Clementine Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 We had a really enjoyable trip to France/Switzerland/Germany apart from our frequent "middle of the night" reefing of sails, oops I mean rolling in the awning, once or twice during a thunderstorm! The awning was creaking and rattling and flailing at the merest puff of wind.! Any Advice on how to secure the Awning better? Thank you in advance! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 We put a strap over the middle of the awing, and anchor with metal pegs, this helps when windy. if it.s going to be windy in the night we always wind it in, as its rattles and keeps me awake We bought webbing for the strap whilst in Spain cost 5 Euros for 10 metres (which is about the minimum length you need.) PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 Tie down straps are available ( e.g. from Fiamma ) but having seen what can happen to awnings when the wind gets up unexpectedly we rarely leave ours out overnight. Even when tied down, if they get ' noisy ' during the night it ain't nice to lay there and listen to it. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe63xnotuse Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 Not matter how many straps you throw over 'em,if a decent gust gets under something with the area of a windout canopy,something is going to give.. Even if it does stay put,it may twist it enough to cause problems with closing... (...and as has been said chance are it'll creak and rattle and keep you awake anyway...) To my mind it's far safer to spend 1min to just wind it back in.... ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Jones Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 We've got a kit of straps and hooks that clips into the front metal panel on the awning and pegs down. It has heavy-duty steel pegs, and seems to cope with most situations, but we still wouldn't leave it out overnight unless we were reasonably confident of the weather. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 I don't think there is any way you can keep them secure and quiet in wind. The only route to peace and security is to wind them in whenever you leave the van, and at night. Different areas have their own wind patterns, some of which are predictable, some unpredictable. For example, the Rhone valley has more winds that just the Mistral, and any are prone to spring up at short notice. Many mountain areas have valley winds that blow up the valley as it warms during the day, and down the valley as it cools at night, some of which are quite intense for short periods. Areas fronting seas often have that mix of on-shore and off-shore winds as the day progresses. If you know the area and its winds, and it is calm and settled, leave it out, but if not, reel it in, or at least shorten it back and tie it down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RogerC Posted August 7, 2012 Share Posted August 7, 2012 Like has been said you can secure it as much as you like but it will most likely still make buffetting/flapping noises if the wind is srtong enough. Regarding tiedowns......just remember something has to be the 'weak point'. So if you solidly tie down the extreme corners there is going to be increased pressure on the canvas roof which in turn will put increased loads on the mounting points. I have seen Fiamma/Omnistor type awnings that have been very well secured suffer bent framework and in one extreme instance rip open in high winds. We have a 'motorsport' type awning on our MH and it is so much stronger than a Fiamma or Omnistor awning. It can take much higher 'wind loading' than either of the foregoing brands but we still either wind it in or fit the full side/front sheets if there are going to be high winds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spartan3956 Posted August 7, 2012 Share Posted August 7, 2012 I have had an awning blow over the top of the MH ripping 3 holes in the side and damage by the legs on the opposite side it happened on a sunny day in the Mosel region of Germany caused by a freak wind. it was a GH awning very strong. Cost of repair £3000. I know never ever use the awning without a tie down strap and in high winds never put it out or retract it if winds become strong. I always use the continuous 50 m/m wide type of tie down straps with the spring attached to one of the substantial pegs they are around £5or £6 and worth every penny. http://www.easternmarine.com/RV-Awning-Tie-Down-Strap-Kit-09253/ Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cattwg Posted August 7, 2012 Share Posted August 7, 2012 Brian Kirby - 2012-08-06 10:16 PM I don't think there is any way you can keep them secure and quiet in wind. The only route to peace and security is to wind them in whenever you leave the van, and at night. I would have to agree with Brian on this. In addition, we always use tie-down straps during the day and additional guy ropes if considered necessary. Cattwg :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted August 7, 2012 Share Posted August 7, 2012 This is one of the reasons I like to put the drive away awning up away from the van and wind the fiamma out to meet it, so if its blowing a gale I can wind the fiamma in and the drive away fends for its self although I do use ratchet straps connected to those curly dog peg thingy's.......... 4 quid for a set of 2 ratchets and 2 dog peg thingy's :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maggyd Posted August 7, 2012 Share Posted August 7, 2012 We bought a brace bar that extends in the middle and we use guy ropes at each corner we also have a slide in front panel which is pegged down, but we would never go to bed and leave it out ;-) only did