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Old 08-31-2015, 12:18 PM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Chance
Jamie, on the Axis/Vegas awning, can you slope both down away from coach "and" one side lower than the other at same time?

On older manual awning (different mechanism) I found that pitching one side lower than other side worked best for us to drain rain. Sloping away from coach alone collected water a couple of times when a small puddle started forming prior to water going over roller, and then it built up very quickly from there. Perhaps tension was less than with newer design.

Also, can the awning be stopped and left in place prior to being all the way up like shown on picture posted above? I rarely took mine all the way up in order to maximize shade. With taller RVs it may be even more of an issue.
Yes there are a good 4-5 positions you can drop the awning to on each side. Thus you could lower both sides to the maximum lowest position or you could lower one side all the way down and only lower the other side 3 ticks.

The awning extends straight out from the coach so your "can the awning be stopped prior to being all the way up" comment doesn't really apply. (Tried to find a video of the awning extending but couldn't.) You can, however, only partially deploy the awning if you'd like--only extending it 3 feet or so.

Like mentioned above, though, you have to remember to return both to "all the way up" before retracting the awing.

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Old 08-31-2015, 12:45 PM   #22
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Originally Posted by JamieGeek View Post

....cut....

The awning extends straight out from the coach so your "can the awning be stopped prior to being all the way up" comment doesn't really apply. (Tried to find a video of the awning extending but couldn't.) You can, however, only partially deploy the awning if you'd like--only extending it 3 feet or so.

.....cut......
Thanks, I'm pretty sure I follow what this means. Quite a functional departure from older manual designs (beyond being powered). Thanks again for clarification.

One other related question. If lowered to increase shade like older designs, can it be safely retracted a few times while camping and then restored to horizontal position just prior to final retraction prior to travel/leaving? Or do you have to level it up every single time prior to "temporary" retraction? Asking in case one stays stationary in one site for multiple days.
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Old 08-31-2015, 01:17 PM   #23
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Chance
One other related question. If lowered to increase shade like older designs, can it be safely retracted a few times while camping and then restored to horizontal position just prior to final retraction prior to travel/leaving? Or do you have to level it up every single time prior to "temporary" retraction? Asking in case one stays stationary in one site for multiple days.
I don't really have an answer for this question as I've never tried it. Its pretty easy to put it back up prior to retracting so that is what I do when I retract it for the night. Thus I've never attempted to fully retract it with either side lowered.
(My memory tells me the dealer showed us this feature and told us to always raise it back up before retracting but that was over 18 months ago now so not sure how much they told us about the awning.)
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Old 08-31-2015, 02:56 PM   #24
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Chance View Post
One other related question. If lowered to increase shade like older designs, can it be safely retracted a few times while camping and then restored to horizontal position just prior to final retraction prior to travel/leaving? Or do you have to level it up every single time prior to "temporary" retraction? Asking in case one stays stationary in one site for multiple days.
If the coach has the Travel ' R awning the manual says:

The awning has 6 pitch adjustments and it can be extended and retracted in any of these positions. I have not tried this and there are warnings.

1. Do not set the pitch at more that 3 positions different from side to side. Damage to the arms can occur if the awning is retracted with more than a 3 position difference.

2. For awnings under 12 foot the arms must be equal (no pitch) when the awning is retracted.
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Old 08-31-2015, 03:21 PM   #25
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Originally Posted by dstankov View Post
If the coach has the Travel ' R awning the manual says:

The awning has 6 pitch adjustments and it can be extended and retracted in any of these positions. I have not tried this and there are warnings.

1. Do not set the pitch at more that 3 positions different from side to side. Damage to the arms can occur if the awning is retracted with more than a 3 position difference.

2. For awnings under 12 foot the arms must be equal (no pitch) when the awning is retracted.
Thanks Dave, that's good to know. Makes it more user friendly.

It also makes sense that pitching one side much higher than the other will cause problems if retracted that way, particularly for shorter awnings.
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Old 08-31-2015, 06:41 PM   #26
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Ours looks like that awning (Travel ' R). I just haven't been brave enough to try to retract it in any position other than full up. It may make sense to leave it a bit lower all the time if I can safely retract it even angled. (So far all of the Vegas/Axis units I've seen camping had their awnings at the highest--level--setting).

Oh yeah speaking of which I saw another one this weekend...have to post in that thread...
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Old 08-31-2015, 07:05 PM   #27
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I just haven't been brave enough to try to retract it in any position other than full up.
Neither have I. I have the additional problem of the slide topper which sits right below the awning. My concern is that if I lowered the awning and then tried retracting it there would be a collision between the awning roller and the slide topper. As it stands when I lower the awning one click the fabric comes into contact with the slide topper roller.

