent structures, outside the fence, wish I could. We have sailed..through a three day 40-45 MPH windstorm and made it OK. I was concerned about the top being the weak link, but it is triple stitched, if my eyes counted them correctly without my glasses, I think the awning makers have done a really good job on that part. When we lost our awning in New Mexico, the top part was strong. Carol has endured the same winds we do here on the island, they just blow over there where you are, don't they Carol? The de-flappers do a really good job, I will add some more giant ones.
Has anyone used the awning ribs? I will look into that deal. I'm like Carol, if it goes, I will replace it, and strengthen the new one better. (Obviously, if we get a warning of 60-70 MPH winds, plans will change.) Thanks Lisa, appreciate it, and yes I have a Dusk to Dawn timer on the flagpole lights. Everyone on our street tells us they love it, as that is the way they know where home street is.

[Charlie]

Jim-
You will have more wind on the island than Carol will have in Mission. I grew up in that part of Texas and can vouch for the winds near the water.

Chicago has the nickname of "The Windy City", but take my word, Chicago has nothing on Corpus Christi and points south from there.

[stiles watson]

Ozz, how did you fare tonight when that cold front came through?

[Glenn and Lorraine]

Put the awning down on Sept 30th and do not plan on putting it back up until May 1.
As long as they don't forecast anymore than 40 to 45 MPH gusts we will be fine. Rarely do we get anything over 40 MPH.
When it's daylight, and if the CRS don't kick in, I'll take pics of my set up.

[Ozz]

Winddddy, the awning is holding up well, but broke one big de-flapper, used wire ties to secure it.
I need more de-flappers. Just noisy.

[Mrs. CountryGuy]

Yes, Ozz, we get wind. But, it is true that the further in-land ya go, then the wind is not as "gusty" (err, as in strong and full of gusts).

The springs are a very important part of the mix. The racket type straps were purchased (I believe) at WalleyWorld. Springs between strap and huge screw tent stake thingy.

The bungy cords are checked about once a month, and after windy days. We usually have to replace some of them every year, they get stretched from the sun damage and the bouncing (wear em out, replace em).

The deflappers Al got at Don West also have bungie cords. This allows the awning fabric to give and float a bit.

Al also clips down that little flap on the front of the awning. He is sure that part will rip off if it is not helped along a bit, he uses a small clamp, which happens to be part of the deflappers he uses.

We run the straps from each corner of the awning, along the line that the Texas awning runs, we do not put the awning arms in any configurations, just run em out and adjust to the slope etc. There is a way to put the most forward arm down as if it were leg (does this make sense??) Well, we don't do that leg thing, although we have friends that did so and had no trouble. Anyway, ya have to duck coming round the awning arms, but none of the straps, etc. are stuck in the middle of the campsite, makes it rather neat.

Hey, I remembered a couple of photos online at this web site of mine:

http://www.geocities.com/genieyorks/gunlake.html

shows the awning set up at the lake, but NO closeups.

Tana is sitting out there cold and shivering, covered with a whisper of snow, quietly but anxiously awaiting PACKING and MOVE EM OUT days! If we were in Mission, I could take the closeups, but I think the photos on that web page will give you a bit of an idea how we do it.

Al says he does not care for those awning ribs because he feels they stretch the awning fabric. That is our opinion anyway.

Time to leave for the twins house, for our Turkey day.

Enjoy the beach, sand and wind. All have a soft spot in my heart, my grandmother lived many years out at Kitty Hawk and Nags Head, the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

God willing and the creek don't rise, we will be headed south mid December, as we can repack Tana, and get 3 clear travel days! Hope to see ya all in the Valley real soon!

[SlickWillie]

Glad we didn't have the awning out last night (haven't had it out since arriving here in September). Man, did that north wind howl when the front came through. I use a couple dog stakes and ratchet straps to tie it down when out. Don't think they would have held it last night. We were outside having a cold beverage when the front came through.

BTW, our little community has a really neat weather page; http://www.apweather.net/. Very impressive and informative.

I saw folks down at the county park on the Arroyo-Colorado River that had those screen rooms on their awnings. They looked permanent to us. I was curious how they managed to keep them intact through the thunder storms. Maybe they had them anchored like Ozz did. Don't think those tie downs will go anywhere.

[deadeye]

Ozz - It seems that you have gotten youself involved in to so much work and the is a chance that something could happen that would be devistating. Maybe you should get one of these and take the awning down every time a slight gail blows in. I like Brads rig with the automatic awning. Maybe you should consider that if the wind blows so hard, you could rig up something that happens automaticlly with a sensor switch. This weather station is the one I have on my house. It does not have to be hard wired. Works great...JB
http://www.time4weather.com/lacrtewsprwi.html







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Home > Professional Weather Stations > La Crosse Technology WS-2308AL Professional Wireless or Wired Weather Center







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Item # ws2308al
Price $279.00
Sale Price $99.95
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La Crosse Technology WS-2308AL Professional Wireless or Wired Weather Center
THIS IS AN OVERSIZE HEAVY ITEM, SEE SHIPPING INFORMATION BELOW



Features:

Records 175 Sets of
Weather Data History with
"Heavy Weather" PC Software
Upload Weather Data to your PC
with Easy COM Port Connection
Rainfall Data (inches or millimeters):
1 Hour, 24 Hour, and Total
Records MAX Rainfall
with Time and Date Stamp
Wind Chill (°F or °C)
Records MIN & MAX Wind Chill
with Time and Date Stamp
Wind Direction with LCD Compass
(numerical (e.g. 225°) or
abbreviated characters (e.g. SW))
Wind Speed
(mph, m/s, km/h, Knots, Beaufort)
Barometric Pressure Tendency Arrow
Weather Alarms for (20 Total):
Temperature
Humidity
Wind Chill
Dew Point
Rainfall
Wind Speed & Direction
Air Pressure
Storm Warning
Forecast Icon Based
on Changing Barometric Pressure
Barometric Pressure (inHg or hPa)
Records MIN & MAX Barometric Pressure with Time & Date Stamp
Dew Point (°F or °C)
Records MIN & MAX Dew Point
with Time and Date Stamp
Wireless Outdoor
and Indoor Humidity (%RH)
Records MIN & MAX Humidity
with Time and Date Stamp
Wireless Outdoor
and Indoor Temperature (°F or °C)
Records MIN & MAX Temperature
with Time and Date Stamp
Atomic Time and Date with Manual Setting
12 or 24 Hour Time Display
Perpetual Calendar
Time Zone Setting
Time Alarm
EL Backlight
Swiss Precision Sensor
Wall Hanging or Free Standing

For more information on this item, please visit www.heavyweather.info
Actual Size:

Receiver: 8.9" x 6" x 1.25"

[Ozz]

Good info Carol, I agree with Al on not wanting the the legs down, more support the way we have them.
My rope 'springs' a little, so it gives in the wind under load. It is interesting looking at it, if I had the additional 'De-Flappers' all would be well in the Ozzhold, the awning is really doing well. I guess I am a bit of a contrarian at times, sometimes that's good, sometimes not so good, but that is me.
I may retract it at some time in the future, as everything has it's breaking point, and I am no engineer.
Brad has a great system, I just can't afford to spend that kind of money with a new rig and new awning.
I just walked down the street, even with the 'cold front' is it really nice here. T-shirt weather still.
Ozz

[noneck]

Legs down is not good for long term setup as the side arms tend to loosen and retract allowing the awning to sag. I have done them in down position but more for high traffic no wind moments just too much work having to reset awning tension and side arm clamps.