once on the Mossel when we were assured by a Belgium neighbour that it was going to be a lovely night (lol) O.H was out in the middle of the night bringing it in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leake Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 Wind it in if wind threatens. Remember if you have it tied down and the wind does get up it will be too late then to change your mind and wind it in. I have seen a motorhome in for repair at a dealers where the awning had gone over the top and virtually ripped the side out of the motorhome! Taint worth the risk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clementine Posted August 8, 2012 Author Share Posted August 8, 2012 Thank you so much for your advice, it sounds as if we were lucky not to have any damage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clementine Posted August 9, 2012 Author Share Posted August 9, 2012 Just had a thought, does anybody use the awning with sides, I don't know what they are called, but I wonder if that would be the answer to get two side panels? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 Honestly, Clementine, no! My experience is limited to just one, and its main disadvantage was that it was a time consuming pig to fit. It would help hold the awning pole to the ground, but that is not the source of the noise. The noise is caused when the wind ripples the awning fabric, and it chatters on the rafter poles. In stronger wind the fabric balloons up and, even if the legs are spiked down and guyed, this causes the rafter poles to retract as when winding the awning in. In gusty conditions the rafters then relax, again being re-flexed with the next gusts. If you have ever seen this happen, it becomes quite clear it is not what awnings were designed for! If the guys are so strong they stop the awning ballooning they are, IMO, placing excessive stress on the awning fixings. All that energy has to go somewhere, and a lot of it will be diverted into those fixings and, through them, into the side wall of your van. When that point is reached you have a real problem, as you now need to wind back an awning that wants to get airborne, and that tendency is being resisted only by the guys and side-wall - that you have to remove/release in order to wind it back. One person has to operate the winder, so cannot do much to hold down the awning, leaving the other person to hang onto the awning lead rail and stop it somersaulting over the roof. If there are three of you, or if it is a small awning, you may get away with it, but you will be amazed how much lift an awning develops in a strong wind, especially if the wind is blowing straight into it. Far, far, better IMO to recognise when the wind is getting boisterous, and either wind in, or at least shorten back, the awning. For this reason I never spike down, or guy down, ours. Once the wind begins to rattle it, and definitely if a leg lifts, it gets shortened or fully wound back. Remember also that in many parts of Europe a thunder-storm if often preceded or accompanied by a violent squall. These play real havoc with awnings and you'd be unlikely to be able to drop side walls, release guys, and wind in, once the squall struck. One moment you have still air, the next all hell breaks loose, so all you'd be able to do is watch and pray! :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retread24800 Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 Brian Kirby - 2012-08-09 5:02 PMRemember also that in many parts of Europe a thunder-storm if often preceded or accompanied by a violent squall. These play real havoc with awnings and you'd be unlikely to be able to drop side walls, release guys, and wind in, once the squall struck. One moment you have still air, the next all hell breaks loose, so all you'd be able to do is watch and pray! :-) Tell me!!!! Here it can be beautiful, 30°C 5kph winds but toward the evening we have literally lost a Canvas gazebo with an Orage. Its quite spectacular and made me spill my rosé :-( Wind it in. Its the only sensible solution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clementine Posted August 9, 2012 Author Share Posted August 9, 2012 Thanks Brian, you just saved us over a £ 80 per side panel. I completely forgot, it's the noise which is so awful, I just could not sleep with all that "flapping" and creaking. And I can see that side panels would not solve that problem. Winding in the Awning it is!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe63xnotuse Posted August 10, 2012 Share Posted August 10, 2012 Clementine... We "gave up" on treating our windouts as anything other than expensive sunshade, a long time ago.. (lol) If we're "setting up camp"(that is,chairs,table,bbq etc,to remain outside),we use one of these and have done for 5 years or so. http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/membershop/bd_easicanopy.asp It just slips into the groove on the windout body.I *think* the later ones have both a 4mm & 6mm bead,so they'd fit both Fiamma and Omnistor grooves(our's only has 6mm). I do slide a couple of webbing/luggage straps around each end of the awning casing/body,to help take any strain off the "closure mechanism"... Obviously the fabric will still flap(so not "storm proof" ;-) )but if used in "mundane conditions",my reasoning is,if it *does* let go,it's only a piece of fabric that'll be flapping about...and NOT a load of aluminium framework beating seven bells out of the van... (lol) (..although Sod' Law probably dictates that it'll somehow manage to grab a peg and whip it through the side of the van?!?.. :-S *-) ). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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