Electric Awning stabilizing question

[Wishyouwerehere]

New ton electric awing's, the old manual type had the side arms that held it down real well, what to do tho for the not so stable elec awning? The smallest winds make it look like its about to fold back up, anyone dealt with this issue?TIF

[cboss]

This works good for us. Easy to use and install.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Wishyouwerehere]

Originally Posted by cboss

This works good for us. Easy to use and install.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Thanks, is yours a manual, or an electric automatic extend type? The Amazon pic looks to be manual style.

[llr]

That is for electric, there is a video you can watch.

I never saw this before but I may need to get them. I would switch out the spikes for long lags and put them in an out with my drill. It looks pretty good to me. I may also skip this and just bring the awning in as needed, not much work with pressing a button. Or course there are unexpected gusts sometimes

[CaptnJohn]

I use tie downs to twist in stakes. If not in sand I’ve never had them come loose. I don’t push it too far as if you decide too much it may be impossible to loosen and retract as they go back slow. The old manual awning had some benefit

[Bob2019]

For a very light breeze, the straps and anchors maybe OK, BUT if a storm comes up, don't depend on straps and anchors to protect your awning. (This was on my former TT) A quick rainstorm came up with some wind and one of the anchors pulled out of the ground. I was outside in the storm hanging on to the strap to keep control of the awning. Put the awning in if gone or in at night.

My first awning before straps ripped the arms right off my trailer and flipped the awning right over the roof twice. It was a bear to find parts to fix and while securing to the trailer when calm, the roller got away from me and put a hole through the door. Bad experience.

[lewisra]

I use “the claw” to hold my straps down. Design originally to hold airplanes down.

[tomkatb]

I wonder about tying them down.

Our first year of rv travel, I saw a twisted awning in the trash of every campground we were in.

We are just real careful! No ties.

[SailorSam20500]

A while back two forum members were making a system to take care of awnings in the wind. Oldcoot and Turbs. Neither is still producing. I've read posts from folks with the solution who had their awnings out in 40+mph winds with no damage. The nicest part of the solution, the poles were "self storing", they stayed attached and with the awning stowed, the poles were clipped into a lower bracket on the awning arm. You can open the awning without using the poles, or fairly quickly do a full deployment.

Somewhere in the threads related to the solution, Oldcoot published a spec for making the critical brackets needed. You might find it in this thread:
https://www.forestriverforums.com/fo...tml#post484803 otherwise do a search for other postings by Oldcoot.



As for poles, there are a lot of solutions, you could use nesting EMT conduit, legs from a destroyed "easy-up", or painters poles. The top of the line solution was from Turbs who offered stainless steel tubes in shiny, or black or white power coat. There are a lot of happy owners of these poles on the forum.
I've recently spotted a post where someone is selling brackets for a solution but they are not self storing.

[Bob2019]

Originally Posted by lewisra

I use “the claw” to hold my straps down. Design originally to hold airplanes down.

It won't matter what holds down your awning if it rips from the side of your RV. When I had the arms ripped off mine in the pictures above, the maintenance people said people will just throw them by the dumpster all season long. It is amazing how much of a sail wind puts on an awning. A storm can come up during the night in seconds and you won't have time to roll it up.

[D W]

Originally Posted by Bob2019

For a very light breeze, the straps and anchors maybe OK, BUT if a storm comes up, don't depend on straps and anchors to protect your awning. (This was on my former TT) A quick rainstorm came up with some wind and one of the anchors pulled out of the ground. I was outside in the storm hanging on to the strap to keep control of the awning. Put the awning in if gone or in at night.

My first awning before straps ripped the arms right off my trailer and flipped the awning right over the roof twice. It was a bear to find parts to fix and while securing to the trailer when calm, the roller got away from me and put a hole through the door. Bad experience.

X2! I have seen this more often than not. Tie downs, anchors and support brackets are a mere false sense of security. Before I'd want the aluminum channels ripped from the side of my rig, I'll just reel the awning in.

[NJKris]

I took the cheapo/zero extra effort approach: Going out somewhere, awning is retracted. Wind speeds forecast for 15 mph or above, awning goes in.


I was in camp when that sickening panic feeling sets in watching the awning roller rise up above roof line, trying to hold onto an arm while screaming for wife to 'bring it in!!! bring it in!!!'

[CaHans28]

Back in 2017 when I first purchased my 23B, I made my own legs out of PVC pipe. I purchased 2 different sizes that slid into each other, drilled holes every 1.5 inches for height adjustment and put an eye hook at the top to hook on the tie strap. I use screw-in ground stakes that are normally used for tying up dogs in a yard. We have been through some pretty bad storms and this setup has worked excellently.

[Bob2019]

Originally Posted by CaHans28

Back in 2017 when I first purchased my 23B, I made my own legs out of PVC pipe. I purchased 2 different sizes that slid into each other, drilled holes every 1.5 inches for height adjustment and put an eye hook at the top to hook on the tie strap. I use screw-in ground stakes that are normally used for tying up dogs in a yard. We have been through some pretty bad storms and this setup has worked excellently.

Until they don't and you get the right storm. I've been there and I learned the hard way to respect wind and storms.

[JMike.VA]

I use these also. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

They work very well.

But, when ever we leave, the awning comes down.
At night even with these I have gotten up in the middle of the night when it gets windy.
It takes just a few mins to put up and take down.
That time is well worth the possible lose of the awning and cost to replace.
We go by the rule of thumb, if you close the door and leave the patio for any amount it time, the awning is rolled in.

[Krusty]

Do a search for awning reinforcement. There are other options out there.

[aceinspp]

I bought the poles and brackets from Turbs and the nicest part of the solution, the poles are "self storing", they stayed attached and with the awning stowed, the poles were clipped into a lower bracket on the awning arm. You can open the awning without using the poles, or fairly quickly do a full deployment. The other item purchased was the claw which secured the the strap to the ground and you can use in any type of soil. Later RJD

[OpaFritz]

I made two awning support poles with tie downs similar to CaHans28.
I used them for seven nights straight without taking in my awning other than to remove pine needles that accumulated on top of the awning. My poles have feet that allow me to stake into the ground like the manual awnings do. I removed the bolt that attaches the awning to the arm and replaced it with a stainless steel eye hook. I then use carabiners to attach my safety orange straps to the eyelets, then to the tie out stakes. I made my holes on my poles about one inch apart and use “D” clips to insert in the hole once I get it to the height I want. These are the best pics I have of my camping trip last November (the one I described) where I used them last.

OpaFritz

[BrianSF-GA]

[lwbfl]

I'll add my opinion, which is based on bad experiences. If I'm at the campground I'll leave mine out. If I leave or if it's windy when I arrive I roll it up or never put it out to begin with. I concentrated in my early years on stabilizing the outer edge. All of that effort worked great on that end, but made it easier for the wind to rip the awning from the channel on the trailer. No more sail boat conversion for me!