Awning - word of warning!

[surfer-rich]

I don't use my wind out awning much but decided to at the weekend (in fairly strong winds). After winding out, and before I could peg down the feet, a gust of wind lifted it up vertically ripping it off the brackets and blew the whole thing across the van to the other side. Amazingly, it didn't even touch the roof as it blew over so no van damage although I did have to bend the brackets back to open the roof. The awning didn't fare quite as well although probably salvageable with a few spare parts.

 

[Hotel California]

Not clever winding it out on strong winds .....
There where two members recent also having the awning blowed-over and bended the brackets .
Seems we need stronger brackets

 

[California Dreamin]

...not sure about stronger brackets - i would prefer they took the strain rather than the rails into which they fit.

 

[surfer-rich]

Not clever winding it out on strong winds .....
There where two members recent also having the awning blowed-over and bended the brackets .
Seems we need stronger brackets

Yep, was bad idea & misjudged wind direction, did intend to secure it down but it went before i got chance. I don't think the brackets could be much stronger, took lot of effort bending them back.

 

[Hotel California]

Reading for the thirth time in a short periode awnings getting lifted by wind makes me even more wonder if i should let it on .
We do not use it much , even most times just a 30cm wind out to keep rain out of the sliding door.
If you "travel daily" on do lots of "freecamp" like we do a lot , you don't get much chances to wind it fully out and do the securing job....

 

[soulstyledevon]

I use my a lot and wouldn't be without it. However, I do take into consideration the strength of the wind and use according. Never felt the need to peg it out either.

 

[IanE]

Ssd - not even tent pegs through the holes in the bottom of the legs of the awning? We've discovered this year that we don't really need to use the tie down straps (if it's that windy we would just wind it in), but I'd feel a bit uncomfortable without securing the legs at all. We're happy leaving it out in light wind, but I guess that's a bit subjective and wind strength may of course change when you're away from the van, snoozing or otherwise distracted. Just curious.

Cheers

Ian

 

[kave]

Sorry, but the first post made be laugh a bit and I read it to the missus.
In Sweden we say "learn money" to this kind of experience.

 

[Kmann]

Good luck you did not damage the car!

If we stay longer, its mandatory to secure. Suddenly we forget about it, sitting elsewhere and the weather front is rolling in … weather can change rapidly – especially in the outer season. That said, we would not go without awning. Its handy for so many purposes, but off cause we only use it when weather conditions allows it.

When in the La Maddalena Island this summer, we even were worried about the roof, it was very windy, with gusts hitting 42 kts. ;-)

 

[Stuart]

Same here in Scotland a few weeks ago ... http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-37002528

Our roof stayed down!

 

[soulstyledevon]

Ssd - not even tent pegs through the holes in the bottom of the legs of the awning? We've discovered this year that we don't really need to use the tie down straps (if it's that windy we would just wind it in), but I'd feel a bit uncomfortable without securing the legs at all. We're happy leaving it out in light wind, but I guess that's a bit subjective and wind strength may of course change when you're away from the van, snoozing or otherwise distracted. Just curious.

Cheers

Ian

Not even tent pegs.
I've only used tent pegs on a couple of occasions, if we are camping with friends and there's a chance one of the kids might bump into the legs.

Its been out in light winds, but anything stronger and in it comes. Never leave it wound out, if we are not at the van. As others have said weather conditions can change rapidly. It only takes 10 seconds to wind in or out.

 

[DM]

not even tent pegs through the holes in the bottom of the legs of the awning?

My experience is that tent pegs in the legs are pretty much useless. I had mine pegged out with two pegs (opposite 45 degree angles) in each leg and found that it still lifted in relatively modest winds in Scotland. I do have an awning tie down kit but I've only ever used it once. It's easier to wind the awning back in rather than tie it down effectively. I guess if I was setting up walls I might take a different view.

 

[soulstyledevon]

My experience is that tent pegs in the legs are pretty much useless. I had mine pegged out with two pegs (opposite 45 degree angles) in each leg and found that it still lifted in relatively modest winds in Scotland. I do have an awning tie down kit but I've only ever used it once. It's easier to wind the awning back in rather than tie it down effectively. I guess if I was setting up walls I might take a different view.

DM, that makes sense to me. I'm guessing it needs the extra tie down kit to pull the awning tight to the ground.
How does the tie down kit attach to the awning?

 

[SimonB]

DM, that makes sense to me. I'm guessing it needs the extra tie down kit to pull the awning tight to the ground.
How does the tie down kit attach to the awning?

