Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
RV Trip Planning Discussions

Go Back   iRV2 Forums > iRV2.com COMMUNITY FORUMS > iRV2.com General Discussion
Click Here to Login
Join iRV2 Today

Mission Statement: Supporting thoughtful exchange of knowledge, values and experience among RV enthusiasts.
Reply
  This discussion is proudly sponsored by:
Please support our sponsors and let them know you heard about their products on iRV2
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 06-10-2013, 03:43 AM   #1
Community Administrator
 
CLIFFTALL's Avatar


 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 53,429
Blog Entries: 1
Awning tie down methods

I'm staying in one place this summer and thinking about awning tie downs. I've seen two different methods here. The traditional "straps " and straps with springs like these.
Power Hook Awning Tensioner - Camco RV 42013 - Awning Accessories & Hardware - Camping World
I of course will disable the wind sensor in my AE power awning.
Looking for opinions on these two setups or any others.
Thanks
__________________


Cliff,Tallulah and Buddy ( 1999-2012 )
CLIFFTALL is offline   Reply With Quote
Join the #1 RV Forum Today - It's Totally Free!

iRV2.com RV Community - Are you about to start a new improvement on your RV or need some help with some maintenance? Do you need advice on what products to buy? Or maybe you can give others some advice? No matter where you fit in you'll find that iRV2 is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!

You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with other RV owners, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create an RV blog, send private messages and so much, much more!

Old 06-10-2013, 05:08 AM   #2
Senior Member
 
bradnailer's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: West Texas
Posts: 228
I tie my awning down with tent stakes and ratchet ties.
__________________
2015 Ford F150
2013 Coachmen Freedom Express 233RBS
Prior: Jayco Pop Up, Shasta Bunkhouse, Rockwood Pop Up
bradnailer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-10-2013, 05:20 AM   #3
Senior Member
 
Ray,IN's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: North America somewhere
Posts: 30,655
My cousin used to carry 2 5G buckets. He would hang them from the awning roller ends, fill them with sand, and his awning stayed secure during the "gentle breezes" you always see in the RGV. He said this allowed the RV and awning to move some when winds hit.
Personally I always stowed the awnings in high wind, a sudden micro-burst of high wind will/can rip the awning from the channel on the side of the RV.
__________________
2000 Winnebago Ultimate Freedom USQ40JD, ISC 8.3 Cummins 350, Spartan MM Chassis. USA IN 1SG 11B5MX,Infantry retired;Good Sam Life member,FMCA." My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country. John F. Kennedy
Ray,IN is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-10-2013, 06:02 AM   #4
Moderator Emeritus
 
Bruce C's Avatar
 
Nor'easters Club
Fleetwood Owners Club
Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: NH
Posts: 5,099
Spring tensioners are your best bet Cliff. They'll give in wing gusts but return to the tension set after. I had years ago a set of springs [3] that were a spring within a spring and they worked very good. It was a outer spring with a hook and a inner spring with a hook, somehow married together [to many years ago]. But in any case I'd go spring tensioners. Good luck.
__________________
Bruce & Nancy
FMCA F280542
2004 Bounder 35E
US Navy Vet.
Bruce C is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-10-2013, 06:35 AM   #5
Senior Member
 
spritz's Avatar
 
Vintage RV Owners Club
Fleetwood Owners Club
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: c above
Posts: 5,525
Personally

I would not chance it, It only takes 5 minutes to put it up before you leave, and how much to replace it? JMO, Tim
__________________
1982 Pace Arrow P30 454
KarKaddy SS, Toad: 2009 Genesis
Tim, Joe and Lilly too. Mpls Minn.
spritz is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-10-2013, 07:23 AM   #6
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Janesville, wi
Posts: 642
Spritz, is absolutely correct. After all, you have an ELECTRIC awning. It's purpose is to make it so easy to retract, that there should be no question about it. It has the automatic retract feature so you can leave for the day and not have to worry. You paid a lot of extra $$ for that feature, use it...
Ray,in is also correct.. Any pressure on the fabric, at the channel, and the fabric will tear..
Tom3205 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-10-2013, 07:58 AM   #7
Community Administrator
 
CLIFFTALL's Avatar


 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 53,429
Blog Entries: 1
I've never left mine up in all the years I've been Rving. I , along with most that have a wind sensor don't trust it at all. I find that I'm taking it in at least three times a day. That will be about 400 times over the next 135 days. These motors are notorious for failing. That's why I'm looking at alternatives.
__________________


Cliff,Tallulah and Buddy ( 1999-2012 )
CLIFFTALL is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-10-2013, 09:35 AM   #8
Senior Member
 
USMCRET's Avatar
 
Newmar Owners Club
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 3,458
Yeah, the wind sensor on ours is completely unreliable. You can be sitting outside on a calm sunny day and the awning will inexplicably roll up for no reason. On the other hand, it will sometimes not do anything when those notorious OBX winds gust. It's a worthless feature, IMHO. I wouldn't leave the awning out when I'm not there even if the thing worked to perfection.
__________________
2021 DSDP 4326 Freightliner
2023 Winnebago ERA 70A
2005 KSDP 3910 Spartan
USMCRET is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 06-10-2013, 09:35 AM   #9
Senior Member
 
Triker56's Avatar
 
Fleetwood Owners Club
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 4,031
This one is what I have been using for over 14 years.
Picture doesn't show the springs that are included with it.

