Awning Tie Down Strap Is Pointless

[soulstyledevon]

So I’ve come to the conclusion the awning tie down kit is pointless...???

Yes it holds the legs down firmly in the wind, but the canvas still flaps about which makes lots of noise.
So much so, I’ve woken twice this week to wind the bloody thing in to get some sleep...

I usually just peg the feet of the awning with a tent peg in each foot. Easy and quick to remove. PITA having to dissemble the tie down kit and awning in the dark at silly O clock.

So really what’s the point...?
Might be something that’s removed from the van and sold once I’m back home.

 

[Hotel California]

My roof canvas also makes a lot of noise in heavy winds , does this mean my roof is pointless ?
The noise can not be reduced with a tie down kit or anything else for that matter.

Edit : as said below , we also rarely use the wind out awning

 

[Meoncoast]

May sell if someone had not read your review. I agree with your review. 90% we do not use the awning.

 

[Jabberwocky]

I think the tie down kit is not to stop the fabric making a noise. It is to stop the awning flying away and damaging the holding brackets. Not pointless in my eyes.

 

[soulstyledevon]

We do use the awning Meoncoast.
Last week, I decided to buy the tie down kit. However as HC says. It’s not ideal to use in windy conditions.
Had a couple of nights recently where we went to bed and the wind picked up through the night. So much so, I got up and wound it in.

The tie downs are a hindrance and something I don’t really need to carry.
Space is precious in a California.
If it doesn’t serve a purpose, it doesn’t come with us.

 

[Hotel California]

Personal i don't like to keep the awning winded out overnight , as you say if the weather turns bad i rather stay in....

 

[Meoncoast]

I watched someone put the awning out this week wet all evening put down it the morning and left. I thought that seemed a bit pointless as the rain was coming sideways so why risk putting in up in such stormy weather. I am a fair weather awning user and think of it as a sunshade rather than wet weather protection.

 

[Verity]

Personal i don't like to keep the awning winded out overnight , as you say if the weather turns bad i rather stay in....

Yup, we usually wind ours in overnight, after having the experience of it flapping when the wind got up. It only takes a moment and stops us drinking too much as you don't want to do it after a skinful!

 

[soulstyledevon]

I think the tie down kit is not to stop the fabric making a noise. It is to stop the awning flying away and damaging the holding brackets. Not pointless in my eyes.

I see your point.
I was hoping with the straps attached, i could wind the awning in slightly and create enough gap between the canvas and arms to stop them hitting each other.
My plan failed...

Personally, I think the awning is something I will wind in before bedtime and thus can’t see any further use for the straps.

 

[soulstyledevon]

I watched someone put the awning out this week wet all evening put down it the morning and left. I thought that seemed a bit pointless as the rain was coming sideways so why risk putting in up in such stormy weather. I am a fair weather awning user and think of it as a sunshade rather than wet weather protection.

I dunno.
We have used ours on the Beach to cook under in the rain.
It’s ok providing one leg is higher than the other.

Does look a bit odd, but works

 

[Jabberwocky]

I see your point.
I was hoping with the straps attached, i could wind the awning in slightly and create enough gap between the canvas and arms to stop them hitting each other.
My plan failed...

Personally, I think the awning is something I will wind in before bedtime and thus can’t see any further use for the straps.

Definitely wind in before bedtime. During the day? Tie down or wind in if you will be away from van a long time. Weather conditions can change as you know.......

 

[Sandyvan]

Its a sunshade, but have cooked under while it rained then always wind in before bed.

 

[Annik]

Many of us have awning side panels attached to our awnings so you need the tie down kit when using these.

Best accessory IMHO

 

[T6 CFO]

It’s a sunshade for us and I can see that wound out a couple of feet useful as a porch. Therefore not had much use for the tie down straps. For us worth carrying though as we have the space.


Mike

 

[Trebor]

View attachment 37927

So I’ve come to the conclusion the awning tie down kit is pointless...???

Yes it holds the legs down firmly in the wind, but the canvas still flaps about which makes lots of noise.
So much so, I’ve woken twice this week to wind the bloody thing in to get some sleep...

