In the Wind

[tomsaunders9093]

My wife and I have had our Vegas 24.1 for a few months now and the awning is a continual source of disagreement. I have "the claw" to tie down the awning on each side and want it out most of the time. My wife has read horror stories of damaged awnings from wind gusts and wants me to put the awning in all the time for fear of damage. How much wind is too much wind for the awning? Is this something others camping couples debate? We stay near Myrtle Beach a lot so big wind gusts by the ocean so it keeps coming up.

[gmc]

Yes it is a subject of debate... lol

I use tie downs - straps with springs connected to a spiral stake... With that, I am comfortable leaving it out with gusts up to 20mph...
Over that predicted - I roll it in...
I found this a good compromise when living in the RV for 6 months - versus pulling it in every night and whenever we left the park.

Others pull it in every night and whenever leaving (I'll do this if I can't use the stakes - large concrete pad, etc)

Still others may trust the 'automatic retraction' if equipped.

Wind in Myrtle Beach is likely stronger than what I was normally encountering... It isn't something you want to replace - so determine what you feel comfortable with... and minimizing the chance of an 'I told you so' moment...

[tomsaunders9093]

Originally Posted by gmc

Yes it is a subject of debate... lol

I use tie downs - straps with springs connected to a spiral stake... With that, I am comfortable leaving it out with gusts up to 20mph...
Over that predicted - I roll it in...
I found this a good compromise when living in the RV for 6 months - versus pulling it in every night and whenever we left the park.

Others pull it in every night and whenever leaving (I'll do this if I can't use the stakes - large concrete pad, etc)

Still others may trust the 'automatic retraction' if equipped.

Wind in Myrtle Beach is likely stronger than what I was normally encountering... It isn't something you want to replace - so determine what you feel comfortable with... and minimizing the chance of an 'I told you so' moment...

I have just been avoiding conflict and bringing in the awning. I don't know which I fear worse. The repair bill or the "I told you so". I know you have to pick your battles both in the camper and at the house. She is usually right anyway but don't tell her I said so.

[DocMike]

We spent the week of the 4th of July at Old Federal Campground (ACE on Lake Lanier, Ga). Had a great site #52 right out on the point with lots of privacy.
On the second evening a storm BLEW in off the Lake. By the time we got the chairs collapsed and the picnic table cleared, we turned around and the awning looked like some kind of para-sail air foil puffed up some 4 feet above the RV. My son and I grabbed the support arms on opposite sides, pulled it down and slowly walked it in towards the RV allowing the motor to roll in the awning.
Once done I went over to the nearest campsite and his awning was already torn off one side and the arm was bent at a 45 degree angle on the other. Went to the tent campers who had lost one tent but were standing on the four corners of the second tent.
Other than a slightly bent arm (when closed it bows out 1/4" within the channel mounted to the RV) we survived...but for the rest of the week as soon as the big dark rain clouds rolled in the awning was rolled up. Also rolled it up at night, just to be safe.

Live and learn.

Doc

[JamieGeek]

All of our other campers (2 TT's, 1 5er) had manual awnings. Those got staked down.

The Axis, however, has a power awning--it gets rolled up at the slightest hint of wind. Seems kind of silly with a power awning asking about bringing it in? You just have to stand there and hold a switch for at most a minute..its not like its a lot of work! LOL

We've also witnessed an awing being ripped off a camper. When we had our 5er we were camping and a big wind storm came in. We managed to get our awning put away but the one across the way from us wasn't so lucky. They were out somewhere and came back to their awning laying on the ground in pieces (we were going to grab it but by the time we had ours put away theirs was already a goner).

[EA37TS]

On thing to keep in mind is that you are not talking about the awning and arms. You are also talking about the side wall of the coach. If you have ever seen one blow off and rip the mounts and half the side wall off you would definitely reconsider when you leave the awning out and when you bring it back in.

Dometic had to pay for my repairs on the prior class c under a recall notice. My awning deployed while driving. The person next to me at Fort Wilderness not only had to pay for his repairs he had to figure out how to get his TT home with half a side skin missing. His awning was the victim of a sudden thunder storm that took everyone by surprise.

Also during our trip to the outer banks last month there was at least one awning casualty because the tube, arms etc... were laying next to the dumpster. A lot of sun rooms, canopies etc... also became victims of the winds at the outer banks one weekend. In the month we were there I saw very few extended awnings.

IMHO, a couple of minutes to extend and later retract the awning is worth the peace of mind. In my case, I only extend the awning when it is needed for shade. If it doesn't provide shade it stays retracted.