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Old 09-03-2015, 01:30 PM   #28
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With regards to the fresh water tank, sanitizing it is necessary besides drinking. If bacteria is present, you are breathing it in when taking a hot shower. Also, your dishes are being rinsed by the water and you are washing your hands, produce etc., with the water. While you may be using hot water, the water in the hot water heater has not been and should not be boiled. It is also just as important that the plumbing lines as well as the fresh water hose be sanitized. There is nothing worse than a case of the 'trots' to ruin a vacation.

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Old 09-03-2015, 02:22 PM   #29
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campgrounds, Vegas

I lived in Mass. all my life, and we camped at Normandy Farms many times over many years. It is close to Gillette Stadium where the Pats play. It is also close to Boston, and not far from Cape Cod. We started camping at Normandy 35 years ago, and watched it grow and prosper into a first-class resort. They have 3 swimming pools, hundreds of sites, a store ballfields, and reservations are encouraged all camping season, because it really is popular.We have camped at Fort Wilderness a few times, and it is quite a great place for families, and retired folks like us. We are staying at Cherry Hill in November, and look forward to this excursion. The Vegas performed well on our recent trip thru the Smokies after going to N.Carolina. Stopping in Savannah on our way back to Port Orange was very pleasant. As far as the awning is concerned, it seems silly to have to retract the awning when leaving if you have chairs, picnic table, grill, etc. under the thing. To me, that's why you have an awning, so you can leave stuff out all the time. Just tilt the awning before you leave the site, and pay attention to weather reports for strong wind predictions. If that is a possibility, then you should retract the awning for safety. As far as water sanitation, I always put some bleach into the water hose before I screw the ends together for storage, and I spray the campground connections with bleach/water mixture before hookup. have done this procedure all my life, and had no problems. CGs generally use the city water supplies and I know city water is tested every day for pathogens and bacteria at the water plants. All towns and cities are required to do this testing, it is state a federal laws. The only real possible point of contamination is at the campsite spigot and handle. Just sanitize these and you are good to go. It is true the Vegas 24.1 does have a small shower, but We make do, or we use the CG facilities. These days most CG bathrooms are spotless. As I have mentioned in previous blogs, a Safe-T-Plus steering stabilizer is a great addition to safety and driving comfort, as well as tire pressure monitors. Tho we had a lot of problems with the Vegas for the first year as far as QC issues, and getting the repairs made properly, I feel we have gotten beyond the growing pains, and we do enjoy the Vegas for all the reasons we bought it in the first place.
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Old 09-03-2015, 03:03 PM   #30
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My experience had been just he opposite. Most of the campgrounds that we have stayed in are on well water. There is no chlorine added to the water and having a well at home I like not smelling it all of the time. We rarely camp close to a town and prefer to be outside of the hustle and bustle. As far as sanitation goes, all manufacturers recommend sanitizing of the tanks, when new or after one month of inactivity. Think about, bacteria flourish in a warm, moist and dark environment which is exactly what your fresh water tank provides. Additionally, I never put any water into my tanks without running it thru an inline filter first. Why take a chance?

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Old 09-03-2015, 03:25 PM   #31
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Point for thought

Think about the Legionaries outbreak and the cause being bacteria in air coming off water based cooling systems and then think about your water tanks, shower and sinks.

Also, water tanks and tubing are not shipped or stored sanitized or sealed. When I brought my Challenger home all of the tanks has sawdust in them.
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Old 09-03-2015, 03:43 PM   #32
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My experience had been just he opposite. Most of the campgrounds that we have stayed in are on well water. There is no chlorine added to the water and having a well at home I like not smelling it all of the time.
Not trying to say the tanks and lines should not be sanitized, but as an FYI, I was on the Board of Directors of a private camp resort that was on well. State law required that our water be tested quarterly. If it did not pass we would have had to shut the well down. In addition, many well systems do inject chlorine into the water as it is sent out to the park for distribution. We looked into a chlorination system but decided against it due to the cost and the safety issue of handling chlorine tanks.
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Old 09-03-2015, 04:21 PM   #33
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Having been on well water my entire life, the one thing that I know for certain is that the water is susceptible to contamination. What the quarterly tests suggest is that there is the possibility of someone contaminating the system. The more people on the system, the greater the chance. I am not sure if every state makes it mandatory for campgrounds to test well water. A friend of ours opened a bakery/coffee shop and the only reason they had to have the well water tested was due to the fact that they had seating for more than 12 people.

From your post, I would even be more suspicious of campground water systems, as you noted, the Board of Directors choose to save money rather than upgrading to a chlorination system.

With regards to sanitizing the system, why not? It is very cheap to do and only requires a little bit of effort. Why not be safe rather than sorry. As Dave pointed out in his earlier post, Legionaries and other diseases are a possibility.

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Old 09-03-2015, 04:39 PM   #34
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Folks,

I believe the discussion is now going two ways.

The need to sanitize the fresh water system before first use and after long term non-use

The quality of water at campgrounds and the possible need for a good water filtration system.

Personally, I believe both make sense. Sanitize the tanks and use a good in line or whole house filtration system.
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