Lesson learned with awning and storms!

[Roberte52]

Our awning comes in at night and when we leave the RV, no exceptions. Watch Weather Bug radar app for approaching storms.

[Villagerjjm]

I learned my lesson back in 1998 when camped on the shores of Lake Ontario. Luckily, nothing got broken to the point it had to be replaced, but the lesson was learned. I do not leave my awning out unless I am sitting outside under it.

[amblt]

My joking aside, I will never leave the awning out unless I am right there to haul it in. I've never had wind damage (pure luck there) but one day I'd left my awning out while I was off site. A chap in a motor home had difficulty getting into the spot behind mine from the camp road so he decided to go through the vacant site next to mine and approach his from the rear. Well, he misjudged things. The damage made the awning unusable, but repairable. The best part was the claim was in $CDN, (repairs done when I got home) but the incident and insurance company were in the USA, so the cheque was in $US. The exchange rate at that time was around 23%, so I came out ok.



Cheers

[Reverse_snowbird]

Originally Posted by bclinton

Well.....I disconnected the power and it seems to work with 12 volt. My only guess is that my wife was pushing the wrong button as I was trying to hold down the awning or the pressure from the wind and straps was too much for the motor of the awning to turn. I wasn't going to release the straps until I saw the awning going in. I'm guessing the motor was not strong enough. Bottom line it seems to work fine with 12 volt now so that's good. I appreciate all of the comments and suggestions!

Glad you figured out how it works.
I tend to flip the awning light switch and do a 'duh' when I figure out why the awning isn't retracting. Under pressure a lot of things go wrong.

[kenpowell1609]

Just a little off topic. I plan to use a screen room attached to the canopy, it is staked down and I plan to attach tie downs to the canopy extensions. Do you bring these in during a storm????

[bclinton]

Originally Posted by kenpowell1609

Just a little off topic. I plan to use a screen room attached to the canopy, it is staked down and I plan to attach tie downs to the canopy extensions. Do you bring these in during a storm????

I would not hesitate bringing both in. The storm I was in would have ripped my anchored awning off if I was not there to hold the anchor straps down. Of course you may or may not see storms and they may not be as bad or they may be worse

[Villagerjjm]

Originally Posted by kenpowell1609

Just a little off topic. I plan to use a screen room attached to the canopy, it is staked down and I plan to attach tie downs to the canopy extensions. Do you bring these in during a storm????

In my previous post I did not mention that my awning did have a screen room attached and the awning was staked down. The wind pulled the stakes out of the ground and picked everything up. I decided then and there that the screen enclosure was not worth the time and bother of set up and take down.

[emm-dee]

When EZ Ups get destroyed in wind storms most of the damage is to the fabric and top framework. The four corner posts rarely get damage and they make for great adjustable awning poles.

[m38mpp]

I was in Myrtle Beach on year and had a new Hurricane 34' at the time I was sitting in the RV and heard the wind pick up by time I got outside to real in the awning a gust of wind took it over the top and ripped it off completely thank God no got hit with it. I have since had other Class A with auto wind sensors etc but don't trust them I now never leave it out when we leave the campground or at night and more vigilant of the weather. The guy parked next to me was seasonal and had a full screen room with every gadget you could imagine .He was out that day when he came back he=is screened room was 300 ft away with his stuff scatted all over Debris field.

[PokinFun]

Originally Posted by 5picker

Here... I Googled it for you...
Carefree Mirage Awnings

Mirage - Carefree of Colorado

So, unless I’m mistaken (and I may well be), 120v would plug into a 120v outlet and thus run off of the electric system (generator, shore power or inverter) and 12v would run off the batteries.

[5picker]

Originally Posted by PokinFun

So, unless I’m mistaken (and I may well be), 120v would plug into a 120v outlet and thus run off of the electric system (generator, shore power or inverter) and 12v would run off the batteries.

Correct.

[The Lieutenant]

Originally Posted by RVnut

People should never leave with their awning out if they leave.. Never ever and we also dont leave it out at night.. It sucks trying to save it in the middle of the night in your underwear..Dont ask how we know!! LOL... And yes our awning goes in and out on power or just battery

We use to leave our awning out in our Class C over night but it was much smaller than our 5ver awning. The first night out with the new rig we left the awning out like usual. I woke up early wondering why the old lady was working in the bathroom so early in the morning and also why she was thinking around so much on the floor while the dogs and I were sleeping still. Then I realized she was still sleeping too! Here it was a decent wind working on the awning and shaking the crap out of the the whole camper. No damage done but dont leave it out at night any more.

[TheWolfPaq82]

While out the other week for 11 days, 3 storms, I counted 6 destroyed awnings, 4 destroyed canopy's and one destroyed screen house. IMO....don't ever trust your awning to any storm, no matter how many stakes or straps you have on it.
One of the destroyed awnings had two "Ratchet Straps" on each side with screw in anchors. It's your choice...and your money...but I'll never leave mine out if any storm is coming.

[TheWolfPaq82]

Originally Posted by kenpowell1609

Just a little off topic. I plan to use a screen room attached to the canopy, it is staked down and I plan to attach tie downs to the canopy extensions. Do you bring these in during a storm????

YES ! don't take the chance. I've seen too many CG dumpsters filled with Canopy's and Awning parts after storms in CG's

[Schreytg]

Easy. Check the breaker box fuse panel. If it’s a breaker it’s 120V. If it’s a fuse it’s 12 V.

[Cypressloser]

For those with 120 Volt awnings, try to operate them with the inverter to make sure they work. Carriage put 120 Volt awnings with wind sensors on our 2008 Royals International, they were not wired to the inverter. I almost couldn't get the generator started in time to pull them in when a storm approached out of nowhere and knocked the power out.

[gdcoyle]

Hello

I have a new 38 ft rv. Use to have 36 ft rv. Old was 2004 class A with the older flip the lever, hook the loop and pull out. Adjust the bars, add some tie down straps with springs(camping world, design for this application)

I use to be able to leave awning out at night, some short trips away, would sit outside in pouring rain and wind with my favorite beverage.

New rv electric, longer by a couple feet (36' old rv vs 38' new)

I hate the new one! Is there a way to adjust the tension ? I try to sit outside watching fancy outside TV or seek some shade and a slight breeze causes havock. I get storms and high wind but what I'm talking about is a mold breeze

I tried using straps but it flops around way too easy....just useless. Thinking about going old school but slide out may be in the way.

Bought a separate screen room I will just put up next to my $150k rv

Any suggestions on tension appreciated.

[Nurek]

OMG!!! Lightening!!!

[panamabear]

As to screen rooms, i have had one 3 different RVs over the last 15 years with screen rooms here in Florida and have never taken down the screen room or taken in the awning in a storm unless it was bad enough to leave.
In all that time there was only one instant where there was a problem and that was a micro down burst that bent the main tube in the middle and took the awning and screen room to the ground and that was covered by insurance.

[nutbustd]

Just another story about the weather. 2 years ago we decided to not use our Bounder to camp in at Lake Almanor in N. Calif. We had too many people so a house was in order. House was right on the lake and all 3 boats had a dock right below us. Then this little black cloud was in the eastern sky. I didn't pay any attention. That was a HUGE mistake. That little black cloud was a large very intense summer storm. Within just minutes, the winds were 50+mph!!. Very calm lake turned into a hurricane and swells were 5 to 6ft high. Then the rain. Boats started to fill with water fast!! Docks were slamming into each other and then flash flood down the street. BBQ's were pushed over. Hard to believe from that little black cloud. We normally never had this intensity of summer storms here but, I completely sympathize with all of you. Now I get it.