awning tie down?

[BarbaraG]

A couple of weeks ago I put up one of those awning rooms made by Carefree. The next day, the wind picked up to the point where it was making the awning kind of bounce up and down and the sides of the room to really flap around. It got so bad I had to go out in the wind storm and take the dang thing down (goes down much more quickly than goes up) so I could retract the awning.

All that is a lead-in to my question: is it recommended to tie down electric awning? I would like to be able to leave it out in a bit of wind. I see others who stake down their awnings, but they all seem to be manual retracting awnings. I've pretty much given up on the awning room, but would like to leave the awning out more than I'm able to now.

Barbara
2014 FR3 30Ds

[youroo]

You will have to do a MOD to your (Carefree) like we did to our Dometic awning. Pole supports under the Roller Tube at each end! Youroo!!

[OldCoot]

If you want self storing poles, I can fix you up with the pole attaching kit, but you will have to get the poles from Lowes or Home Depot.
Shop Blue Hawk 6-ft - 12-ft Adjustable Metal Pole at Lowes.com

[grotto69]

We just saw a pretty nice solution.

2 very bright orange or yellow ratchet straps (bright so you don't run into them at night). Need to figure out your length, these are going to be long, like 25 ft. Figure that out first with a piece of string.

These then can be be placed, one on each end of your awning and tied to a an anchor of your choosing in the ground. I have seen it done with stakes or with a dog leash holder that screws into the ground. I can see where the poles are still required for an awning though, to stop it from going down (overall to stop it from going UP and DOWN)...

Otherwise it is true you could leave your RV for the day and come back to a very nasty storm that's reaking havoc on your awning. That's why everyone you see at the parks have tied it down. You could remember to bring it in each time you leave or go to bed, but how likely is that? Also if you setup lights and things, it gets to be a hassle.

Just a thought.

Grotto

[OldCoot]

grotto69 the self storing poles utilize the ratchet straps also.

What did you see that is different from these pictures?

[Weezer]

Originally Posted by OldCoot

If you want self storing poles, I can fix you up with the pole attaching kit, but you will have to get the poles from Lowes or Home Depot.
Shop Blue Hawk 6-ft - 12-ft Adjustable Metal Pole at Lowes.com

We were blessed to get two of OC's *last* complete sets of awning poles and brackets. We LOVE them!

[Weezer]

Originally Posted by OldCoot

grotto69 the self storing poles utilize the ratchet straps also.

What did you see that is different from these pictures?

LOL, didn't see this post before I posted mine. We're almost twinkies! (two awnings on ours, and I only see one on yours?)

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by Weezer

LOL, didn't see this post before I posted mine. We're almost twinkies! (two awnings on ours, and I only see one on yours?)

Us po folks can only afford one awning.

[grotto69]

Originally Posted by OldCoot

grotto69 the self storing poles utilize the ratchet straps also.

What did you see that is different from these pictures?

I have never seen this picture before, my friend... It's a big help. Thanks.

Where you camping next?

Grotto

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by grotto69

I have never seen this picture before, my friend... It's a big help. Thanks.

Where you camping next?

Grotto

Probably Davenport, Florida the last of Nov until mid Mar.

[ependydad]

Originally Posted by grotto69

I can see where the poles are still required for an awning though, to stop it from going down (overall to stop it from going UP and DOWN)...

Otherwise it is true you could leave your RV for the day and come back to a very nasty storm that's reaking havoc on your awning. That's why everyone you see at the parks have tied it down. You could remember to bring it in each time you leave or go to bed, but how likely is that? Also if you setup lights and things, it gets to be a hassle.

Grotto is right- we have a power awning that we couldn't fully utilize because we had to run it in every night and any time we were leaving the camper. Now I'm my wife's hero because I have awning poles (from OldCoot) because I can leave the awning out which means I can hang her Mickey Mouse lights!

It has taken one huge stress out of camping and really changed how we were able to enjoy our outside space. We LOVE our awning poles!

[BarbaraG]

Thanks OC and others for your suggestions. For now, I'm not putting up an awning room. Too much fluffing and flapping in the wind, too much hassle putting up and taking down. I bought a Coleman screen tent instead, which took me a minute to put up by myself.

However, I might want to look into the poles so I could put the awning out in the wind. As it is, I almost never have it out as it gets windy every afternoon where I am.

Barbara
2014 FR3 30DS

[BarbaraG]

By the way, OC, where are you parked? Looks like a nice spot.

B