Awning in or Out?

[SDK Illinois]

As a "lost awning to wind camper" if you are going to be at your site leave it out (no brainer right?) We went for a walk around the campground, about 3/4 mile oval. High wind kicked up out of nowhere, we were only 50 yards away and watched our awning get ripped off the roller and landed on top of the camper. Took 3 months to get into a shop, as we were traveling and $700.00 later we have a new awning. Just be careful and error on the side of bad things happen to cautious people at any given moment. Thank you Murphy laws.

[LittleBill]

Thunderstorm blew in this afternoon. Somebody is probably not too happy. Didn't see anybody till about 6-ish to get it rolled up and secured. Once they finished they left and haven't seen anybody back. A number of awnings were out. Camper to left of one with the damaged awning has yellow tie down on the far end.

Glad I put mine up before leaving for awhile. This thread has gotten me to be more diligent about putting the awning in before leaving.

[Jakie-Boy]

The current generation of awning products for RV's are far superior to the older style of mechanical, manual roll-out awnings that required 10 - 15 minutes to properly deploy or retract. They are well-designed and sturdy, but most important, they can be retracted partially in the event of increasing winds in order to reduce flapping, or retracted fully in severe conditions in a matter of seconds, not minutes.

[JohnD10]

Originally Posted by Jakie-Boy

The current generation of awning products for RV's are far superior to the older style of mechanical, manual roll-out awnings that required 10 - 15 minutes to properly deploy or retract. They are well-designed and sturdy, but most important, they can be retracted partially in the event of increasing winds in order to reduce flapping, or retracted fully in severe conditions in a matter of seconds, not minutes.

I don't put my awning trust in that statement...

I'll keep mine rolled up when not in use!

[Surveyor Mike]

Originally Posted by Jakie-Boy

The current generation of awning products for RV's are far superior to the older style of mechanical, manual roll-out awnings that required 10 - 15 minutes to properly deploy or retract. They are well-designed and sturdy, but most important, they can be retracted partially in the event of increasing winds in order to reduce flapping, or retracted fully in severe conditions in a matter of seconds, not minutes.

I totally disagree, I know many people that have had multiple issues with the New style awnings and most are not wind related. I asked a traveling RV repairman about awnings and he said you're better off fixing your old one ( needed a new fabric) than buying a new system because of the cheap construction of the scissor arms and electric motor failures. To be fair the mounting areas on the new ones needed, and electric supply needed, really increase the cost of adding a new style awning. I've got three hundred bucks in a new fabric installed. Awning is now 14 years old with a new fabric, operating flawlessly . As far as ten to fifteen minutes to deploy,, wow.

[tankman45]

As we are in Oklahoma, we hardly ever use the awning as the winds are pretty rough! We actually pull it out to inspect and clean then roll it back up. When my wife finally retires (47 years Army GS) then we will probably use it more. Just don't trust the OK winds!

[Nemisportsman]

Just ordered Carefree BT-12 Wireless Awning Control System with Auto Retraction (901601).
looks like straightforward installation.....I figure I have wasted more money on far more frivolous things.

features:


Bluetooth connectivity for easy consistent wireless control. Adjust the brightness of your LED's or toggle them on/off. BT Motion Sensor provides auto-retraction from sustained motion due to inclement weather. Extend or retract you awning with just the push of a button. No more and getting up and going inside your RV to adjust your awning. Adjust the BT Motion sensitivity from the app to optimize motion detection. Get an instant notification via the mobile app if auto-retraction occurs.
Awning can be controlled via Carefree's Bluetooth app.
The control module (located behind the switch inside the RV) is the key to operation.
Works with all Carefree 12-volt awnings.


I will post a review once I get installed and tested in case anyone is interested.