Wind got another one...

[Topperace]

At Lake Conroe TT park and the RV next to us has the awning ripped off from the frame...apparently this is a full-time park spot and they left the awning out...well
Texas winds will get you when you least expect it.

Just thought I would post in case owner reads these forums and/or TT has not contacted them...looks like it has been there a while...would post a picture, but for privacy reasons will not....

[Rhody_Chris]

Should never leave awning out unattended.

In September we stayed at CG with a lot of seasonal sites. It had rained heavily the night before we arrived. Saw one awning that was holding at least 50 gallons of water....at least until the owner attempted to adjust and let it drain off. the awning then collapsed and nearly caught himself and his DW under it.

[Topperace]

Originally Posted by Rhody_Chris

Should never leave awning out unattended.

In September we stayed at CG with a lot of seasonal sites. It had rained heavily the night before we arrived. Saw one awning that was holding at least 50 gallons of water....at least until the owner attempted to adjust and let it drain off. the awning then collapsed and nearly caught himself and his DW under it.

Yeah, we just got our used 2019 Entegra Insignia back in June, and the fifth day
we had it at Green Mountain Thousand Trails park in NC and a flash thunderstorm came up in the afternoon....large deluge of rain in just several minutes...by the time I got the dog into the RV, and looked back outside, the water weight broke the left awning arm of our 18" Girard awning...what a bad design, the wind sensor evidently didn't work either ... so now don't have an awning since hard to find a place that we can get a replacement to install...
Girard stated they had 20 of this module still in the warehouse, but they don't make this Ultra Awning model anymore and they cost almost $4000... so I have the cheap pop-up tent shade for now...

[MichaelBarb]

I never leave the awning flat. When setting up, immediately after opening I tilt one end down. This not only sets where it will drain but also limits the amount of water it will collect.

[RonandDeb]

I read someplace where the armless, wind sensing type awnings are not to be used for rain, rather just to block out sun.

That's the style that I have and always use it when it rains. Sometimes that's the most enjoyable time to relax. I just never leave it out when I'm not under it.

[hamm2018]

Originally Posted by Topperace

At Lake Conroe TT park and the RV next to us has the awning ripped off from the frame...apparently this is a full-time park spot and they left the awning out...well
Texas winds will get you when you least expect it.

Just thought I would post in case owner reads these forums and/or TT has not contacted them...looks like it has been there a while...would post a picture, but for privacy reasons will not....

We were in Orlando TT when Nicole came thru. Same thing, some seasonals were gone and had left their awnings and pup sunshades out. Some of these awnings/popups were not there after the hurricane went thru the area.

[Topperace]

Copy all on the not leaving awning out when raining or tilting to one side so can drain, and I normally did/do with our previous RV that had Awning that could be tilted. However, with the Gerard Ultra Awning...it only goes out perpendicular to the RV, no method to slant the awning as it uses scissor arms as the support, with no lateral arms that mount to the sides of the RV like most others...it is for calm wind shade only awning. They don't make it anymore... one dealer told me because of all the problems with the arms breaking.

[Suburbazine]

Originally Posted by RonandDeb

I read someplace where the armless, wind sensing type awnings are not to be used for rain, rather just to block out sun.

That's the style that I have and always use it when it rains. Sometimes that's the most enjoyable time to relax. I just never leave it out when I'm not under it.

My Girard's are the Nova II's (armless double pitch) and are both wind and rain rated. They performed wonderfully in a sudden cloudburst that collapsed several neighbors' full frame awnings.


They're not that great for staying under in the rain though, the rain wicks through the fabric and drips off the pitch bar.

[glwinger]

I have the Solera power awning. The instructions say to tip it to one side during rain to allow the water to run off. That's fine for a light rain.

My awning is always retracted when we leave the campsite and when we retire for the night. I've seen too many storms pop up without warning and awnings ripped from the trailers.

[SJ-Chris]

I read somewhere on one of the RV insurance sites that awning damage accounts for ~50% of all insurance claims. That number could be off +/-, but you get the idea....


There's a reason why the largest RV rental companies (ie. Cruise America) do not have awnings on their RVs.


Note: I'm not anti-awning...just putting out info. I agree that they should not be left out unattended. Wind can catch them like a sail...


-Chris

[96 Wideglide]

Wait till you see your patio awning turn into a spinnaker while your traveling down the freeway !!