Automatic Awning Question

[monte1214]

- Just got back from 5 days at NASCAR (Yeah #88!!) with my 2012 291RLS and her maiden voyage.

- Everything went fine, but my awning is making me think a bit.

- I was parked on top of a rise and there was a good "breeze" most of the time.
- I noticed the arms on my awning were "flexing" with the wind.

- Is this normal on the automatic awnings?
-I've been in the same sight for the last 10 years and my other awning obviously didn't flex like this.

- Thought I'd ask on here before calling the dealership.

- Thanks to all for the help in advance.

-

[Festus2]

Personally, I don't think the newer, automatic awnings are quite as "solid" as the older, manual types and would tend to be more prone to moving about or flexing in lighter winds. We don't have the automatic ones and have no first-hand experience with them but they just look more "flimsy". I think I'd rather have the heavier, older, manual ones as they seem to be more easily secured by tie-downs.
I am wondering if your dealer has had any real life experience with the new awnings or would he just be giving you his opinion about the new ones?

[monte1214]

- Yeah, the old ones are definitely more solid, but I'm "hoping" the Engineer's tested this new design thoroughly before lending it to new RV's.

- I'll hold tight on here for a couple of days before I bother my dealer.

- Thanks festus!

[CampDestinations.com]

Had the same issue this past weekend. We were camped at the top of a hill at Jellystone in Luray, VA and had some gusts come by. The awning arms bent up the way you describe and I got a bit nervous. I tried "reefing" them in like you would a sailboat mainsail but it still shook the camper enough to make me just put the away. Fortunately by the afternoon the sun was on the opposite site of the camper so it made for some shade by itself. But I'd be interested to know what the limits are. I certainly could find a way to tie these down, but I don't want the other part ripped out of the camper wall.

[cathcartww]

Our new trailer has a Dometic electric awning, and compared to the manual awning on our last trailer, the electric one moves around a lot. The owner's manual says "Exclusive Knee Action Design™ flexes in the wind and reduces stress on the mounting hardware." The design includes some shock absorbing struts that are supposed to let it move a bit. I agree that it is a little un-nerving to see it move around. I picked up some screw anchors and ratchet straps at Lowes that I plan on using to tie down the corners .....

[Jay D]

the motors don't last very long in them as well :(

[BigCajun]

Screw anchors and ratchet straps are a must! You can also tighten down the black knobs for a stiffer existence but I've always left them loose.

[hankaye]

Howdy All;

Gotta say one of the sites that gives me a good
case of sore ribs (from chucklin), is a well anchored
awning frame with the awning waving to the neighbors
on the driver's side of the trailer... :rolleyes:

I put mine up when the winds come up.

hankaye

[Festus2]

Now, now Hank. Surely you wouldn't be chucklin' over the the misfortune :eek: (or stupidity) of others would you? :rofl:

[hankaye]

Festus2, Howdy;

NAWWWWWWW, wouldn't think of it...:rolleyes:

Just appericiate the neighborliness on one camper attempting to cool off their neighbor, that's all .....;)

hankaye

[X-Treme]

Howdy All;

Gotta say one of the sites that gives me a good
case of sore ribs (from chucklin), is a well anchored
awning frame with the awning waving to the neighbors
on the driver's side of the trailer... :rolleyes:

I put mine up when the winds come up.

hankaye

I'm curious about this statement. Are you saying that one should NOT anchor a power awning? Just curious, as I was just on the camping world website yesterday looking at awning anchor systems.

[hankaye]

X-Treme, Howdy;

CW is in the business of "SELLING" things like anchores, tie-downs, and strangely, ...
I think I've seen where they also sell Awnings as well ???
Color me jaded... maybe just cautious ..... but I prefer to spend my $'s on things
I'd like to, ... not for replacements...

hankaye

[richf28]

I have the electric model on our Hornet. This past winter while staying in Florida I left the the park for the day and didn't wind up the awning. The day was beautiful. I had ratchet straps on it. I got a call a couple hours later from the park saying there was a gust of wind and my awning was damaged. Got back and found the one arm bent. With help of others I removed the arm and straightened the best we could. Found out from dealer you need to buy entire arm assembly at a cost of around $300.00. Figured I'd wait till spring. A month later it again was damaged by a gust of wind while I was sitting nearby. The gust came totally unexpected and this time ripped the motor out of the arm. Others in the park also had damage. The gusts were not hurricane winds, just the awnings are not very durable. I now roll up if I even walk away for any length of time. The arm is now replaced and motor rewired from the wires being pulled out.