I usually just peg the feet of the awning with a tent peg in each foot. Easy and quick to remove. PITA having to dissemble the tie down kit and awning in the dark at silly O clock.

So really what’s the point...?
Might be something that’s removed from the van and sold once I’m back home.

Hi soulstyledevon I find the tie down straps essential . I use Branderup now .Rarely put the whole awning out and certainly wouldn’t leave it fully out unattended or overnight but often put about 18 in out with as big an angle as possible right to left to encourage rain to run off and use tie downs . Then back tension the awninig on the winder . Reefing the awning this way it keeps rain off you when entering/ leaving side door and rain shouldn’t pool . Did this all last weekend in Denmark in 30 knot wind and torrential rain . Worked fine . But I did keep an eye on it and it was about 12 in . Picture in Norway now .

 

[hirsty]

I’ve posted several times about my Fiamma awning flipping up & smashing into the side of my previous T5 conversion in a sudden gust of wind ‘out of nowhere’ on an otherwise dead calm day in Fort William - sheared one bracket completely & bent the other one beyond repair. Awning cassette needed fully disassembling & back panel needed a lot of bashing out to straighten.

First job at site is to peg out the awning & get the groundsheet and table / chairs set up - it’s not camping otherwise, Shirley?

Tie-down kit is essential IMO in all but the stillest weather. If the canvas is flapping enough to keep you awake inside the van then it’s too windy to have the awning out at all.

 

[Amarillo]

We have always used spare tent guys to anchor the awning down. However I have finally ordered the Thule tie down kit. Personally, I think such a kit is overkill, but I'd hate to be proved wrong.

 

[SimonB]

We use ours like a porch. Wind it out a couple of feet, drop it down towards the back and secure it with the tie down kit. Keeps the sun off or the rain. Some of the noise can come from the webbing straps as they vibrate in the wind. If you put a couple of corkscrew like twists in the strap, that noise straps.
When you have to take it down fast if the wind gets up, pull on the webbing strap fixed to the spring, this will give you enough slack to quickly unhook it and then wind in the awning.

 

[Speleo62]

We use the awning but have the Thule central rafter which tensions the awning and reduces the flapping. Always make sure that you have wound it out and then back a bit. Tie downs are to stop it from lifting. £25 tie downs versus £500+ new awning and roof damage, no brainier.

 

[GillianC]

Don’t ysually bother with the awning as find it a real pain to put out and back on my own.
My Timberland van conversion used to have an electric awning and that was SO much easier to put out and away. It seemed much more stable too.

 

[Max-Felix]

Wooah - all this awning hate and under use! For us it's the No.1 must have on a Cali - literally the first thing we do on reaching the destination is jump out and wind it out - soon as it's done it feels like home and we're anchored to the land!

Use it all day and evening - for shade, rain protection, cooking under - hanging stuff - towels, lights - whatever, we'd feel bereft without it.

Even in really bad weather we leave it out - firmly pegged down with decent pegs, a very significant fall both from one end to the other and down away from the van if rain is expected.

Never had a Cali yet with the 'official' tie down kit (is it that big webbing affair?) and we just use two more decent pegs and a Paracord line looped through each upper hinge/bracket (there is a hole there). Packs down tiny.

 

[Amarillo]

Wooah - all this awning hate and under use! For us it's the No.1 must have on a Cali - literally the first thing we do on reaching the destination is jump out and wind it out

Hate it when I do that... It makes fitting the roof topper soooo difficult.

 

[GrannyJen]

400 nights away and I have yet to even use the awning

 

[Max-Felix]

400 nights away and I have yet to even use the awning

Seriously Jen?? Gobsmacked! The Cali is: Awning out! Table out, chairs out, beers out = relaxation and bliss.

 

[Loz]

We use a rafter and also use a Thule sun blocker as this provides an additional 4 tie downs.
We always use a peggy-peg leg base for the awning legs, these are the first thing I attach as soon as the awning is wound out.
For the windiest days we use the tie-down that I have modified to remove the spring and use a heavy duty bungie and super large screw in peggy-peg I found that there was not enough give in the spring and you need something that will stretch a bit and not just pull your pegs out
.