Cruisers Forum
Main Forum => Tips and Tricks => Topic started by: Ron Dittmer on August 13, 2011, 07:07:15 pm
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We have the older style manual box awning system, not the newer electric type.
Last weekend while we were wrapping up our stay in Dune Lake, MI, a storm came in like a hurricane. We had a lot of things setup under the awning and raced to get it all put away, but not before the winds got extreme. I retracted the side poles so the awning was low at a 45 degree angle to block the rain. My son ended up holding it down as we were not sure the poles would be enough with the wind. Evenually we got everything inside and I quickly cranked up the awning in the pouring rain and wild wind.
Today/Saturday, 6 days later, I thought I would open the awning and dry it out. To my surprise, there were small sticks and leaf clumps rolled up with the awning. They nearly damaged the canopy. They dimpled the material in numerous places, but today's sun helped level out the material. I sprayed bleach on the stains that came from the debris, but only some stains were removed.
Lesson learned: Be sure all debris is off the awning prior to rolling up. Even if done while in the worst of conditions.
Another notation. Because of the conditions while rolling up the awning last week, the awning didn't roll up evenly. The leading edge didn't close all the way, sticking out maybe 1.5" out from the box. To correct the misalignment, we unrolled the entire awning, then carefully rolled it up evenly, and the awning once again closed complete & even with a tight seal to the box.
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I had that "non-tight" seal while in Oregon and ended up doing the same thing Ron. Just unrolled the entire awning and slowly, while watching for any "glitches" rolled it all the way back in. Convinced me to slow down on the rolling, in or out.
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I have found that the electric awning is nice to have at times like that. It rolls in super fast. If you asked me a year ago I would have told you that the electric awning is a waste of money.... I am sold now.
DJM
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What bothers me about the electric awning are the vertical rails mounted on the side of the motor home. I have a "Thing" concerning such things which for the same reasons I insisted the factory give me my roof rack and ladder in pieces, left inside the motor home. I wished I had done the same with the Wineguard antena, leaving it in it's shipping carton. If I ever accidentally punch a huge hole in my front aero-cap and it needs replacing, I'll save my insurance company some money and delete the antena.
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Ron:
I agree with you on the antenna. I would take that in a box too, but not the electric awning. Sometime you have to go with function over form..... roflol
DJM
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Ron: You probably will not like some of the things I done? I have every thing hanging every where, even got an old dirty pair of socks on the back. roflol Not really , but did add a small solar panel just as up keep for the batteries.
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Last week we were without power and living in the PC in our back yard. The only TV we could get was off the air. The antenna at the very least gave us the news and weather reports. The antenna is not the best at picking up all the local stations but it got some of them. I am real glad we had the antenna for this and any future emergences. I am even gladder to have my Directv back in the house with electric power restored. (nod)
Ron the side rails for the awning do not stick out and farther than the door handle, so unless you removed the door handle they should not present any problems.
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About the Winegard antenna. I could see the value in having it during a blackout or similar community crisis like Tom recently experienced. But that is a very rare instance of which then I would resort to the Ford dash radio to stay in-touch with the world. I hope I never have to eat those words and be glad to have the roof antenna after-all because of a community crisis like that where I live here near Chicago.
About stuff screwed on the outside of the motor home........I guess my Fiero/MR2/Corvettte hobby for the past 20 years has me looking at my PC in similar fashion. I don't like added things hanging off the body, disrupting smooth lines and such. I also get into the detailing of my vehicles of which anything added on becomes troublesome with my polisher and such.
But at the same time I wished I had a few extra porch lights for improved campsite lighting, so I contradict myself. (WH)
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Ron I can see your point on the sports cars...but on our big Kleenex box on wheels it is a little different..Thank God we live in the U.S.A where we can each have our own opinion. @Tom. We used our satellite dish that is on top of the mh when our power was out. That is why I don't need the batwing antenna. That was nice to have.
David