Bulletguy Posted July 4, 2018 Share Posted July 4, 2018 I have a Fiamma 45 awning on my van. Very commonplace but wondered if others find the same experience. I notice the slightest breeze and the awning material 'flaps about'....irrespective of whether fully extended or half way out. Whilst the material is strong...somehow it doesn't give me much confidence to leave out overnight, especially after once suffering a bad storm some years ago during the night and waking to find the awning centre like a swimming pool and the legs akimbo! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted July 4, 2018 Share Posted July 4, 2018 Rarely leave mine out overnight but if I do I always ensure that one end is higher than the other so that rain runs off. I thought that was recommended practice. I don't leave it out when any wind is blowing as I've seen them " take off " up and over the van with expensive consequences. :-| Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulletguy Posted July 4, 2018 Author Share Posted July 4, 2018 malc d - 2018-07-04 4:32 PM Rarely leave mine out overnight but if I do I always ensure that one end is higher than the other so that rain runs off. I thought that was recommended practice. I don't leave it out when any wind is blowing as I've seen them " take off " up and over the van with expensive consequences. :-| Likewise yet i've seen other awnings which appear much more firm...eg guy parked next to me with caravan has his fully extended and it barely moves in breeze. Leaves it out overnight too. It's neither pegged or strapped. No brand name marked on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted July 4, 2018 Share Posted July 4, 2018 Paul, Do you have a centre arm on your awning? Ours came with one. and that does make it firmer.I expect you can buy them as an extra We also sometimes anchor it down with a strap over it anchored at each end. PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don636 Posted July 4, 2018 Share Posted July 4, 2018 I have the same concern. If I have the awning extended without any guy ropes and there is a bit of wind the arms fold in and the movement in the material can be quite significant, very noisy and very concerning. The problem is significantly fixed if I attach some guy ropes to each leg as this limits the movement of the arms. I would never leave the awning extended overnight or even unattended during the day as I don't trust it to remain secure. I did once witness an incident with a large RV in America where one of the support legs had cone unclimbed from the side of the van on a windy day. Two guys were struggling to get it under control and one of them released the other leg with the intention of winding it in but the wind caught it and pulled it over the roof of the van. The awning became completely detached, landing some distance away and the roof was peeled back like a sardine tin - what a mess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted July 4, 2018 Share Posted July 4, 2018 We always put guy ropes on the awning legs as well. OH has made two blocks for the leg bases, which help to anchor them down. Awnings are quiet flimsy any way, so better safe than sorry, you can never tell when a a sudden gust might blow up PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted July 4, 2018 Share Posted July 4, 2018 Bulletguy - 2018-07-04 4:15 PM 1) I have a Fiamma 45 awning on my van. Very commonplace but wondered if others find the same experience. I notice the slightest breeze and the awning material 'flaps about'....irrespective of whether fully extended or half way out. 2) Whilst the material is strong...somehow it doesn't give me much confidence to leave out overnight, especially after once suffering a bad storm some years ago during the night and waking to find the awning centre like a swimming pool and the legs akimbo! 1) I have no experience with Fiamma, only Omnistor, Paul, but the two are similar in principle. The maximum tension on the awning fabric can be achieved in two ways. First, by extending the awning until the articulated rafters are fully extended and the fabric has begun to slacken, and then winding back until the fabric tension just begins to flex the rafters. Second, by using an intermediate rafter pole that is inserted between the articulated rafters, and then tensioning the fabric against this. The second method is superior as it a) prevents the fabric ballooning up to flex the articulated rafters in wind, b) provides additional support below the fabric to assist drain-off in heavy rain, and c) (assuming the rafter pole is adjustable for length) allows the fabric to be tensioned with the awning extended only part way. If you find option 1) above doesn't generate satisfactory tension in the fabric, it may be that the tensioning springs in the articulated rafters have weakened. I believe it may be possible to get these re-tensioned? As an aid to maintaining the awning reasonably stable in wind, I attach the two screw-on awning leg "pockets" to the sides of the van, which triangulates the support system between the legs, the lead rail, and the intermediate rafter pole. The stronger the wind the shorter the amount by which I extend the awning, - but beyond a certain point (usually when the fabric begins to slap the rafter poles) the awning gets wound in fully, especially at night. 