Tying down electric awning

[Scotty]

This is the first Rv I've owned with an electric awning. I have seen several people using tie down straps on electric awnings, without poles installed between outer edge of awning and ground?????? Is this ok? I know OC and Turbs both are producing awning hole down poles, so I'm wondering if you actuallt need them or using them is just better?

[Toddupton]

OC do you want to chime in on this...I'll let the expert take it from here...

[bob caldwell]

Yes, you do need 'em....the straps by them self only control upward movement. AND THESE AWNING ARMS ARE WEAK.

[jtstromsburg]

Originally Posted by Scotty

This is the first Rv I've owned with an electric awning. I have seen several people using tie down straps on electric awnings, without poles installed between outer edge of awning and ground?????? Is this ok? I know OC and Turbs both are producing awning hole down poles, so I'm wondering if you actuallt need them or using them is just better?

Not OC, but I have his brackets and poles. When we first had our old travel trailer with electric awning, we had to put it in often, whether heavy rain or usually from wind. Yes we sloped it using the little knobs on the arms, but it bounced around too much for me. I bought the brackets and poles when OC was shipping then a couple years ago for that travel trailer and loved them. Left the awning out every trip after that! Sadly, I sold that camper and didn't think to remove them before showing it and the buyer insisted he wanted them. Bought a new complete set fire our new Sabre two years ago, and used them every trip again. Several times our chairs, shoes, and "stuff " stayed dry while others either got wet, or worse yet, ended with a broken awning (12 in one campground a year ago memorial weekend in southeast Nebraska)

I think they are worth the investment. OC's brackets are great and I'm sure turbs poles will be great as well.

[hillsdaletc]

The design of the awning arms on this style awning are for a purpose. They are specifically designed to collapse and release when the winds get to high for the awning in the extended position. There was a video by the mfr. of a motor home going down the road with the awning fully extended to show how it was designed to work. They are also designed to collapse under the weight of water accumulation on the canopy. If you tie down the awning what protection do you have if the awning fills with gallons of water and stretches the fabric. Or the fabric gets whipping in the wind and tears across the top at the stitching just like a zipper. I can tell you we see 200 or more awnings damaged each year because of tie downs and unattended awnings. Not a cheap repair even under insurance with deductibles and depreciation.

[Toddupton]

Originally Posted by hillsdaletc

The design of the awning arms on this style awning are for a purpose. They are specifically designed to collapse and release when the winds get to high for the awning in the extended position. There was a video by the mfr. of a motor home going down the road with the awning fully extended to show how it was designed to work. They are also designed to collapse under the weight of water accumulation on the canopy. If you tie down the awning what protection do you have if the awning fills with gallons of water and stretches the fabric. Or the fabric gets whipping in the wind and tears across the top at the stitching just like a zipper. I can tell you we see 200 or more awnings damaged each year because of tie downs and unattended awnings. Not a cheap repair even under insurance with deductibles and depreciation.

Make sure you tell this to people you see with an awning sitting folded up on their roof. When you use poles you tilt the awning when you tie it down so the rain will run off.

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by hillsdaletc

The design of the awning arms on this style awning are for a purpose. They are specifically designed to collapse and release when the winds get to high for the awning in the extended position. There was a video by the mfr. of a motor home going down the road with the awning fully extended to show how it was designed to work. They are also designed to collapse under the weight of water accumulation on the canopy. If you tie down the awning what protection do you have if the awning fills with gallons of water and stretches the fabric. Or the fabric gets whipping in the wind and tears across the top at the stitching just like a zipper. I can tell you we see 200 or more awnings damaged each year because of tie downs and unattended awnings. Not a cheap repair even under insurance with deductibles and depreciation.

They might have been tied down, but I assure you they did NOT have poles supporting them. I don't know the exact no. of how many I've sold, but it is well over 100 and no one has lost an awning yet. They do have to be tilted for rain run off of course, but if they are staked down with ratchet straps and dog screw anchors, they are good to go in at least 25mph wind.

[bob caldwell]

Originally Posted by hillsdaletc

The design of the awning arms on this style awning are for a purpose. They are specifically designed to collapse and release when the winds get to high for the awning in the extended position. There was a video by the mfr. of a motor home going down the road with the awning fully extended to show how it was designed to work. They are also designed to collapse under the weight of water accumulation on the canopy. If you tie down the awning what protection do you have if the awning fills with gallons of water and stretches the fabric. Or the fabric gets whipping in the wind and tears across the top at the stitching just like a zipper. I can tell you we see 200 or more awnings damaged each year because of tie downs and unattended awnings. Not a cheap repair even under insurance with deductibles and depreciation.

