robertandjean Posted August 6, 2013 Share Posted August 6, 2013 Now on aire at Charmes, scorching hot day yesterday so many vans had awnings out including our next door neighbour, but most including them, had not pegged the legs down or secured in any way. Come lunchtime today and out of an almost clear blue sky a terrific storm blew up with high winds and torrential rain. Result said awning started sky wards only to be stopped by Jean clinging onto one leg for dear life whilst I dived into garage locker locating winding handle.(The French owners had gone into town for lunch). Luckily awning was same make as ours so handle fitted and with Jean holding on and folding legs were able to retract awning(note how I had the difficult job!!!). When owners appears looking very worried they were more than grateful for what we had done and later in the early evening sunshine offered us an aperitif from there own region. This was a very nice gesture but drinking it was almost as hard as dealing with awning as was 55percent proof and neat!! Seriously message must be never leave an awning out unplugged or when van unattended. _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ips Posted August 6, 2013 Share Posted August 6, 2013 Well done you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayjsj Posted August 6, 2013 Share Posted August 6, 2013 Only 'crazy people' don't 'secure' a wind out awning, even on the hottest day of the year. but some never learn. Nice gesture on your part, you probably saved them 100's of euro's. Ray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe63xnotuse Posted August 7, 2013 Share Posted August 7, 2013 Rayjsj - 2013-08-06 9:39 PM Only 'crazy people' don't 'secure' a wind out awning, even on the hottest day of the year. but some never learn. Nice gesture on your part, you probably saved them 100's of euro's. Ray Yes, agree on both counts. ;-) We were pitched up on Glastonbury festival site earlier in the year, close to a caravan with a huge "traditional" type awning(kitted out with full set of table and chairs, fridge, storage units etc). Anyway,we were sitting outside our van one morning when a gust of wind got up and actually lifted his whole awning off the ground(pivoting from the awning rail).We ran over to help and I commented on how you wouldn't have thought that such a small gust would've pulled all the pegs out?...Only for him to reply: Quote: "..I didn't bother pegging it down because I didn't think it was going to be windy.." ... 8-) It turned out,he hadn't put a single bl**dy peg in this awning...! *-) Clueless!.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ips Posted August 7, 2013 Share Posted August 7, 2013 What an arse, people that thick deserve what they get. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe63xnotuse Posted August 7, 2013 Share Posted August 7, 2013 Yeah...bl**dy caravaners, eh!? *-) .... ;-) (..have you picked it up yet?.....) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ips Posted August 7, 2013 Share Posted August 7, 2013 Ha (lol) I will be one again in about 3 hrs :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted August 7, 2013 Share Posted August 7, 2013 Well done you! But, just for the record, which Charmes? Aisne, Vosges, Haute-Marne, Cote d'Or, or Allier? Not because the location might change the risk of wind, but out of interest. What was the hooch? Marc? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Collings Posted August 7, 2013 Share Posted August 7, 2013 I have seen a couple of shrink wrapped 'vans. Unlike the marketing version that helps to preseve the goods the flapping rail on an awning usually manges to leave substantial damage I sailed dinghys for several years I learned the hard way never to leave canvas unnatended. Its not too critical if it a closed structure like a tent but just a sheet is a wind trap. Even when the weather forcast is for settled conditions on a hot summers day rising warm air can produce short lived but damaging gusts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leake Posted August 7, 2013 Share Posted August 7, 2013 We were down in Cornwall in August. Had the wind out awning out with the legs pegged down, a sunblocker helping to provide stability and two good guy ropes on each leg when the wind suddenly got up with no warning and funnelled down the valley in alarming manner. It with my wife unable to help as she only has one arm that works properly and has damaged the hand on the other it took the help of two wardens to hold the legs down while I released the pegs, sunblocker and guy ropes before winding the awning back in at record speed. Most alarming given that last year I was shown a motorhome that was in for repair having had much of the side ripped out when the awning went over the roof! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted August 7, 2013 Share Posted August 7, 2013 pepe63 - 2013-08-07 8:43 AM Rayjsj - 2013-08-06 9:39 PM Only 'crazy people' don't 'secure' a wind out awning, even on the hottest day of the year. but some never learn. Nice gesture on your part, you probably saved them 100's of euro's. Ray Yes, agree on both counts. ;-) We were pitched up on Glastonbury festival site earlier in the year, close to a caravan with a huge "traditional" type awning(kitted out with full set of table and chairs, fridge, storage units etc). Anyway,we were sitting outside our van one morning when a gust of wind got up and actually lifted his whole awning off the ground(pivoting from the awning rail).We ran over to help and I commented on how you wouldn't have thought that such a small gust would've pulled all the pegs out?...Only for him to reply: Quote: "..I didn't bother pegging it down because I didn't think it was going to be windy.." ... 8-) It turned out,he hadn't put a single bl**dy peg in this awning...! *-) Clueless!.... Yep seen that ;-)..............and they'd only borrowed it for the weekend 8-).......................I bet their parents where pleased with the damage *-)........... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tugga Posted August 7, 2013 Share Posted August 7, 2013 On both trips to France we have had this happen, both times we had storm straps attached and pegged down, including our old caravan storm strap. It is quite frightening when your table and everything on it (including our glasses of wine) and chairs go flying across the pitch. Both times we held onto the awning getting soaked and cold but terrified of the consequences. Table and chairs are much cheaper to replace. When in Yorkshire we tried to impart this news to our neighbours who took no notice. One night we had 10 hours of rain and his awning collapsed and broke a leg at 02.10 hrs. We left them to sort it out on their own as we felt they would learn a better lesson that way :-S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 1footinthegrave Posted August 7, 2013 Share Posted August 7, 2013 Brian Kirby - 2013-08-07 3:48 PM Well done you! But, just for the record, which Charmes? Aisne, Vosges, Haute-Marne, Cote d'Or, or Allier? Not because the location might change the risk of wind, but out of interest. What was the hooch? Marc? Wow Brian, what an astonishing knowledge of the different Charmes, I'm even more curious about your "out of interest" remark, but just out of interest. ;-) We have loads of Talybonts in Wales that may be of interest as well :-S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daviddwight Posted August 8, 2013 Share Posted August 8, 2013 It sounds like Charmes on the Moselle south of Nancy, they had a bad storm in that region at lunch time on the 6th. We left Ancy sur Moselle at lunch time on the 5th are French friends texted us on the 6th and told about the storm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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