Fiamma sell two types, as far as I can see. One fits in the Kador strip along the outer edge of the rail and is a 1" wide webbing strap that you peg into the ground with large steel pegs, over a foot long, that have springs to allow a bit of movement.
The other is the same webbing strap, but much longer and it goes over the two bars that hold the awning to the van. Same long pegs and spring to allow a bit of movement. (see below.)

Here is a link to their site http://www.fiamma.com/EN/products/fiammastore/accessories/tie_down/ this one is for the really big awnings, but similar principle for our size, just smaller scale. Takes about 5 mins to put on.

 

[soulstyledevon]

Cheers Simon.
Never looked into this before, but I can see how it would be useful.

I was in Italy last year at the lakes for a few nights. I remember one evening, calm & sunny and all of a sudden strong winds started blowing. Lasted for about 25minutes, but surprising how quick it started and the strength.
Luckily we were sitting outside under the awning and quickly wound it in and took cover. But our neighbors had gone for dinner and their caravan awning did suffer a little damage. He had it pegged out, I think some of the material broke free from the awning rail.
At least with the tie down kit, there wasn't any damage to his trailer.

 

[SimonB]

The longer tie down kit that I have, as in the photo, holds the awning pretty well. Costs £15-20 and fits in a very small box 3"x3" x 15".
Next time I use it I will follow the advice from another member on here and splay the ends back away from the Cali so it is being held down and the webbing won't creep up the bars at all towards the Cali and put strain on them.
I roll the awning in if the wind gets up, but can be awkward if you are storing stuff in there to make space in the Cali.

 

[Rich20]

I always use rock pegs to secure the legs down rather than tent pegs as they gave much more grip even on grass. They have a sort of screw thread which stops them being pulled out easily. Also got the Brandrup tie down kit if the wind gets a bit stronger.

 

[BlueBottle]

We use our awning all the time and we use rachet straps pulled straight down and secured by the feet with a couple of screw in dog restraints, as they don't pull out of the ground. Works very well for us!

 

[Bigted]

I always use the tie down straps whenever I get the awning out - it only take one freak gust to upset you day!

 

[BoomTriker]

We use our awning all the time and we use rachet straps pulled straight down and secured by the feet with a couple of screw in dog restraints, as they don't pull out if the ground. Works very well for us!

As my wife here has said, the dog lead restraints make ideal ground anchors, and can be left in place if you need to drive away to return later.

 

[Velma's Dad]

Since the cautionary tales on the forum, I've started using the basic double-ended, one piece strap that comes with the Club starter kit, pretty much every time and I find it really quick and easy to fit. Especially after one of you good forumistas enlightened me how it goes over the awning arms, not along the cassette unit.

@BlueBottle and @BoomTriker, I assume you mean the corkscrew-type dog tether anchors? That's a nifty idea, although in our case pooch has to get staked out several metres away from the van, or else she gets herself ensnared in the awning legs, chairs etc etc. But I can feel some further innovation in my water.

 

[CannellWalker]

We use the Thule tie down kit and it is good. We got caught with the other awning 'problem'. Water collecting on it and turning it into a mobile pool. It must have had a good 15ltrs on it but the legs did not collapse and the tie down kit held it up. Our awning material has now stretched a bit.

 

[BoomTriker]

Since the cautionary tales on the forum, I've started using the basic double-ended, one piece strap that comes with the Club starter kit, pretty much every time and I find it really quick and easy to fit. Especially after one of you good forumistas enlightened me how it goes over the awning arms, not along the cassette unit.

@BlueBottle and @BoomTriker, I assume you mean the corkscrew-type dog tether anchors? That's a nifty idea, although in our case pooch has to get staked out several metres away from the van, or else she gets herself ensnared in the awning legs, chairs etc etc. But I can feel some further innovation in my water.

We don't actually have a dog ...just have the screw dog restraints on our van for the sole purpose of holding down the awning! We gave seen tent pegs lifted out as the wind got up!

 

[Velma's Dad]

We don't actually have a dog ...just have the screw dog restraints on our van for the sole purpose of holding down the awning!

Bloody typical. All The Gear and No Idea. Bet you've got a bike rack too, and no bike.

 

[Padders13]

As no one has mentioned them we highly recommend the webbing gussets which slide into the kador slot; got ours from Lilypad Leisure. We use them with strong webbing straps and big stakes (grass) or hardcore peggy pegs on more demanding applications. Also a peggy peg footplate and more of their super pegs. Been great so far, and we camp 90% in Scotland. We wouldn't be without the awning and would never use it unpegged; just takes me 2 or 3 minutes so why take the risk?