Awnings

[Scott O]

It is very windy and stormy here in SoCal today, so naturally my thoughts turn to...awnings. I know they need to be retracted in anything stronger than a mild breeze. I am curious about your experiences when setting them up. Does it matter whether the support poles are attached to the sides of the TM or staked to the ground? Just wondering if there is a preferred method and if experience has taught you anything about using the awning that might not be obvious to the untrained! Thanks.

[Joseph]

Try using the awning both ways and see which works best for you. Personally I let the legs sit on small square pieces of wood flat on the ground. The wood pieces have a hole drilled in them. I do this because I want to take some of the strain and weight off of the front shell. If I attach the awning to the side of the TM I sort of cringe when I think about the amount of force being placed on that sides two support arms. Especially when the wind blows. I am a very picky ( some say anal :D) field service representative for a diagnostic corporation. I cannot help it...:p So I place a stake ( looks like a long nail about 10 inches long ) through the foot of the leg, through the wood, into the ground. I also secure each end of the awning with a rope / bungee cord combination that I made up for that purpose. I use the one end of the bungee ( not the black rubber kind ) to hook onto the awning and the other to hook into a loop in the rope. The other side of the rope being attached with a truckers loop? to a stake, ( another long nail looking thing ) that makes sort of a pulley. The bungee, when pulled taught acts sort of like a shock absorber. It also makes it very easy to unhook the awning from the ground ties quickly should a wind come up. This is all much harder to describe than it was to make!:new_Eyecr If I had a picture I would attach it. One thing I can share with you that I have learned from others in this forum. Never, ever, leave your awning up while you are not there. Good luck and happy camping!

[shunter917]

I always hooked the awning to the shell and never had a problem with it. I also found it better to make sure all the slack is taken up in the awning. It helps to keep it from flapping around a lot.

[DC Randy]

I can't figure out how to do the hooking to the side. I mean I know "how" it hooks in..but it seems like it puts an enormous strain on those legs in that position. If you look at other TTs (yes I know this is apples to oranges), they attach to the lower part of the side of the trailer. Ours seems so high up!

I'm a paranoid too about windy conditions. My family all camp, and each one has had the experience of being surprised by a sudden gust in a small windy day, and BAM, off it comes from the trailer. Having owned a sailboat, I realize we basically have a sail on the side of the TM...and it doesn't take much!

So, do you let it out a bit, hook the legs into the side, and the continue rolling out until it's tight and the door doesn't hit (which is another issue).

Thanks
Randy

[Virginia Deacon]

I can't figure out how to do the hooking to the side. I mean I know "how" it hooks in..but it seems like it puts an enormous strain on those legs in that position. If you look at other TTs (yes I know this is apples to oranges), they attach to the lower part of the side of the trailer. Ours seems so high up!

I'm a paranoid too about windy conditions. My family all camp, and each one has had the experience of being surprised by a sudden gust in a small windy day, and BAM, off it comes from the trailer. Having owned a sailboat, I realize we basically have a sail on the side of the TM...and it doesn't take much!

So, do you let it out a bit, hook the legs into the side, and the continue rolling out until it's tight and the door doesn't hit (which is another issue).

Thanks
Randy

Re: your last paragraph, let it out far enough to attach the supports to the side (don't forget the support rod for the center of the awning). Open the awning most of the way and extend/lock all supports. Finally, retract the awning, raising it until it clears the top of the door when the door is opened. During awning setup, it's a good idea to fasten the door against the side of the TrailManor, so the awning doesn't accidentally get damaged by someone opening the door from the inside while the awning is down and extended.

As for the wind issues, there are shock absorbers built into the awning case - but, I'm sure strong winds could cause damage. In addition to not using the awning when it is windy, maybe I can find out the direction of prevailing winds and find a site with the awning on the downwind side. That way, wind isn't a factor.

Happy Camping!

[shunter917]

I always unwound the entire awning, then unlocked the legs and clipped them on the side of the TM. I would then put the center support in place. Then I would lift the legs up and lock them in place with the knob (lift it up some on one side, locking it in place and then alternating to the other side) until I got the awning up as high as I wanted. I'd take up the slack at that time and be done.

[DC Randy]

Ok I'll try it. I'm usually setting up alone, so I don't have someone to help me. It makes me nervous to feel all that tension sloping downward as I extend the awning.

