Tip of the Month

Things to watch for when using your side-mount Awning System

Close your eyes and picture it!! It's a beautiful, clear, Summer morning at the campground. the birds are singing and you've just filled your favorite old coffee mug to the rim with piping hot joe. The sun has just crept over the horizon and you can literally watch the day shake itself loose from the pre-dawn grayness that has enveloped it for the last 10 or so hours. You head outside to enjoy that first cup of coffee in the shade of your side-mounted awning. You pull up a chair and watch the dew drip from the fringe of the awning fabric while you enjoy that first sip.

Hey, wait a minute!! I hope you're not telling me that you left that awning out all night are you? If so, I certainly hope that you anchored the thing down with some good heavy duty tie-down straps and anchor pins!! If not, you're just plain lucky that no storms blew in during the night and ripped your trusty awning to shreds. Worse yet, it could have rolled your whole camper 90 degrees and you might have found yourself sleeping on the hookup side wall with your alarm clock ticking happily away on your chest!!!

RV awnings are fantastic options for extending the living space of your camper into the great outdoors. However, one must keep in mind that, to a gust of wind, they look and act like a huge para-sail! Adding insult to injury, the things are not inexpensive to replace. The average camper awning can cost anywhere from $500 to upwards of $2,500 depending on your particular brand, model or accessories.

Look, let's just cover a few points that might just save you a lot of hassle and moolah should an un-forecast storm arise.

let's establish some basic ground rules.

1. NEVER leave your awning extended if there is any chance that a heavy wind storm could arise unless the roller tube at the front is tied down with heavy duty anchor straps. Even with these straps, the wind can rip the awning right off of the camper. My recommendation is simple ... if it might storm ... put the awning down.

2. NEVER leave your awning extended when you're not going to be in the immediate vicinity for any extended period of time. Storms are unpredictable and can pop up before you know it.

3. Even when properly tied down, ALWAYS leave one end of the awning a few inches lower than the other so that the water has a place to run off. I recommend doing this on the side that is farthest from the main entry door. Even though your awning LOOKS like it might shed water over the fringe ok, rest assured, it will NOT! The fabric will stretch to allow the first quart or so to stand. Then as more rain falls, it stretches to accommodate gallon then 10 gallons then ... you get the picture. Ya'll ... water weighs 8.33 lbs per US gallon!! 50 gallons weighs an amazing 416.5 lbs and will literally tear the arms off of your camper if it can't find a way off.

Don't be afraid to use your awning. Just use some common sense and you'll save yourself some serious dollars and hassle.