HELP ! Dumb Newbie !

[Bill R]

I have taken my Cali to a site for a couple of nights to try everything out for the first time . Having wound out the awning canopy it’s too windy so I’m trying to put it back but I may have overextended arms because when winding it back although the canapopy cloth tries to wind in the arms aren’t budging and I don’t want to force anything . Does anyone have a solution please as I’m stuck here like an idiot !

 

[Ocean Spirit]

Crikey Bill,
Take this novice opinion for what its worth but I'll offer food for thought without any actual experience.
As the arms hinge inwards towards each other at the mid point it sounds like you or an accomplice should give the hinges a helping hand to get things moving. I appreciate if you are turning the handle you cant do both things at once but I'm reasonably confident you need to get a slight angle inwards on each side then everything should follow.

 

[WelshGas]

Let us know how you get on.

 

[Bill R]

Thanks guys . A friend is joining me tomorrow so I’m gonna leave it out which will be fine without the awning slides on and will give a better shelter from the expected rain . Using your method we should be able to manage it between the two of us tomorrow . Thanks again

 

[VWDrooper]

Are you sure your winding it the right way

 

[Hotel California]

You do have it at least pegged out and even better strapped if you leave it open overnight.
You might end up with it all folded on top of your Cali if the wind comes up...

 

[flying banana]

this happened to me, what you need to do is undo the bolts that fasten the arms to the awning canister at the van end so they are loose and can slide back and forth,.they might have moved along the channel which makes the arms lock as they try to fold back in. then wind it in to 'set' the position of the brackets,then wind it out a bit and retighten those bolts. also recommend a couple of guy lines and pegs from somewhere to fasten it down if you're leaving it out. also set one leg lower than the other to aid rain run off.

 

[Bill R]

Are you sure your winding it the right way

Yes !

You do have it at least pegged out and even better strapped if you leave it open overnight.
You might end up with it all folded on top of your Cali if the wind comes up...

Thank you - yes pegged down for the night

this happened to me, what you need to do is undo the bolts that fasten the arms to the awning canister at the van end so they are loose and can slide back and forth,.they might have moved along the channel which makes the arms lock as they try to fold back in. then wind it in to 'set' the position of the brackets,then wind it out a bit and retighten those bolts. also recommend a couple of guy lines and pegs from somewhere to fasten it down if you're leaving it out. also set one leg lower than the other to aid rain run off.

Great Info , definitely look at that in the morning

 

[ArunAlec]

Mine has a bit of initial resistance when winding back in, which when I first used the awning worried me but now I'm used to it, it's no problem. In fact the resistance allows the "canvas" to be tensioned by winding back a bit.

 

[westfalia]

Where are you camping ?

 

[2into1]

And Bill, when all this is sorted, take your post code out of your location (showing on the forum).

 

[Bill R]

And Bill, when all this is sorted, take your post code out of your location (showing on the forum).

Ahhh good shout I’ll sort that

 

[Bill R]

Where are you camping ?

I’m at Kingsbury Water Park a C & CC site

 

[ArunAlec]

Sorted yet?

 

[Bill R]

Thanks everyone, it just needed what I didn’t have - 3 pairs of hands !
As suggested by a few on here just needed both hinges given a helping hand to get started.
I don’t feel such a numpty however because I’m convinced I didn’t wind it out any further than normal so that’s something to watch in the future
But thanks for sharing my dilemma