Will let you know!
Thanks
Randy

[mtnguy]

I always unwound the entire awning, then unlocked the legs and clipped them on the side of the TM. I would then put the center support in place. Then I would lift the legs up and lock them in place with the knob (lift it up some on one side, locking it in place and then alternating to the other side) until I got the awning up as high as I wanted. I'd take up the slack at that time and be done.

shunter917,

Unwinding the entire awning before supporting the weight concerns me that that is a lot of stress on the awning supports with all of that weight hanging out so far.

In the Fiamma manual, the picture instructions show unwinding the awning about 4', then extending the legs to the ground for support. Then you unwind the awning some more, and then reposition the legs straight down, and then a final unwind to the full open position with the legs straight down and anchored. Or instead of anchoring at this point, you can now attach the legs to the side of the TM and attach the rafter.

I just don't want anyone to tear their awning lose by putting too much weight to far out without support.

Chap

[voyager2]

We just got back from a trip to Lake Superior. Very stormy week. Got up several times during the nite (s) to check the awning. It rode out the storms very well (25 to 30 mile winds blowing at a 45 degree to the awning). We double peg it to the ground with long nails and run two guy lines to pegs on each side at an angle to the supports. It has never come loose but can flap around a bit. Keep it tight.

[PopBeavers]

We just got back from a trip to Lake Superior. Very stormy week. Got up several times during the nite (s) to check the awning. It rode out the storms very well (25 to 30 mile winds blowing at a 45 degree to the awning). We double peg it to the ground with long nails and run two guy lines to pegs on each side at an angle to the supports. It has never come loose but can flap around a bit. Keep it tight.
I find that to be amazing. My awning tore when the wind was barely strong enough to fly a kite.

The tear is along the stitching at the edge on the end that pulls out from the trailer. The tear is about 18 inches long. It was like tearing paper at the perforation.

If I can ever manage to get the fabric out I think it can be repaired by shortening the fabric a few inches. I have tried to remove it twice and have not been successful.

[Scott O]

I do agree with Chap's comments about extending 4' before lowering the legs for support. Anything further seems to have the capacity to really stress the mechanism. I extend the awning out far enough to lower the legs, then extend the awning moving the legs out as I go. My original question was directed at whether to have the legs on the ground or attach to the side mounts on the TM. I really wondered how strong the side mounts were and whether they could take the stress placed on them by the awning in less than optimal weather conditions. Based on comments it doesn't really seem to matter where the supports go...just take the slack out of the awning and take it down at night and under questionable weather conditions.

[larsdennert]

I think I must have tweaked my awning by extending too far where now it doesn't close very well anymore despite adjusting it.

Be gentle to your awning.

[DC Randy]

Same here. I think it was a result of being out in a rainstorm (nothing major), but it was raining at a good clip. Now when I retract, I either have to stand on a small step stool or wait until I've lowered the TM, and then push the awning a bit to the left, roll it on in, and ... it "clicks" into place.

[Keith Wire]

I haven't used our awning much but someone posted these Fiamma links a while back. The first one is their Support Service page and the second is a trouble shooting PDF that has some tips and some adjustments.

http://www.fiamma.it/servizi/servizi.asp?Lingua=EN

http://www.fiamma.it/servizi/download/riparazioni/troubleshooting.pdf

[Beak12]

It is very windy and stormy here in SoCal today, so naturally my thoughts turn to...awnings. I know they need to be retracted in anything stronger than a mild breeze. I am curious about your experiences when setting them up. Does it matter whether the support poles are attached to the sides of the TM or staked to the ground? Just wondering if there is a preferred method and if experience has taught you anything about using the awning that might not be obvious to the untrained! Thanks.


:eek: Never owned a TM until this last Saturday. But when living in my 37' Class A we were staying two weeks in Orlando Fl. We went to church on Sunday and the Pastor said "if the wind get to bad everyone is to go down this inside hallway no windows. We San Diego said what is he talking about. When we got back to the RV I saw that my awnng had been put away. Three Neighbors came over and said Never Never leave your rig unless you put away the awnings. It took 3 of them in the wind to put it away. So I never never leave it up when I leave now. And with the few practice times with the TM awning (it is so easy) I never ever will.