Bound to happen

jcar6109 · 10-27-2008, 09:25 AM

On the way home over the weekend on our last trip before winter storage we drove in the worst wind that I have ever experienced in the MH. Just before leaving the camp ground our camping partner's wife Darlene asked me if I had tied the awing arms with zip ties. I told her no that I had never had a problem.
So she gave me two zip ties and said to tie the awning arms anyway. I took her advice and tied the arms as high as I could. About 40 miles from home my wife noticed that the awning had come loose. When we stopped we discovered that the awning had come unlatched and the only thing holding it was those zip ties. It was too windy to bring the awning out and roll it back up. So I tied it at the very top with more zip ties.

I think I have just become a firm believer on the aftermarket latches that are offered.
This winter I am going to research what is available and install something in the spring.

I am looking for suggestions and what is available.

I hate to think what could have happened and the potential liability.
Thanks to Darlene.

jcar6109 · 10-27-2008, 09:25 AM

On the way home over the weekend on our last trip before winter storage we drove in the worst wind that I have ever experienced in the MH. Just before leaving the camp ground our camping partner's wife Darlene asked me if I had tied the awing arms with zip ties. I told her no that I had never had a problem.
So she gave me two zip ties and said to tie the awning arms anyway. I took her advice and tied the arms as high as I could. About 40 miles from home my wife noticed that the awning had come loose. When we stopped we discovered that the awning had come unlatched and the only thing holding it was those zip ties. It was too windy to bring the awning out and roll it back up. So I tied it at the very top with more zip ties.

I think I have just become a firm believer on the aftermarket latches that are offered.
This winter I am going to research what is available and install something in the spring.

I am looking for suggestions and what is available.

I hate to think what could have happened and the potential liability.
Thanks to Darlene.

becks · 10-27-2008, 09:42 AM

Looks like some wise lady saved your awning. I suspect dinner will be on you next time out.

JC2 · 10-27-2008, 10:06 AM

jcar6109:
The sponsor of this website is one possible source for the Awning Saver. Good products, good service, prompt delivery.
Awning Saver

RonTon · 10-27-2008, 10:10 AM

John

I use one from this site Awning Lock on my 1999 Chieftain.

Finhawk · 10-27-2008, 11:06 AM

That's really some good information to have. Thanks a lot! I saw a RV in Tucson last March alongside the road with his awning all over the place. That was scary and I'd forgotten all about it

David and Fran · 10-27-2008, 11:51 AM

Great suggestions for the locks! We live in the Oklahoma Panhandle and experience wind too often! We have often wondered just how much movement our awnings were experiencing. We have had two instances while on the road and another while parked here at home when one awning must have deployed slightly as was evidenced by the strap off the awning tube and wrapped around the arm.

smlranger · 10-27-2008, 01:18 PM

This is the awning clamp I have chosen and I recently discovered in killer crosswinds on I-90 between Mitchell and Rapid City, SD that it works. The wind blew so hard from the passenger side of the coach, that it forced my big slide (on the opposite side of the coach)out 3 inches at the top at times. However, the awning stayed put.

Awning Clamp

I had previously installed the Awning Lock but found that unless your awning rolls up to the precisely same position every time, the pin would not always fit into the hole you have drilled in the end cap.

Rapid Ray · 10-27-2008, 03:05 PM

Been there and found a easy solution from people on here.
take your awning rod and rebend to extend end leg about an additional inch or two. Slip the bent leg into the awning groove where the pull cord slips into at the rear end of awning reel. Take the awning rod and strap it to the rear awning arm with anything you can hook and unhook. This insures that the reel can not rotate more than a 1/4 turn before the rod binds and breaks the rotational forces. You always have your rod handy and can't beat the price.

Wayne M · 10-27-2008, 05:40 PM

I bought the Awning Lock directly from the manufacture owner of the product when I had a 5th wheel. This was shortly after traveling down the highway with a crosswind with gusts to 45 mph. The wind gets up under the awning and ratchets it out. I had about 5 feet of awning out and it just shredded it. I bought the awning lock, but the insurance gave me enough money to upgrade to the awning with the weather guard.

Highly recommend them for manual awnings.

I don't know how they would do on an electric one if you forgot to take it of, or even if it would fit.

historyljc · 10-27-2008, 07:13 PM

From the RV Upgrades ad listed above: <BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Note: Do not use with automatic awinings such as the Weather Pro & Girard. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

wagonmaster2 · 10-27-2008, 07:42 PM

It takes a ladder each time to install or remove, but on my '97 Sothwind and now a 2004 Meridian I have used a 79 cent bungee cord to wrap around the mounting bracket then hook onto the little lever that sticks out from the roller. This adds enough additional tension to the roller to keep it from unwrapping in Oklahoma, western Kansas, Colorado, and New Mexico cross winds.
Wagonmaster2

paz · 10-28-2008, 02:27 AM

Those who are suggesting awning locks that lock the roller tube are absolutely correct. Putting zip ties on the arms only solves part of the problem.

Even with the arms locked, the roller tube and the awning fabric can still unroll. There is a pawl that is supposed to engage to prevent this, but the pawl can wear or can vibrate out of position and allow the wind to unroll the fabric, usually with disastrous results.

There are many locks on the market that prevent unwanted movement of the roller tube as well as some pretty effective homemade solutions. IMO, everyone with a manual awning should have a lock that prevents the roller tube from unrolling.

Bagger97 · 10-28-2008, 04:30 AM

I use the awning saver. I chose it due to the no holes drilled installation. Had it for two years now.

Daysu47 · 10-28-2008, 08:16 AM

What about the slide awnings??

We had the living room slide awning, 14 foot, unroll about 2 feet in Kansas and had to stop, extend slide and put it back in to re position the awning. Used bungee cord to secure until we got out of the heavy winds.

Anything out there for the slide topper awnings??

I think they would come out just as easy as the regular awning.

Thanks,

steelheadbluesman · 10-28-2008, 09:32 AM

Good discussion, but unclear regarding use with electric units. Has anyone had a Weather Pro or other "automatic" awning unfurl?

Spikester · 10-28-2008, 11:01 AM

Guess I better get one cause I obviously living on borrowed time. Maybe I should get an awning clamp of some sort!

I been driving motorhomes with manual awnings on them for the past 25 years, sometimes in what I would consider severe winds. To date never had an awning come loose or unfurl. The awning on our Safari had 16 years of continual use. I have always taken great care to make sure it is stowed correctly with all the knobs, handles, clips, levers and etc. set and tight.

Spike

jcar6109 · 10-29-2008, 10:03 AM

Thanks everyone for all the good tips and advice.

As usual the quick responses and information are great.

Oemtech · 10-29-2008, 10:20 AM

Got this solution off the Discovery Owner's site. You just use your awning rod to latch and unlatch the holders.

I also added a center support... a 20' awning will sag and/or bend over time.

NeilV · 10-29-2008, 02:10 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Daysu47:
What about the slide awnings??

We had the living room slide awning, 14 foot, unroll about 2 feet in Kansas and had to stop, extend slide and put it back in to re position the awning. Used bungee cord to secure until we got out of the heavy winds.

Anything out there for the slide topper awnings??

I think they would come out just as easy as the regular awning.

Thanks, </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Which brand topper do you have? The A&E have a small arm mounted to one end of the roller and a stop block that gets installed on the sidewall of the rig that is pretty effective at preventing unfurling when your slide is closed. It works automatically.

The arm or stop block may have fallen off or not been installed properly. It is also possible that the slide may have started to open while you were driving.

Any other type of lock on the slide topper would be pretty unforgiving if you forgot to unlatch it and tried to extend the slide.