Awning and Wind

[SCBillandJane]

I have read in this forum where wind can damage the awning and possibly the Trailmanor where the awning is mounted, but I am having trouble understanding how much is too much. We just installed a weather radio so we will have some idea of the predicted wind speed and storms. We just returned from a trip camping on the Gulf side of Florida. The only guideline I had was looking at other campers to see if they retracted their awnings. I guess what I am asking is:
1 Have you had damage and under what conditions?
2 Do you have "a rule of thumb" that says take the awning down or don't even set it up?
3 Does it help to stake the awning down to the ground rather than to the side of the trailer?
4 Do you feel that the Traimanor awning is more delicate than awnings on other campers that you see in a campground?

We haven't had any damage to ours, but I suppose I'm overly cautious. If there is anything more than a stiff breeze, say, 8-10 mph, ours comes down. Compared to "regular" awnings that we've had on other campers, the Fiamma looks kinda fragile. I suppose it might help to stake the support arms to the ground as opposed to the side of the TM, but I've never tried that. I'm sure others will chime in.

Regards,

Bob

MTCW.

My policy is if the awning is moving enough to cause the support legs to move significantly, I roll it in. I usually stake my awing supports to the ground as I walk into them less than when they are attached to the side of the TM. It is much better to just roll it up than to let it hang down. Remember, it survives 60 mph winds when you are towing in the closed position. IMHO the awning is no less sturdy than any other, but the mounting is probably more fragile than many due to the construction of the TM roof sections. One thing I am very careful about is supporting the end of the awning when opening or closing it. If you pay attention to the mounting, there is significant strain on the mounting bracket during these operations. This can even be done when opening and closing with only one person using the supports. Also if I leave for any significant period of time in the summer ( thunder storm season in the east) I roll it up before I go.

My experience is that if there is enough wind to fly a kite, then there is enough wind to tear the fabric along the stitching for about two feet.

We had a little micro-burst of wind in Escalante, Utah destroy the awning on our Starcraft. It didn't take much, but if I had a plan for us to take it down quickly without any fumbling around we probably could have saved it. We now have a 2 person routine (one person holding the upwind leg while the other cranks like crazy) which may or may not help. Hope we never find out! As a general rule, we retract the awning if we are going to be away from the trailer for any length of time and generally take it down at night. This depends on how unpredictable the weather is where we are... The plus is that the awning is amazingly easy to set up and retract so it is really no big deal.

Personally, I think that the Fiamma awning on the TM is more frail than many other awnings I have seen. Particularly the support legs. I have bought and replaced two in the two full seasons that we have camped. Both times it occured when a breeze/wind came up over night. By the time I could hop out of bed, throw on some shorts (sorry for any bad visuals I just created) and get to the door, it was too late. One of the biggest headaches with this situation is that the awning is now drooping down, making it difficult to get out of the door without ripping the awning material. Once I had to wake up my 10 year old son and have his narrow little tush slip out the partially opened door while I tried to push the awning up with a broom handle. Is there anything else that you would rather do than this mildly comical routine at 3 in the morning while camping? Wheee!

Now, I just roll up the awning every evening, and don't even think about putting it out if there is anything more than the slightest of breezes. Bums me out because I see other folks with their heartier awnings leave them out without incident in all but the worst weather. It is nice to use it to keep the dew off chairs and picnic table. But the next time I have to shell out $40 for another support arm because I gambled with the weather and lost, I might never hear the end of it.

Our fabric tore about 2 years ago. It is still on the TM, but we no longer use it.

We have a free standing canopy from Costco that we use a lot. Two people can move it around camp to anywhere we want it to be. It even has 4 attachable walls. We sometimes will add one wall to add more shade or to block the wind.

I am not motivated to repair or replace the TM awning. It has almost no value.

Originally Posted by mgoblue911

Now, I just roll up the awning every evening, and don't even think about putting it out if there is anything more than the slightest of breezes. Bums me out because I see other folks with their heartier awnings leave them out without incident in all but the worst weather. It is nice to use it to keep the dew off chairs and picnic table. But the next time I have to shell out $40 for another support arm because I gambled with the weather and lost, I might never hear the end of it.

Just out of curiosity.... where did you find one for only $40?

I've had pretty good luck with mine - especially when I camp near the beach.
I try to stake mine into the ground as I don't like how it shakes the trailer when braced into the side of the TM-although that gives a better indication of the wind conditions.
Bottom line: on days with more than a slight breeze I roll it up.

[hillbillyhotel]

i have one of these, we think it came with one of the past rv's , just do not remember which one have used it or 2 dog tie outs screwed into ground and straps pulled tight,
but like others anything over a strong breeze i roll up ,

http://fiamma.com/EN/products/fiamma...n/#prettyPhoto