Awning collects water via condensation when rolled up.

[Cracker]

I've had this problem with every RV I've ever owned since moving North in '97. I never took the time to try and figure out where the water was coming from until now. When I rolled it out the other morning (---first time since the snow left) it was once again soaking wet. It was though it had been in a rain - except that it was wet on both sides. This happens in the middle of the summer as well - whether or not it has rained in a week or two. So, I came to the conclusion that it was from condensation occurring on the bottom side of that 4 or 5 inch wide section of awning between the attachment railing and the point where it contacts the roll of the stored section. I never roll the awning up wet - unless I roll it out again to dry at the end of a trip. If I'm wrong, I would welcome any other answers - but what I would really like to know is how to stop it? For the record, this even occurred on my 30' Airstream, with the aluminum shield that encases the rolled up awning in the stored position.

[JRTJH]

I haven't looked at the attaching parts on a Solara awning, but all the Dometic and Carefree awnings I've seen (haven't seen a 2021 awning yet) have a cloth border with the gimp in it. That cloth border, at least on my previous awnings, was not waterproof. When rain or melting snow overflows the trailer drip rail, it saturates that cloth and water "wicks" through the cloth much like it would if there was a wash cloth or towel laying over the edge of a bowl. Once that cloth gets wet, so does everything in the "rolled up awning"...

Years ago, on our Holiday Rambler, I tried to waterproof the attaching "gimp" band. I tried "tent waterproofing", candle wax, silicone sprays and anything else sold in most sporting goods "tent sections" and I never was able to resolve the "wet acrylic awning fabric".... Since then, I've just come to accept the fact that the awning is going to get wet when it rains, doesn't matter if it's rolled up or extended.

[Cracker]

Originally Posted by JRTJH

I haven't looked at the attaching parts on a Solara awning, but all the Dometic and Carefree awnings I've seen (haven't seen a 2021 awning yet) have a cloth border with the gimp in it. That cloth border, at least on my previous awnings, was not waterproof. When rain or melting snow overflows the trailer drip rail, it saturates that cloth and water "wicks" through the cloth much like it would if there was a wash cloth or towel laying over the edge of a bowl. Once that cloth gets wet, so does everything in the "rolled up awning"...

Years ago, on our Holiday Rambler, I tried to waterproof the attaching "gimp" band. I tried "tent waterproofing", candle wax, silicone sprays and anything else sold in most sporting goods "tent sections" and I never was able to resolve the "wet acrylic awning fabric".... Since then, I've just come to accept the fact that the awning is going to get wet when it rains, doesn't matter if it's rolled up or extended.

I believe the "gimp" you referred to is the same vinyl fabric as the rest of the awning on mine. Also, as I mentioned, Airstream actually threads a section of aluminum onto the awning track that is hinged to roll up with the last 6 or 8" of the awning - and the condensation problem is the same.

[flybouy]

Put a vinyl tarp over anything in a humid atmosphere and you will get condensation. I have no empirical evendince but from my experience I conclude that it's the temp variance of the components. A warm humid air on the surface and colder air on the other side of the surface. You have a roll of viynl wrapped around an aluminum tube. Sun heats up the viynl and thye humid air condensates out.

[dutchmensport]

Every camper I've ever owned that had an awning did this too. The only exception was our Starcraft Venture pop-up camper that had the awning covered in a bag that zipped up. It stayed dry. Everything after that always got wet. Never figured it out, just lived with it.

[Cracker]

Originally Posted by flybouy

Put a vinyl tarp over anything in a humid atmosphere and you will get condensation. I have no empirical evendince but from my experience I conclude that it's the temp variance of the components. A warm humid air on the surface and colder air on the other side of the surface. You have a roll of viynl wrapped around an aluminum tube. Sun heats up the viynl and thye humid air condensates out.

That's my theory - so how can we prevent it? - or is it worthwhile trying???

[flybouy]

Originally Posted by Cracker

That's my theory - so how can we prevent it? - or is it worthwhile trying???

If I find a way to prevent it I'll make a lot of money. II open the awning every time I visit the camper. I'm fortunate that I have the space to do that where it's stored. If it's not frozen, raining or overly windy I'll open the awning no matter the reason for the visit. Usually I'll have enough time for it to "air dry" at least somewhat while I'm puttering about checking on things.

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by Cracker

I believe the "gimp" you referred to is the same vinyl fabric as the rest of the awning on mine. Also, as I mentioned, Airstream actually threads a section of aluminum onto the awning track that is hinged to roll up with the last 6 or 8" of the awning - and the condensation problem is the same.

Yes, the "gimp" is the piece of rope that's sewn into that canvas strip at the end of the awning. Our Holiday Rambler, like our Airstream and yours, had the metal "weather protector" that was actually the 12-18 inches of awning (closest to the trailer wall) that wrapped around the awning when stored, and served as a "weather/sun shield".

Many of the "upgrade awnings" these days have a "heavy duty vinyl weather protector" that's just a "double thickness vinyl wrap" that replaced the metal shield. Although Dometic still offers an optional metal shield on their "high grade awnings"....

A few people around here use the PVC awning cover (similar to a 4" PVC pipe with a slit in it from end to end) to slide over their awning. When the cover is removed and the awning unrolled, theirs drips water just like mine and yours.... I don't know of any way to prevent the awning from holding water other than to store the trailer indoors, out of the rain.

[bobbecky]

The flow of water into the layers of an awning, and through the exposed ends of the awning is actually capillary flow, and unless you can protect the ends of the awning, water will get in all by itself.

[NH_Bulldog]

In the winter my trailer is stored inside an unheated steel storage building. It is clean and dry, yet when I motored the awning out a couple of weeks ago to inspect it after some idiot backed into it, the awning was soaking wet.