2) Leaving it extended fully at night is a gambol. Winds spring up at night, especially in mountain valleys, and having to traipse out in the wee small hours to wind back the awning to get rid of the noise of the fabric slapping around is a PITA, so if in doubt I just wind it in - and I still get caught out sometimes! :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geeco Posted July 5, 2018 Share Posted July 5, 2018 Like Brian I have an Orminstor awning that did flap in a light wind when new. I solved the problem with a curved centre rafter and an anti flap kit consisting of two adjustable poles between the MH and the outside section of the awning. The curved rafter helps to keep the fabric tensioned. I always use two guy ropes at each end of the awning for extra strength if a sudden wind blows up. Cheers, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulletguy Posted July 5, 2018 Author Share Posted July 5, 2018 PJay - 2018-07-04 5:10 PM Paul, Do you have a centre arm on your awning? Ours came with one. and that does make it firmer.I expect you can buy them as an extra We also sometimes anchor it down with a strap over it anchored at each end. PJay No, just the legs and 'arms'. I've seen the centre arms so may give that a thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulletguy Posted July 5, 2018 Author Share Posted July 5, 2018 Brian Kirby - 2018-07-04 6:50 PM 2) Leaving it extended fully at night is a gambol. Winds spring up at night, especially in mountain valleys, and having to traipse out in the wee small hours to wind back the awning to get rid of the noise of the fabric slapping around is a PITA, so if in doubt I just wind it in - and I still get caught out sometimes! :-DGeeco - 2018-07-05 8:08 AM Like Brian I have an Orminstor awning that did flap in a light wind when new. I solved the problem with a curved centre rafter and an anti flap kit consisting of two adjustable poles between the MH and the outside section of the awning. The curved rafter helps to keep the fabric tensioned. I always use two guy ropes at each end of the awning for extra strength if a sudden wind blows up. Cheers, Certainly see the advantage of a centre raft pole though must admit i'm rarely on one place for more than a few days (unless the coffee is good!). However there was a pretty serious storm here which would have ripped any awning clean off...guy lines or not! I even closed the roof vents and my awning had long been wound in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted July 5, 2018 Share Posted July 5, 2018 Apparently Omnistor no longer sell the curved central adjustable rafter which I bought as an extra years ago, but there's nothing magical about the idea and a straight one would work just as well - maybe one could even be fabricated by a handy person. Even a length of 1 inch dowling with rubber ends (as sold for walkng sticks) would do the job.But they only stabilise the awning to a limited extent and even a tie down strap with big ground pegs, in my case passed over the folding rafters, under the fabric, will not hold the awning taught reliably in high winds.For that reason I no longer (ever) leave the awning out at night; I use the central extra rafter but I don't bother with tying down and if the wind gets up and anyway before we go in for the night, I wind the awning in to put it away for the night.Our last MH came with what the previous owner referred to, charmingly, as a Safari Park (he mixed his recreations up a bit) but we never used it; too much trouble to put up and too flimsy to risk leaving up overnight. I regard awningenclosures of all kinds as fundamentally unsuitable for motorhomes as we use them (because we move on rather than pitch up for a week or more at a time) and I'm more than content to enjoy watching caravanners have their domestic arguments putting those up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted July 5, 2018 Share Posted July 5, 2018 StuartO - 2018-07-05 8:40 AM Apparently Omnistor no longer sell the curved central adjustable rafter... Have a look on eBay, seem to be quite a few still for sale. Try searching for 'Motorhome awning rafter'. Keith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulletguy Posted July 5, 2018 Author Share Posted July 5, 2018 StuartO - 2018-07-05 8:40 AM Our last MH came with what the previous owner referred to, charmingly, as a Safari Park (he mixed his recreations up a bit) but we never used it; too much trouble to put up and too flimsy to risk leaving up overnight. I regard awning enclosures of all kinds as fundamentally unsuitable for motorhomes as we use them (because we move on rather than pitch up for a week or more at a time) Yes the Safari room things i never quite saw the purpose of unless maybe to use for children, but given the exorbitant cost (from new), any tent would be a damn sight cheaper and more effective too. Main purpose i use my awning for is to shade the van which does help keep it that bit cooler. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted July 5, 2018 Share Posted July 5, 2018 Bulletguy - 2018-07-05 9:42 AM ...... Main purpose i use my awning for is to shade the van which does help keep it that bit cooler. Therein lies another limitation in that the shade in incomplete (for purposes of sitting out in) and moves with the sun, but we have found that Lillipad windblockers, flimsy curtain-like awning extensions, make the awning a much better sun shade. Not sure the awning makes a big difference to keeping the MH cool though, we close the bilnds on the sunny side and open the windows a bit on the other side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulletguy Posted July 5, 2018 Author Share Posted July 5, 2018 StuartO - 2018-07-05 9:54 AM Therein lies another limitation in that the shade in incomplete (for purposes of sitting out in) and moves with the sun, but we have found that Lillipad windblockers, flimsy curtain-like awning extensions, make the awning a much better sun shade. Not sure the awning makes a big difference to keeping the MH cool though, we close the bilnds on the sunny side and open the windows a bit on the other side. Not heard of those but have seen an extension piece of reflective 'see-thru' fabric which attaches to the awning gutter rail when extended and comes approx 1/3rd down. Regards awning/cooling i've certainly found a difference as my van came without. Obviously much depends where you position the van and you can't keep moving it around. I have a Heki 2 rooflight fitted but unless there is a breeze, in strong sun found it best to keep closed with reflective cover in place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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