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Topic: Wind and awnings (Read 1130 times) previous topic - next topic

Wind and awnings

We have the ZipDee awnings on our coach. Right now I have the big awning out, along with the two bedroom awnings and the kitchen/salon one. The wind is about 12 mph with gusts predicted of up to 20 or so. How much wind can these awnings tolerate? Should I pull in the big one? It is 91 outside right now.

Re: Wind and awnings

Reply #1 –
David, pretty sure the automatic awnings retract at 22mph as a guide.

 But, the zipdee awnings are much stronger.  Depends on too if you have the bracer bars hooked back to the top of the awning.

I for one don't want to test this max wind speed :o

Unless we're out and get a blow up wind or storm, the 3minutes it takes to put ours in is not worth the risk. Same with the tv antenna ^.^d
The selected media item is not currently available.
My advice and experiences are Free, you decide if they are worth anything .

John - driving Old Faithful
1994 U280 GV
C8.3, Banks, Pacbrake, 900 watts, Resonator, XLHD tow dolly
Retired Army Warrant Officer

Life is what you make of it - if it is lemons, make lemonade!
Former Coaches:
1988 GV 40' ORED 300HP CAT - 9 years
1990 Winnebago LeSharo - 3 years
2000 Newmar London Aire - 3 years (#18 of 23 produced)

Re: Wind and awnings

Reply #2 –
The little ZipDee awnings are a lot hardier than the long ones.  Unless they are flapping mightily, I don't worry much about those. We have a fairly long awning that runs the length of our slide and also acts as a slide "topper".  It has a bit of play, so I have retracted that one at times and, in the case of a ferocious storm, have even brought the whole slide in to secure it.  The PATIO awning is another kettle of fish.  When we had a manual awning and I was able to tie it to anchors in the ground, I still made sure that I could release those and bring it in pretty quickly.  This automatic awning is no longer automatic, as the wind sensor was broken when we purchased the coach. Automatic awnings cannot be anchored to the ground.  I NEVER lose track of the remote.  The rule of thumb that I heard was,"If it is too windy to sit outside comfortably, it is too windy for your awning."  I would say that if it seems too windy for a patio umbrella, it is too windy for an awning.  I NEVER leave the coach with the awning extended, of course, and if I hear that there may be wind gusts I stay in a state of readiness.  All that being said ... when it is 91, you want as much shade as you can get.  Enjoy the awning, but stay poised.  they are fairly tough, but only as strong as the screws anchored into the side of the coach!
Carol & Jeff Savournin
Usta have a '93 U225 36', Usta have a '95 U320 40', Usta have a '02 U320 40'
Usta have a 2006 Born Free, Usta have a 2011 Phoenix Cruiser
Usta have a 2012 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited 4dr
"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life."  Steve Jobs

Re: Wind and awnings

Reply #3 –
I just pulled the patio awning in. That is on the east side of the coach, so it isn't providing a lot of shade right now. The wind is calm one minute and then big gusts the next, so I decided not to risk it. The two little awnings for the bedroom are still out, as is the larger one for the kitchen/salon. That one and one bedroom awning are on the west side, so I'll leave them for now. I may pull them in this evening anyway, just in case. Yes, I'm watching the weather.

Re: Wind and awnings

Reply #4 –
Getting a bit of rain now, so I'm glad I pulled the patio awning in. Doesn't look like it will amount to much, and it certainly isn't cooling things off any.

Re: Wind and awnings

Reply #5 –
I have had ours out and strapped down when all others in the rv parks put theirs in.  In 7 years I can't remember a storm that I put mine in. I always strap the ends of the big awning down. Now I have had to put up smaller awnings because wind was so bad it was flopping them around. Never a problem with big awning.
Jeff and Victoria Moses
1990 U300 40'

Re: Wind and awnings

Reply #6 –
I put a tie from each corner of the big patio awning to the ground almost any time it is out.  I leave it just a bit loose to allow for some movement.  Same with the awning over the slide if it looks like it is going to be windy.  If it is going to be raining or windy I lower the outer edge of the patio awning when it is out.

Last time in Big Bend Nat Park we had overnight winds in the 50 mph range.  Patio awning got rolled up during a lull at 3 in the morning. All of the others were OK.

If there is any doubt, roll them up.

Roger
Roger Engdahl and Susan Green
2001 U320 3610 #5879 (Home2) - 2014 Jeep Cherokee or 2018 F150
Hastings, MN

Re: Wind and awnings

Reply #7 –
Quote from: kb0zke –
I just pulled the patio awning in. That is on the east side of the coach, so it isn't providing a lot of shade right now. The wind is calm one minute and then big gusts the next, so I decided not to risk it. The two little awnings for the bedroom are still out, as is the larger one for the kitchen/salon. That one and one bedroom awning are on the west side, so I'll leave them for now. I may pull them in this evening anyway, just in case. Yes, I'm watching the weather.

