Awning thoughts - RV-Dreams Community Forum

GENECOP · RV-Dreams Family Member

Awning thoughts

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

Gene,

I have to agree with you. We're static full-timers and seldom put the awnings out. After all, this is Oklahoma "where the winds come sweeping down the plains", and we don't risk the awnings much. On a couple of occasions it has been out and it rained or we turned on the sprinkler while it was out. I usually try to make sure both top and bottom are dry before putting it back in. If I have to retract them, I put them back out as soon as the wind goes down so they can dry.

Mold can be an issue. I know that the material is different, but when I was a kid, we always put our tents back up after we got home from vacation just to make sure that they weren't damp when we stored them for the year. As for the screen room, I don't have an answer for that one.

Terry

flyone · RV-Dreams Family Member

Gene, they don't stay wet very long after the sun comes back out. That is what you bought it for if you wish to set under it in the rain go ahead my friend. The only difference may be how often you need to clean it. But you will have to clean it at some point. IMO if you got use it, Just Say'n.

Flyone

53 Merc · RV-Dreams Family Member

I have packed up wet many times. Only caveat is that when I get home, or the weather clears enough, I take it back out and let it dry. If it has to stay put up long enough, you maight get a bit of mildew. If so, it is easy to clean up. Mix up a weak solution of TSP and water with a touch of bleach (tri-sodium-phosphate and sodium hypochlorite), spray on with some type of spray bottle and roll it up. Wait a couple of hours and unroll and rinse well. Should have removed the mildew stains. If not, get out the Awesome cleaner, dilute at least 50 percent, spray on the awning, scrub with your RV scrub brush, roll it up, wait a couple of hours. Unroll it again and rinse well. Cleans top and bottom both.
Anyway, wet is not the end of the world. We all have had to do it at one time or another. Trick is to dry it as soon as you can.

GENECOP · RV-Dreams Family Member

Thanks for the feedback, I definately like the "If you got it use it" approach, I don't know about everyone else, but sitting out in the rain(protected) is something I really love......

The Bear II · RV-Dreams Family Member

My 17 year old Carefree awning has been put away wet many times. Occasionally I will roll it out to dry, but there have been many times when I haven't been able to get to it.

I have had some white mold or calcium spots show up (half dollar sized) usually at the spring tube. But these clean off with a soap and water mix using a soft brush.

The awning is beginning to show some wear at the corners where the awning slides into the channel on the 5th wheel. But overall it still looks as good as it did new.

One of our fondest memories is sitting in our faviorite campsite right on the Pacific Ocean in August, it was dark and a light rain. I had just grilled some steaks on the BBQ. We had the awning out, it was warm and we ate dinner under the awning listening to the rain, the crackling fire and the ocean waves. Just about the time we finished our meal, fireworks were visibible from the fairgrounds about six miles away. What a spectacular meal all made possible due to our awning.

I've left it out during heavy downpours that lasted all day, just setup one end of the awning lower for good runoff.

Now ours is the old fashinoned manual type awning, I've been amazed at how strong it has been through gusting winds, heavy rain and monthly use for the past 17 years.

Cindy T · RV-Dreams Family Member

I have to agree with the got it-use it crowd. We're in Colorado & during the summer we often get afternoon rain showers. Many times I've sat under the awning in the afternoon during a downpour - it's great! Usually we have been able to stay put & let the awning dry naturally by itself but sometimes have had to roll it up wet. If that's the case, we just towel it off & let it "air out" when it's not raining. No problems with the awning at all. Get out there & enjoy your awning! biggrin

Cindy T

Melstar · RV-Dreams Family Member

When in Florida in the months of March and April....we loved our awning. I feel it makes the coach feel more cozy! We had two days of severe storms with wind and rain....rolled it up for those storms.....but the rest of the time we were there it was very windy with bright sunshine....he just got big straps and tied ours down. Of course, we don't have the automatic kind. We had to secure it even in the sunshine.

Waggin Tails · RV-Dreams Family Member

I fall into the "got it - use it' camp. We've only had our FW for a couple of months now and are not yet full time. While in a park, the awning is out. While at my S/B, it's rolled up. I found it interesting that after weeks of no rain, the fabric seems to get wet when it stays rolled up. If we had a lot of rain, this would explain the wetness. I believe morning condensation, like dew on the grass, causes this wetness.

heyduke · RV-Dreams Family Member

if it is raining you can bet my awning is out and i am sitting under it... love it...

Racerguy · RV-Dreams Family Member

This is pretty much a common sense issue. Use it when you want and if you have to roll it up while wet do so.Then open it as soon as possible and dry it out, just don't leave it rolled up for months on end if it's wet.

TxYellowRose · RV-Dreams Family Member

We are in the "got it, use it" crowd. We are also static right now, working in NJ.

Our electric awning is deployed and staked solidly: ratcheted straps with stakes in ground at one end and the other has a bungee cord attached to the strap and then wrapped around the awning arm/support. This setup keeps things firmly in the ground but at the same time allows some "give."

Of course, we have brought it in when really severe weather has come along. The way he has it set up does not take long to break down. We then just push the switch and the awning rolls up.

Okay, the font size is going wacky on me this evening!

That being said, over the July 4th weekend a really severe storm "snuck up" on us. It happened so quickly (even with monitoring interactive radar, etc.) that all I had time to do was grab Maggie and make a dash for the safety of the mill. (Dave was out on an errand. He had called to let me know he had pulled off the road in town, where tree branches were snapping and flying past him.)

Expecting bent awning supports at the least when the storm passed, lo and behold our Monty never batted an eye or an awning flap or whatever in winds that were reported as being 60+ MPH. Wow! (There was damage in the community with power lines and trees down, etc. We were without power for about 30 hours.)

Not that we would intentionally leave the awning deployed in a future similar situation, it is nice to know we have a sturdy rig!

So, deploy with gusto, enjoy the coziness of sitting out in the shade or the rain . . . with good judgement!

Cheers from living the dream in NJ!