[BigCajun]

Howdy All;

Gotta say one of the sites that gives me a good
case of sore ribs (from chucklin), is a well anchored
awning frame with the awning waving to the neighbors
on the driver's side of the trailer... :rolleyes:

I put mine up when the winds come up.

hankaye

I was one of those peeps with my old FW on a trip to Gulf Shores. It was a beautiful day and we left to go eat lunch. My friend, and insurance agent, who was camping with us, called to tell me that my awning was blown over the roof of the camper. When I arrived, he had pulled it back over but I still had an awning arm sticking through the roof of the rv. I did not have anchors or straps and it was an old style manual awning. $8K new roof and awning! Good thing my agent witnessed it! "bouncey: Anyway, I am very cautious even with the anchors and tie downs now. If there is a squall building up, I take it all down.:cool:

[CincyGus]

I was one of those peeps with my old FW on a trip to Gulf Shores. It was a beautiful day and we left to go eat lunch. My friend, and insurance agent, who was camping with us, called to tell me that my awning was blown over the roof of the camper. When I arrived, he had pulled it back over but I still had an awning arm sticking through the roof of the rv. I did not have anchors or straps and it was an old style manual awning. $8K new roof and awning! Good thing my agent witnessed it! "bouncey: Anyway, I am very cautious even with the anchors and tie downs now. If there is a squall building up, I take it all down.:cool:

I have a manual awning. Mine gets put up unless I'm there. If my camper awning comes lose and slaps a hole in my roof or flys off and the arms damage the side of the camper, I'm going to feel like an idiot for being too lazy to take the 5 minutes to put it away before I left. Maybe overkill but I feel pretty sure I won't ever damage my camper or awning due to wind.

[rnkburg]

So with the electric awning we anchor, or don't anchor. A gust came today and mine was folding up. I just grabbed it and held on for a moment till the gust calmed then put it up.

NO one really gave me an answer at the dealer about tightening the black knobs or not, or anchor or not. Our other 5'er is the old style awning and we anchor it. No issues there.

What to do, what to do..........

[Jim & Kay]

We all know that the manual type awnings are more durable and heavier. That being said, if I'm not mistaken, the new Keystone RVs comes standard with a power awning. I was not asked, when we placed our order for our HC 5er, whether we wanted the manual or the power awning. There are some good features with the power awning arms & struts, during a heavy rain the awning will tilt automatically to prevent water from ponding in the awning fabric, but only if the knobs are left loose. I have seen the power awnings tied down and have withstood some pretty good wind gusts, myself, I choose to roll mine in, when the winds get gusty or when I leave the campsite. It only takes 10 to 15 seconds to roll it in and you know the old saying an ounce of prevention...............

[azlee56]

I'll have to look and see if we have knobs on our auto awning. I didn't know they would do anything more then press a button to get them up or down.

[snow]

X-Treme. I don't know about the awning but that is one bad a-- truck you got I'm so jealous nice set up ⛄⛄⛄⛄⛄⛄

[Outbackmel]

When in doubt, roll er up....just ride around any medium to large rv park and look at the torn or damaged awnings....they are everywhere....

The BENEFIT of electric is a very quick roll in. I NEVER leave our RV and wander with the awning out...those $1000 deductibles could become a mood changer.

[lspajm]

Our 3220 BH also has the power domestic awnings -- 2 of them actually - and I leave them out when we are outside...but if we go away and overnight -- i just put them in -- it only takes 1 min to loosen the black knobs and put them in...vs a storm coming up overnight and having to deal with a nightmare repair job if they get damaged or rip the mounts out of the side of the TT.
Andy

[byrdr1]

I'll have to look and see if we have knobs on our auto awning. I didn't know they would do anything more then press a button to get them up or down.

check out this photo to see the awning pulled down and locked down with the knobs. You can see the angle this sets it at.
http://thumb9.webshots.net/t/76/176/3/93/91/2328393910036532289TpGvxa_th.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2328393910036532289TpGvxa)
You have to undo the knobs to roll it up or gets in bind and could break something..

[Halibutman214]

Just came back from a week at the lake and had an interesting chat with the camp host who see's a lot of RV's and awnings. I had a wood bundle tied to both corners of my awning as when the wind came up I was getting a lot of the flexing you refer to. The camp host said I was not the first to do this but beware as he had seen wood bundles launched completely to the other side of the RV with a couple through the roof. I'm keeping mine in when not around.