First time out, epic FAIL, expensive too!

[Fire Instructor]

Like the others, I tilt and tie-down. We also roll it up if we are going to be out of camp for more than a few hours, or if we KNOW bad weather is coming.

After seeing someobe else have an incident like yours, I installed these: American Made - Awnbrella Awning Supports, set of 2 - Awning Accessories - Camping World. Not only do they help the rain run off better, they "raise the roof", and make the area under the awning feel that much roomier.

[flyrotor]

I made the mistake last week of leaving for a few hours during the day with the awning out, on the drive back to camp I mentioned to my wife that I hope the awning is ok as the wind had picked up enough to cause white caps on the lake.

When I pulled in the campground, our awning was rolled up, at first I thought "Oh No, it's been damaged and snapped and rolled up", that wasn't the case.

As I stood there inspecting it for damage, the neighbor, a guy from Canada, stuck his head out and told me the wind was really ripping at it and he had to roll it up before it was damaged. What a nice guy!

Needless to say, I now roll it up whenever I am not close enough to save it myself.

[Zhanna]

We've never actually opened our awning!

[Ovair]

On 3 different occasions over the years with 3 different campers, we suffered damage because we had left our camper with the awning out during the day (we'll be back in a couple hours). On each occasion, there was a blue sky and no forecast for bad weather. Now, I put the awning away ANYTIME I am not present and awake. Because of my current policy, I don't hang lights from the awning (too much hassle to remove in a hurry). A couple rope lights bound the perimeter of our seating area and provide just the right amount of light. The awning is just the awning and I can have it put away in mere seconds.

[Big bird]

That is one I have not done yet. I can give you a dozen other good things I have done.

[drvol]

This past May only 3 hours after complete set up a huge thunderstorm rolled in on us at a cg in NC. As the monsoon rain was pouring down, a camping buddy whose camper was next site over, sat with me under our awning and we were amazed at the water flowing under my carpet through the site...actually making the carpet float in places. Now, there was no wind as we were down in a valley and all we were experiencing was rain, thunder and a small crack of lightning in the distant. So I stood up by the door thinking to myself, "maybe I should tilt a corner of the awning", when suddenly a closer bolt of lightning cracked and my buddy said, "did you see that?" I said, "yes, that was pretty close." To which he replied, "way too close." What he actually saw was a streak of static electricity jump between the metal arms of the chair I had just got up from to see about tilting the awning. You see, we two dummies were sitting in metal chairs in flowing water as lightning approached. Now that was dumb...although we felt like the bulk of the storm was quite a ways off. THEN as we were suggesting to each other how stupid we were being, the corner I planned to tilt dumped on it's own sending what seemed like a tidal wave through the area we were standing. Thank goodness no damage...it dumped as it should have before weight got too much. All in all it was a huge learning experience....for your safety and the safety of your camper...storm approaching = close up shop. And over night you never know when something will roll in...play it safe.

[g0tr00t]

Our first time out with our new RV, years ago, I too had to run out and put down the awning during a BAD rain, lucky nothing was destroyed.....then....same thing, after a few hours BOOM!.

In the morning I went outside to see if there was any damage. Everything was fine until I grabbed the door handle to get back in...BBZZZZZZZZT! I was electrocuted. The lighting did something to where the RV was NOT grounded. Plug was fine, outlet was fine (tested it), something with the automatic transfer switch. I called the dealer and they told me to tie a wire to the bumper and stick it in the ground.

I told them. I'll be there in 30 minutes and they can fix it.

[caper]

Today we are having a steady rain. DW and I heard a loud boom looked out and the TT beside us had the awning folded in the middle. They had tied the awning down for high winds but did not tilt it for the rain.

[MrT]

As they say, been there, done that... twice. We now have an electric awning, and retract it whenever we leave camp, and at night.