Awning blew up and is damaged

[Mike Jenkins]

The Thule tie-down strap has a shaped piece of metal at the top end that slots into the top of the awning leg (where there is a pivot joint for altering leg angle etc). It forms a very secure attachment that is easy to ‘undo’ quickly.
I have no experience of Brandrup ties. Great piece of kit

 

[MeltedGoldfish]

I believe the Brandrup ones slot into the kador
strip C-channel (which I guess means you can’t use the channel for anything else at the same time), and seem to be relatively thin guy-rope style tie downs. We’ve recently got the Thule Storm kit, which is like a thick ratchet strap with huge ground spikes and feels like it would be enough to strap down a tank. As others have said though, ironically I would never have the awning out in a storm…gentle breezes only!


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[Explorer]

i am looking at the thule tie down - but my awnig legs dont have the flap for the hooks to sit in....do these come as part of the tie down kit?

 

[kurienp]

A funny thing about the tie down straps such as Thule. At a campground I have witnessed a husband asking his wife to hold the strap to the ground ... while he stepped back and verified that it was at a 45 degree angle to the ground and then going in and pegging it in. It gives me the giggles every time I remember that scene (and he did that possibly because the manual that came with the tie down strap says so) - the drawbacks of RTFM.

Peg it closer to the leg and lesser the chance of it getting in your way around the van

 

[SusiBus]

I dont get this whole obsession of always having to have an awning out. To my mind, it's a sun shade. If it's not sunny, it then makes the van darker inside, then there's guy ropes to walk around, or trip over. I go on holiday to sit out in the sun, if it's raining, sit in the van, and if it's windy, put the awning in it box.

 

[MeltedGoldfish]

i am looking at the thule tie down - but my awnig legs dont have the flap for the hooks to sit in....do these come as part of the tie down kit?

There is no “flap” - there is a long thing angled plate at the end of the strap and this fits into a slot at the top of the leg as described by Mike above. It looks like a hook but it’s all one piece. Held in place by a geometric lock once the straps are tensioned.


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[MeltedGoldfish]

I dont get this whole obsession of always having to have an awning out. To my mind, it's a sun shade. If it's not sunny, it then makes the van darker inside, then there's guy ropes to walk around, or trip over. I go on holiday to sit out in the sun, if it's raining, sit in the van, and if it's windy, put the awning in it box.

I know what you mean…I’d had similar thoughts but now trying to make better use of it, since it’s there and I’m carrying it around (yes, I know I could remove it). It does help make it “feel” like the space immediately outside the van is a little more private (even though it isn’t!), and useful in wet weather for being able to strip off boots and coats etc before clambering into the van. Will see how we get on….I might yet change my mind!


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[ArunAlec]

This is the same for Awnings. Roof lowering. Closing of glass tops. Opening and closing of sliding cupboard doors. Turning of front seats. All should be done methodically and Slowly. Because you can guarantee if you don’t something is going to fail. The biggest problem is complacency and oh that’s never going to happen to me..
Believe me if you do everything at warp speed it will happen to you.

Spot on!
Cali’s are not for the heavy handed.

 

[Elly Swanson]

I used my awning with the comfortz room a couple of weekends ago. It was a pretty gusty pitch but suffered no mishaps with it pegged all around.
I was surprised how much water collected on top of the awning though!

To the OP glad there wasn't toomuch damage to your Cali.

If you want to stop rain pooling set one leg shorter than the other so the water runs off. If you use an awning room it would be a bit lopsided though.

 

[Elly Swanson]

And don't drop the leg at the door end like I did last night. The ground is now a boggy mess just where you need to walk.

Better that than an awning that splits with the weight of a load of water!