Power awning

[Halfpint123]

If You have a power awning can you still tie it down?

[hockeytownmom]

I'd like to know as well.

[flyrotor]

There shouldn't be any issue tying a secure line on it, unless you try to retract the awning before you remove the line.

[Big Dawg]

You can if it does not have the sensors on it. I made sure to ask the dealer when I did my walk through with them.

[Halfpint123]

I don't think it has sensors on it , nothing in the book mentions sensors.

[Goomph]

I tie mine down, BUT, I do not put ANY downward pressure on the awning at all .... it is there to keep it from flying away ....

When I tied down the manual awnin on the other trailer, I would make the tie down straps a tad tight, not much but it exerted some pressure to the awning.


The electric awning seems to be flimsier compared to the manual one.

[youroo]

Yes if you make adjustable support legs like you would have on the old type,in the carport position. Then you can apply down pressure on the ropes to the ground. Youroo!!

[AVid]

I tie mine down all the time. Like Goomph, hardly any pressure. Also use springs on the straps to absorb any shock.

[Goomph]

Yes to springs, though I have only one spring I need to get one more for sure !

Originally Posted by AVid

I tie mine down all the time. Like Goomph, hardly any pressure. Also use springs on the straps to absorb any shock.

[Herk7769]

Tied mine down for the first time while in Tampa.
We bought a sun shade that goes through the accessory slot.
The sun shade was held down with bungees to stakes in the ground.

A 15 MPH wind came up and the adjustable arms were banging and bending at the place where the spring piston is 90 degrees to the cross beam. Those cross beams were clearly bending and would have been ruined if I had not taken the sun shade down. When I closed the awning, the left arm would not lie flat against the camper. I believe the left end of the roller (non-motor end) had been pulled out of the bearing a little bit.

I will never tie it down with the shade again unless we were right there at all times. (like dining under the awning and needing the shade deployed)

We also do not have the wind sensors.

[crocus]

As far as I am concerned, these power awnings are garbage, and I wish I could have gotten a manual one on ours. But since we ordered the 'convenience ' package ( I think that is what it was called), we could not substitute the manual awning.
Sometimes new and fancy isn't always better.

[SaskCampers]

I was taught go away from the trailer close the awning, go to bed close the awning. So I find the power unit is nice for that same as when you are sitting outside enjoying a nice Prarie evening and see one of our wonderful storms come tearing acrosss the feilds, it is nice to run and push a button to get the awing in vs piddling around getting the rod to hold the awing and flip the latch etc. Sure only abt 5 min assuming you can find the little rod in a hurry but sometimes that 5min is the difference. BTW we bought the tie downs for our awning and have never taken them out of the bag they came in.
Not saying Crocus is not right about the old manual ones being built sturdier though as we had a manual one on our Edgewater.

[Herk7769]

When you set up with lights, and other accessories like a sun shade, it becomes a PITA when you are staying for several weeks and be forced to be "setting up".. "Taking down" ... Repeat until PO'ed every day.

[SaskCampers]

Originally Posted by herk7769

When you set up with lights, and other accessories like a sun shade, it becomes a PITA when you are staying for several weeks and be forced to be "setting up".. "Taking down" ... Repeat until PO'ed every day.

Yep, we have the patio lights that string on the awning and every night off they come and go back on the next time we use them. Although we do not use the awning that much truth be told as I am so anal about it and DW thinks I am a bit of a tool when it comes to it. But then again I make everyone fold up their chairs and store them under the trailer as well as secure stoves etc and put them under the trailer as well. I understand the sun shade as we looked at the Dometic add a room and I vetoed it just for the fact it could not be taken apart quickly. But as they say Different strokes for different folks..

[wayne anthony]

I never leave mine up when away from the trailer, and my wife makes me put it down when any little breeze comes up. On my first trailer (with manual awning), left it up one night and ended up taking it down at daybreak during a thunder storm. Bent one of the braces and started looking for part numbers to get a new one. Ended up putting a towel on the hood of the truck and straightening it out that way. Was o. k. for the next nine years. Wayne

[08flagvlite]

We love ours. We tie it down but it still is allowed to dump/drain when it puddles; it just makes slack temporarily while draining. If it looks like a storm is coming with winds and stuff, we just roll it in; it IS a POWER awning- not too much trouble to do that. We have the lights for across the front, but have only used them once or twice, due to the possibility of a storm; (and also lazy.) Randy

[mstell2]

I use two dog anchors with ratchet straps. I put a very small amour off tension on it and it works fine. You have to weld the anchors closed or the wind can bend them open.

[Rugged Brown]

[QUOTE=TheSasks;99267]I was taught go away from the trailer close the awning, go to bed close the awning.


DITTO

[Big Dawg]

Our first trip out in our previous hybrid, we got the awning setup, and I went back to light the hot water tank and I hear a loud noise and look up and my awning is on top of the camper, broke both arms. Lucky there was a place down the road that had two used arms. I bought a tie down that day, and use it anytime I put up the awning.

[crocus]

"I hear a loud noise and look up and my awning is on top of the camper, broke both arms."
===============================================
That would never have happened with a manual awning.
Power awnings; handy, but junk.