[SuperD]

I agree with GMC, about 20 mph is my limit too! If you have an automatic awning you can chance it pulling the awning in, it might not! Just out of habit I check the weather forecast in the morning and evening on my phone I use that as a guide for activities and also what might need to be put away, hint, awning. Also don't like the chairs getting soaked if there is a chance of rain.

[bevedfelker]

I always put our awning in when we are gone for any length of time during the day and always at night. Holding the switch to deploy or retract barely even works up a sweat, even in a geezer like me.

[Joe-FL]

Rver's are kind of divided into two groups. One group never leaves their camper with the awning out and pulls it in when there is a threat of a storm or on moderately windy days. Then there is the group that almost always leaves their awning out no matter what and replaces either the arms or fabric about once every 2 or 3 years.

[blw2]

Yeah, point of discussion.... but not anymore
DW conceded this one
She would put it out and leave it
but I roll it in at night or if we're not around....
It's pretty much only out when we are using it and can easily tell if the wind seems too much for it

I used to dread the old roll-up awning on the pop-up. My worst nightmare was a middle of the night storm that I'd wake up to the need to run out and try to roll that thing in but I couldn't reach it anyway with the top up! Thankfully it never came to that but did come close once and I lowered it as far as I could and tied it up the best I could....

[tnedator]

Is there any reasonable option for adding a wind sensor that auto retracts it when it gets wind (or often they are actually motion/gyro based) too high?

[DocMike]

With regards to putting up the awning. The past 4th of July trip we added an sunscreen extension using the second slot in the awning's roller assembly. In the midst of the panic "heavy wind awning retraction" the unit seemed to handle the extra material.
The rest of the week we would just roll the awning up at night with the sunscreen extension attached. The unit seemed to close completely when we did. I took the extension out for the trip home but I got to thinking...is it necessary to do so.
So, to the more seasoned RV'ers with the automatic roll up awnings this question: Any reason not to leave the extension in place and just roll it up with the awning all the time?

Doc

[blw2]

Doc, interesting....
I have no experience...and therefore no real valuable input

except for brainstorming....it seems to me that the only thing that would happen is the diameter of the rolled up thing will be larger. If that gets so big that the awning arms don't retract all the wall up against the wall, that could be a minor concern to consider, but even then I can't imagine wind getting behind it as you drive...
...so I'm thinking a hands on look will tell you if things are tucked up nice and tight or not.

Then again, you may not even have the arms like I do running down the side wall....so yours could be different, but still....
do things look nice a tight so that the wind when driving wouldn't get in to pull things out?

[DocMike]

The additional awning material appears to allow the arms to close completely. Still thinking about what someone said about their's opening while driving...a bit of a scary vision!

Doc

[EA37TS]

Originally Posted by DocMike

The additional awning material appears to allow the arms to close completely. Still thinking about what someone said about their's opening while driving...a bit of a scary vision!

Doc

Doc

It wasn't scary, it was downright terrifying. Luckily it happened right as I was getting ready to exit I95 at my home exit so I was in the right lane rather than the center lane of the highway. Would hate to think about what would have happened if I was going around a car or truck at the time. Trying to dodge the signs on the right side was bad enough.

[Smidge]

Originally Posted by JamieGeek

All of our other campers (2 TT's, 1 5er) had manual awnings. Those got staked down.

The Axis, however, has a power awning--it gets rolled up at the slightest hint of wind. Seems kind of silly with a power awning asking about bringing it in? You just have to stand there and hold a switch for at most a minute..its not like its a lot of work! LOL

We've also witnessed an awing being ripped off a camper. When we had our 5er we were camping and a big wind storm came in. We managed to get our awning put away but the one across the way from us wasn't so lucky. They were out somewhere and came back to their awning laying on the ground in pieces (we were going to grab it but by the time we had ours put away theirs was already a goner).

JamieGeek - what year is your Axis with that feature of the awning and a switch? Wondering if I missed a switch somewhere on ours. Ours is a 2014.

[JamieGeek]

Our Axis is a 2014, I'm pretty sure all Axis/Vegas units come with a power awning.

[Travelin' Texans]

We have the sun shades on our awnings called Vista Shades by Shade Pro designed for power awnings, a short section stays on the awning tube & a 6' extension zips onto it & stacks out at about a 45 degree angle. If the wind does come up unzip & drop it to the ground & roll up awning.

[DocMike]

Nice deal with the zipper quick disconnect!

Has anyone tried using something like Zip Ties to "Lock" the roll in position prior to hitting the road?

Doc

[rfd2117]

I like the zip tie idea, they're cheap and easy to cut off. I like peace of mind going down the road.