awning hold down "big screw"

[ANiforos]

Has anyone ever used a pair of those huge screws that you use to secure the ends of your awning while it is out? These are also used to tether a dog out in a yard. I was wondering if the large corkscrew type work well in sand, such as at the beach. Just thought I would see if anyone has experience using them in sand before I go and buy some.

[Ray,IN]

The corkscrew type do not hold in sand. I bought two auger-type, which have a 3" auger near the bottom. They screw in about 12" deep and have held so far. Place a spring between the auger and the strap to the awning to allow for movement. In windy areas most use a long strap(near center) across the awning-lengthwise to keep it from billowing and tearing loose.
I saw one guy that used suspended 5 gallon pails instead of anchors in the ground. He said they worked well in wind. He filled them with water or sand as location dictated.

[Good man]

ANiforos,
Couple of suggestions for ya:

Go to a Gander Mountain or Bass Pro Shop and ask for a beach fishing rod holder. They are made to hold in the sand... not sure how well they will do for this application, but worth looking at.

Along the same lines as the weighted buckets of which Ray, IN spoke... You can obain 4" diameter PVC pipe and cap one end. The other end is fitted with a screw-in plug which you remove and fill with water or sand as available. The weight is quite substantial for a 4' length of that pipe filled with water/sand, suspended on an eye-hook fitted through the screw plug.
Best of luck,
Jim

[Wizard]

Been using the "screws" for years and if sand is compacted, seems to work fine. I also use a large spring between the screw and lanyard to allow it to have a little give. Even with the best levelers, there will be a small amount of movement from walking around inside and wind blowing.

[ANiforos]

Great ideas guys. I really love this place, everyone is so helpful. I like the pvc idea, sounds easy to configure and very lightweight for traveling.

[Lorna]

We have used the screw-type dog tie-outs for years with free standing canopies, tents and awnings. We buy our tie-outs from DollarTree for $1 each. They do not hold very well in loose or soft soils. But they are wonderful when trying to get into the ground with rocks or tree roots. We use bungee cords as "shock lines" coupled with racheting cargo straps. We also use those tarp clips ($5 for 4 at Walmart or less at Harbor Freight) like pictured below. I tie them to the side rails of the awning with Ball Bungees. I leave our awning rolled out all the time here in NM (my springs broke and we haven't got around to fixing it so it takes two of us to roll it up by hand). It's a bit windy but the give & take allowed by the bungees keep the awning material tight all the time and it doesn't beat itself to pieces. The ball bungees only last about a year.



I have seen several of the "weighted" buckets/pipes (filled with concrete apparently) and the damage they caused when they failed to hold in a strong wind. I saw several trailers (all grouped together with similar "weighted hold downs) in a state park in GA right after a storm blew thru. All the folks were gone during the storm. I have wondered which upset them more when they got back... the trashed awnings or the big holes in the sides of the RVs from the "flying projectiles" they had attached.

[StStg1]

Don't know if this will work for you. It doesn't completely keep the awning material tight but helps. What I did was purchase an additional awaning strap, and two springs from CW. I attach the springs with S hooks to the bottom of the awing legs. I take the strap and loop it around the awning cylinder in the direction to put tension on the fabric, then hook the strap to the spring and extend the arm to get tension on the spring. The awning will still flex in wind, but there is less chance of it blowing off or ripping. RV stores sell this system for tie downs but is more $ than what I spent for the materials. Have used it for 4 yrs without any problem. I always put my awning in when I know the weather will be bad.