I have the awning tied down for 7 months straight in FL. Only time I have ever put the awning up. Has been during a hurricane coming in. It has taken gust up to 40 plus MPH with no problem. Put some good tension on the springs when installing.
__________________
99 Discovery 34Q ISB
2014 MKS AWD EcoBoost Toad
Fulltime Since "99"
Triker56 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-10-2013, 10:36 AM   #10
Senior Member
 
RedWing Nut's Avatar
 
Vintage RV Owners Club
Holiday Rambler Owners Club
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 605
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ray,IN View Post
My cousin used to carry 2 5G buckets. He would hang them from the awning roller ends, fill them with sand, and his awning stayed secure during the "gentle breezes" you always see in the RGV. He said this allowed the RV and awning to move some when winds hit.
We were at an RV repair facility in Elkhart, IN to have some bodywork done on our RV. We met a couple that was there to have their awning replaced. They had tied their awning to 16X8 concrete building blocks.

When the awning was wrecked by the wind, the blocks were whipped over the top of their MH causing considerable damage to storage bays on the other side. The cost of their bodywork was a lot more then the cost of the awning replacement.

We manually run in our awning whenever winds exceed 10 mph.
__________________
Steve, Mary & Buddy our 2-year-old Chihuahua mix
1995 36' HR Endeavor, 460 w/Banks, 2005 PT Cruiser
Fulltimers originally from Michigan, hanging out in Oregon for a spell.
RedWing Nut is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-10-2013, 11:53 AM   #11
Community Administrator
 
NLOVNIT's Avatar


 
Pond Piggies Club
LA Gulf Coast Campers
Outdoors RV Owners Club
Entegra Owners Club
Skyline Owners Group
Join Date: Mar 2002
Posts: 40,590
Blog Entries: 1
We use what you linked to, Cliff. We attach them to the stakes you screw into the ground:

That said, we only use the tie-downs when we're in the campground. If/when we go out sightseeing (even for just a couple hours), we unhook & roll up the awning. Even with the tie-downs, I don't trust leaving a deployed awning unattended. Case in point, the straight line winds that came through the FMA rally in Goshen last yr. Took down the 12ft tall FW arch that was tied down with, probably, 500# barrels filled w/cement.

Lori-
__________________
Lori (& Dave, my spirit guide) - RV/MH Hall of Fame Lifetime Member | My iRV2 Photo Albums
2016 Phoenix Cruiser 2350S, 2018 Phaeton 40IH,2006 Bounder 36Z, 2004 Cougar 285EFS, 2000 Aerolite 25FBR
There is great need for a sarcasm font.
NLOVNIT is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-10-2013, 11:58 AM   #12
Community Administrator
 
CLIFFTALL's Avatar


 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 53,429
Blog Entries: 1
Quote:
Originally Posted by NLOVNIT View Post
We use what you linked to, Cliff. We attach them to the stakes you screw into the ground:

That said, we only use the tie-downs when we're in the campground. If/when we go out sightseeing (even for just a couple hours), we unhook & roll up the awning. Even with the tie-downs, I don't trust leaving a deployed awning unattended. Case in point, the straight line winds that came through the FMA rally in Goshen last yr. Took down the 12ft tall FW arch that was tied down with, probably, 500# barrels filled w/cement.

Lori-
I agree with taking it in if we leave the CG. It's the taking it in every time we go for a walk or to the pool that becomes too much.
__________________


Cliff,Tallulah and Buddy ( 1999-2012 )
CLIFFTALL is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-10-2013, 12:16 PM   #13
Senior Member
 
az bound's Avatar
 
Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Surprise Arizona
Posts: 1,994
I'll add my opinion. Anyone that ties down an awning is just asking for trouble.
We have had both manual and automatic over the years and one is not much safer to use than the other. A strong gust of wind can destroy both. Saw 6 of them destroyed in the same gust on the outer banks.
I have to believe that is why most insurers will not cover awning claims, or even offer to insure awnings for wind dammage.
How many have checked their policy for coverage due to wind dammage of awnings?
__________________
Harold & Linda
2009 CT coachworks siena 35V
W22 Workhorse 8.1L. Explorer Sport toad,
az bound is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-10-2013, 12:54 PM   #14
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: texas
Posts: 2,420
Agree if I leave it goes in when I full timed I replaced dozens where the wind or rain tore them up
whem2fish is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
awning



Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 02:27 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.