Wind Damage

[Pull Toy]

While camping in Massachusetts this past week, I tilted the front end of the easy out awning to run off the unbelievable amount of R-A-I-N we had! This worked fine. Even though this awning arrangement is supposed to dump rain water automatically, I never fully trust it. Call me Old School!

Unfortunately, after the rain ended, the wind quickly gusted and picked up. Before I could stow the awning the first gust pulled about 18" of the leading (forward) edge of the awning bead out of the channel. I managed to close up shop before any more damage happened.

When I got home I opened the awning about a foot to inspect for damage. Lucky for me there was none, so I took a brass drift punch and drove the awning bead strip back into the "C" channel. Everything seems back to normal, and the channel is not deformed. It seems tight enough to hold.

Now for my question... I need your collective opinions on drilling a small pilot hole thru the leading edge of the bead into the channel space and screwing a Pan Head self tapping stainless steel screw thru the Bead into the camper to reinforce the leading edge.

I await your help, and thanks in advance.

[chuckster57]

Its normal for a screw to be inserted through the track and bead at one end or the other to "set" the awning in position. Adding another one at the front isn't going to hurt anything. I wouldn't run the screw into the RV, just through the channel and the bead.