Dipping one of the awning arms adds to the wind speed the main awnings will withstand.
"Riding and rejoicing"
Bob
1997 U320 40' Mid entry, build 5132,  wtbi ce27, 4th owner
2007 Solara convertible
2 prodeco tech outlaw ss electric bikes

1095 watts solar
08 Ls 460 and a sc430
2000 Ford F-250 superduty 4x4

Re: Wind and awnings

Reply #8 –
After that little bit of rain yesterday I was out and saw some CU building up, so I pulled all of the awnings in. Within five minutes the wind really kicked up and a few minutes later the rains started. For maybe 10 minutes or so the street side of the coach got a power wash. A couple of little showers later and all was gone. The neighbors had small branches down all over their yard, but we didn't have any problems.

Re: Wind and awnings

Reply #9 –
We are presently parked at the Thousand Trails Crescent Bar location, just along the Columbia River in Quincy, WA. Last afternoon the wind gusts began. They continued intermittently into the evening and at times were really getting my attention!  Jeff's hearing is such that he cannot hear the wind rushing by ... but he heard it yesterday!  the fact that there were gusts strong enough to really rock the coach were another eye opener.  Before retiring my "Ahh ... Don't worry about it. Trust me!" husband went out and retracted all the small window awnings.  We both slept better!
Carol & Jeff Savournin
Usta have a '93 U225 36', Usta have a '95 U320 40', Usta have a '02 U320 40'
Usta have a 2006 Born Free, Usta have a 2011 Phoenix Cruiser
Usta have a 2012 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited 4dr
"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life."  Steve Jobs

Re: Wind and awnings

Reply #10 –
There is a old sailing adage "When you start to think about reefing, it's time to reef"  (shorten sail because of increasing wind) Good thing to remember with awnings too.


Keith
Keith, Joyce & Smokey the Australian Cattle Dog
1995 U320 SE Extreme 40' WTBI Build # 4780, with a Honda CR-V hopefully still following behind.
Motorcade # 17030
FMCA # F422159

Re: Wind and awnings

Reply #11 –
We don't use the large patio awning anymore, except to pull it down to clean it. We think of it as a sail and don't like to drag anchor.

Window awnings are down on sunny side up when sunny side has moved to other side of motorhome or sun has turned into a moon.

All window awnings up when we are not home or when raining or when our Davis wind-speed display says "kite flying weather"

Our Window Max do allow us to open windows a little, when raining.

Re: Wind and awnings

Reply #12 –
I'll add +1 to Keith's remark about "if you think about it... it's time to do it". This saying absolutely holds true in sailing and we adhere to it with awnings also.

If we wonder if it's time, we pull it in.

We pull it in every night without fail (ok... maybe one fail now and then). We have both had too many good night's sleep interrupted by an awning that was in danger of ripping apart.

We spent a few nights on a local lake famous for wind squalls (Blue Lake, part of the Sun Lakes north of Soap Lake, WA). The highway (WA 18) runs between the lake and the rimrock cliffs but there are large gravel aprons where free drycamping is allowed. Many folks camp here in trailers and motor homes and fish next to their campsite. One morning dawned after a particularly blustery night to show several twisted and bent awnings up and down the lake side.

Ours was fine. We had brought it in. But our son and daughter - sleeping in a tent next to our rig - were almost rolled up (tent, sleeping bags, and all) intot he lake by the wind.

Craig
1993 U225 36' Unihome GV with PACBRAKE exhaust retarder, Banks Stinger and Solar Panels.
Toad: 1999 Jeep Wrangler 2-door soft-top.

"No one has ever had to evacuate a city because the solar panels broke."

Re: Wind and awnings

Reply #13 –
I've been RVing for over 30 years,  but only the last six in an RV with awnings.  That probably explains why our awnings are infrequently deployed.  It takes an incredibly hot sunny day for a window awning to be opened.  The Girard gets a little more use,  but only when actually needed,  and not when it's time to put in a reef (windy)  or any rain more than a light mist is likely.

I just had the Girard wind sensor replaced with one of the new ones with replaceable cups.  Nice to have auto retract available just in case I get caught in a sudden squall. But I need to have the inverter running if dry camping.
Tom Lang K6PG (originally  KC6UEC)
and Diane Lang
2003 38 U295 build 6209
2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit Ecodiesel
still have tow-ready 2006 Acura MDX 
Temple City, California
Motorcade 16681 California Chapter President
SKP 16663 member of SKP Park of the Sierra, Coarsegold California
FMCA F071251
Retired electrical and electronic engineer