Community Forums

Nevermind Me · 01-10-2019, 07:27 AM

Hello all! My MA doesn't have a slide awning on the passanger side due to the patio awning taking up that space. I am curious if folks put our their patio awning part way to cover the slide each time they park. I have not done so yet as I am concerned about the stability of the Girard awning in the wind . It does have the wind sensor but that doesn't help much for a sudden gust of wind. Please tell me what you do.

I hope your day is an awesome one!

twojayhawks · 01-10-2019, 07:43 AM

Only thing I use the patio awning for is for sun shade. Even that is very limited due to high wind seemingly everywhere we go. A slide awning will shed twigs, acorns, etc. if they have fallen while you camp when the slide comes in. The patio awning can too but it might not.

darbyjudy · 01-10-2019, 08:02 AM

I would like to but I have a 2017 Holiday Rambler Vacationer 35K ant it has a Carefree Mirage awning on it. The awning is so fragil that I am scared to put it out unless I am right there watching it. It has already been replace once and since it is now out of warrenty I am afraid that it will get torn up again. Its not what I like to do but that is the way it is.

Stuart W · 01-10-2019, 08:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by twojayhawks

Only thing I use the patio awning for is for sun shade. Even that is very limited due to high wind seemingly everywhere we camp

This is so true! My same experience

oregonhiker · 01-10-2019, 08:30 AM

Our 2011 Ventana was the same where there was no slide out cover on the passenger side kitchen slide out. If it looked like rain or Autumn with leaves coming down I would extend the awning out just enough to cover and protect the top of the slide out. We never encountered a serious issue doing this and it was certainly more stable in winds deployed only a couple of feet versus being fully deployed.

Dutch Star Don · 01-10-2019, 08:46 AM

Newmar didn't put slide toppers on the kitchen slide until recently. I guess they figured that everyone camped with their patio awning always deployed. This is just another case of a designer who had never camped a day in their life.

I think "oregonhiker" has the right idea. Extend the patio awning just enough to keep debris off the kitchen slide. I don't think you always need to do that, but it would probably help when you're parked under a tree that is dropping debris.

HavingABlast · 01-10-2019, 09:19 AM

It would be a real eye opener if Newmar insisted that their design, purchasing, and production staff spend a week on the road with a coach (preferably with an owner) so they could see and experience just how we use our coaches in real time. We might then have a whole new level of coach coming off of the line. I have no real big complaints myself. Just had a few “what were they thinking” moments.

GaryKD · 01-10-2019, 09:42 AM

Hi leesimonson,
I extend the main awning enough to cover the PS slide every time. When needed I extend it all the way out. When leaving the site, remember to retract the slide first. Then retract the awning. Any debris the awning has caught will fall to the ground.

TJ · 01-10-2019, 10:15 AM

Interesting that your 2018 MADP doesn't have slide toppers on all slides; ours does. And, we have window awnings too. Now, we do have the 40' model (4047), so I wonder if that's the difference.

Edit: Oops! Misread the date of your coach as 2018 when it is a 2008. What a difference a digit makes. Sorry.

We did have the issue you describe with our 2014 Ventana LE and did put out the main awning just enough to cover the slide whenever possible.

TJ

mfredm · 01-10-2019, 10:24 AM

walmart sells these steel corkscrew in dog leash holders. i screw them in and use ratchet straps to anchor the awning. it works in even real high winds.

Mr_D · 01-10-2019, 10:25 AM

Our '02 DSDP didn't have a cover on the pass side so I put the manual awning part way out. Never a problem doing that.

bruceisla · 01-10-2019, 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mfredm

walmart sells these steel corkscrew in dog leash holders. i screw them in and use ratchet straps to anchor the awning. it works in even real high winds.

We'll assume you do not have a horizontal arm awning ...

brucemcdou · 01-10-2019, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GaryKD

Hi leesimonson,
I extend the main awning enough to cover the PS slide every time. When needed I extend it all the way out. When leaving the site, remember to retract the slide first. Then retract the awning. Any debris the awning has caught will fall to the ground.

This - we always extend enough to cover the slideout. We only have the awning out all the way if we're at the coach, and only during the daytime. We bring it back in to just cover the slide if we're away and also at nighttime.

Our awning has a wind sensor, but I don't recall seeing it trigger when it's only out over the slideout - it doesn't bounce that much even in pretty stiff winds. I admit that I have brought it all the way in if there's winds and we're leaving for the day or if we're inside.

pilotspike · 01-10-2019, 03:14 PM

I do this all of the time without issue. And generally I have found, as others have said, that awning when only put out a foot or two is much more robust when it comes to wind, etc. This is because there is a very small amount of sail created versus when its fully extended. Especially since the first 6" of extension is actually the awning cover.

J