I use the tilt feature. and adjust poles for that. I have, only once, had the automatic dump work, and it does, but thought that it waited to long to dump....raised h..l when it did....

[cpaulsen]

I use my home-made awning poles and tilt one side of the awning and have never had a problem even in high winds.

[TURBS]

Imo the electric awning and it's current configuration is a design FLAW.
anything above 10 mph winds and it must be retracted.

TURBS
08 duramax tuned n modded
2011 32bhok Sabre
2015 camping "11 nights"

[youroo]

Originally Posted by hillsdaletc

The design of the awning arms on this style awning are for a purpose. They are specifically designed to collapse and release when the winds get to high for the awning in the extended position. There was a video by the mfr. of a motor home going down the road with the awning fully extended to show how it was designed to work. They are also designed to collapse under the weight of water accumulation on the canopy. If you tie down the awning what protection do you have if the awning fills with gallons of water and stretches the fabric. Or the fabric gets whipping in the wind and tears across the top at the stitching just like a zipper. I can tell you we see 200 or more awnings damaged each year because of tie downs and unattended awnings. Not a cheap repair even under insurance with deductibles and depreciation.

Tie downs have (NO) effect on the water DUMP function of our awning! Poles installed and (Improperly adjusted) can cause Issues! Same as (Improperly adjusted Poles/Arms on a Manual type! Are you a (Insurance Adjuster) because I have (NEVER) in all our years camping seen (200 Damaged Awning) let alone (200+ a YEAR)?? Most of us (POLE CATS) know how to (Properly Adjust and Use) our Poles! Youroo!!

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by youroo

I have NEVER in all our years camping seen 200 Damaged Awning let alone 200+ a YEAR?? Most of us POLE CATS know how to Properly Adjust and Use our Poles! Youroo!!

It's on the internet, so it must be true!

[bob caldwell]

Originally Posted by OldCoot

It's on the internet, so it must be true!

X2

[edt]

Soñé one PM me where to Get these ponles

[TURBS]

Originally Posted by edt

Soñé one PM me where to Get these ponles

Here's the brackets.
http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...kit-49765.html

Here's the poles.

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...les-85132.html

TURBS
08 duramax tuned n modded
2011 32bhok Sabre
2015 camping "11 nights"

[conceptumator]

hillsdaletc: Our good friend has the awning on his TT that's supposed to collapse to empty rainwater. At our church campout last year, he was awakened when it didn't collapse. Before it buckled, it tore a large piece of the side of the TT out with it. Trust but verify? I consider that verification - don't trust them!

[TURBS]

Those who criticize are miss informed and haven't been educated via a $1000.00 + awning repair bill "yet"

TURBS
08 duramax tuned n modded
2011 32bhok Sabre
2015 camping "11 nights"

[Avenger61]

Originally Posted by hillsdaletc

The design of the awning arms on this style awning are for a purpose. They are specifically designed to collapse and release when the winds get to high for the awning in the extended position. There was a video by the mfr. of a motor home going down the road with the awning fully extended to show how it was designed to work. They are also designed to collapse under the weight of water accumulation on the canopy. If you tie down the awning what protection do you have if the awning fills with gallons of water and stretches the fabric. Or the fabric gets whipping in the wind and tears across the top at the stitching just like a zipper. I can tell you we see 200 or more awnings damaged each year because of tie downs and unattended awnings. Not a cheap repair even under insurance with deductibles and depreciation.

I use OC brackets and Turbs poles and they work! I'm betting not one of those 200 people that had an awning damaged had these brackets and poles or their awnings were properly secured. I'd definitely like to see that video because, unless that motor home was crawling in zero wind conditions those awnings will fold up and become kites.

[B and B]

I have to agree on the auto dump feature not dumping. Both of awning are so small. One is 8 ft and the other 9 ft I have to look the one arm down for the dump to work. We retract awning when perilous winds hit and put back out when clear.

[aceinspp]

Even with the kits it is not a good idea to leave out in high winds. Play it double safe. I will finish installing my kit when I get the poles but still retract during storms. Later RJD