Community Forums

TNTP · 09-08-2011, 01:10 PM

New to the forum, did a search found a little…..not sure where to put this since most have awning’s here in general…..

I've lost main arms and rafters $1500+ in damage past two holiday weekends alone from wind gust blowing my canopy's up on my roof and am getting tired of it. In So Cal @ elevation gust and wind devils come out of nowhere, they come at ya fast, no notice, and last time it happen in about 3-5 secs. I hear they make electrical ones that have wind speed sensors that retract before it happens. Anyone have any experience with them, are they reliable and do they work that fast in seconds, if so what model and where to buy?

Or, you know of a way to keep manual ones from getting torn up? I heard of guy that straps the arms down to center blocks keeps the rafter arms knobs loose. He said the center blocks will lift, arms will flex keeping the fabric from tearing. Not sure if I want to upgrade to heavier duty arms and try this or go electric. I'm guessing electric is expensive, but now I have four damaged arms/rafters and one roller tube Dometic/A&E ruined probably $1000 or more. I’m at a point if I rebuild the manual fearful of dropping my awning’s as is w/o trying something different. I usually get parts from Dometic, where is a good place to buy arms/rafters?

Front: 17’ Rear: 20’

Thanks in advance for any advice,

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**TonyDi** · 09-08-2011, 01:25 PM

A few simple answers, electric models with wind sensors will not react fast enough to roll an awning in if there is a gust. They are designed for gradually increasing winds that approach a critical speed for your awnings. If you have manual awnings a lot of folks use a spiral peg hat screws into the ground to secure the ends of the awnings. I would NOT use cinder blocks. A large awning is like a sail and could easily lift a cinder block high into the air and into the side of your RV. My best advice if if you are thinking the wind may be getting high or there is a risk of wind devils bring the awning in.

RickO · 09-08-2011, 01:39 PM

Welcome to the forum! Sorry about your awning damage.

Like Tony said, the wind sensor on electric awnings isn't something most of us trust to protect our awnings from damage. I have a WeatherPro and use an awning strap which runs over the arms... along the length of the tube and is attached with springs to stakes I drive into the ground. Even then, if the wind is getting strong I'll bring it in.

At least the WeatherPro is considered by many to be under powered and I have to give a little tug on the arm when retracting to help the little motor out a bit. I think if I had to replace mine I would consider a manual unit.

Good luck.

Rick

ksg5000 · 09-08-2011, 01:49 PM

Yrs ago when I camped in similar situations I used a couple of tie down ropes securely anchored to the ground - got me through a couple of big gust were I would have otherwise lost the awning - going electric isn't going to resolve your gust issues.

GG1 · 09-08-2011, 02:14 PM

All of the above answers are correct, I always tie down our electric awning and disable the wind sensor never leave it out all night if the weather looks bad or if its gets too windy it gets put away. Manual awnings can be tied down much more secure than the electric with the screw in anchors but in bad wind have a tendancy to tear where they are fastened to the coach if left out in bad wind. No matter how good they are tied in strong enough wind they can get torn up.

TNTP · 09-08-2011, 02:21 PM

Thanks for the reply's, I didn't think the electrics could react fast enough. I asked a buddy at lunch in my RV park he said his starts to retract at wind speed 27mph, I think my weak arms would have fail @ that or b4....I'm staying in a RV park now, looks like the electrics have little to no arm support and would fail faster if it did not retract fast enough.

So Cal only been here short time but learning the hard way in some locations like high desert and mountains winds come out of no where, unlike even midwest plains where I am from or alot of other US locations I've been.

I have stakes I usually drive in dirt, but this happens when I'm on concrete or asphalt like @ some RV parks like Seattle where I met the guy that suggested center-blocks, he was from So Cal seemed to work for him, I'd never leave the center blocks alone out of short site. I wonder if the RV industry makes an alternative to center-blocks?

What part of the manual arms goes first? I'll look at it close this weekend but I think the arm shears out of the rivets. Reason I ask is dometic makes a heavy duty arms what that means I don't know yet.

Always-RVing · 09-08-2011, 02:44 PM

I have auto retract A&E awnings that retract when the wind speed reaches a selectable wind speed max. But... I don't trust it in gusty winds. The motor is slow and awnings are not cheap. I have two electric and two manual awnings. The manual awnings have given me more problems than the electric.

When in doubt, I pull them all in.

Superslif · 09-08-2011, 05:57 PM

The "screw in anchors" will work best even with pads that are gravel. If I for-see a chance of a wind event happening, I will run another line up and over the awning to keep it from acting like a parachute. At times I have tied a line from the awning corner to the picnic table as added a security measure.

TNTP · 09-09-2011, 08:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Superslif

The "screw in anchors" will work best even with pads that are gravel. If I for-see a chance of a wind event happening, I will run another line up and over the awning to keep it from acting like a parachute. At times I have tied a line from the awning corner to the picnic table as added a security measure.

Now theres an idea that gets to the heart of the problem I have not thought of. I should drill a hole in a roof rail close to where my awning attaches to the RV then run tie downs over the awning to a stake in the ground if I understand you correctly? Maybe equally spaced from the edge towards center.

I looked last night and the main upper rafter where the rivet goes through the fitting attached to the RV, the rafter itself shears out the edge, rivet stays intact. I'm thinking the wind moves it up and down, fails the rafter then the whole canopy ends up on the roof which bends the arms sometimes and roof equipment. So a thicker rafter with more shear capability as opposed to a thicker main arm may help too.

I'm looking for an anchor for concrete and asphalt?