Self supporting awnings (1 Viewer)

May 8, 2011
3,834
47,991
God's county. Helmsley, North Yorkshire.
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16,317
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IH Tio 630 RL
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Since April 1846 but have always camped.
Does anyone have any experience of these? I remember a while ago seeing a video of these on YouTube but can't find it. It seemed to be standing up to quite high winds.
Thanks
 

slobadoberbob

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Jun 1, 2009
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1,960
Kent, garden of England
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6,953
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Winnebago 23' something
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25 years & counting
they have self closer units on them

Copied from this on the RV's most have a wind sensor unit that closes them if the wind picks up... a lot of the newer RV's have them (electric awnings)

But the older A & E type with a strap down system and arms that are attached to the vehicle seem still to be popular. I often see owners of Euro Box motor homes taking there awning in as soon as there is any wind... we have had a lot of blustery wind these past few days. My awning has been out 24/7 .....

some of the RV owners that have them seem to still use straps to make sure they do not escape. i.e blow up and over the vehicle..

I looked at the video and yes great idea.. would save a lot of time setting up. you pay your money and decide.


Bob

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Brian and Jo

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Sep 24, 2007
3,002
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oswestry,shropshire
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368
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A-Class N+B Arto 88F
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Been motorhoming for 15yrs.had an American RV for 7yrs,Now got a Niesmann Bischoff Arto 88F
self

is those type of awnings you mean or the drive away type,where you erect the awning along side the motorhome and secure it to the motorhome with various ties.then you can release the ties and drive away for the day leaving your awning still erected:thumb:we had one a few years ago when we had our CI motorhome,they are very handy,giving loads of extra living space or storage space but also giving you the freedom to go off the pitch for the day:thumb:
regards brian jo and josh
 

darklord

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Apr 28, 2011
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I have asked our dealer, to fix the locating clamps for the awning to the side of the motorhome, instead of having the legs locate on the ground, I would then use good straps to fix the awning to the ground inplace of the legs, hopefullymaking a much more secure unit.........is my thinking wrong do you reckon?

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Peter JohnsCross MH

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Deceased RIP
Jan 5, 2008
9,617
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East Sussex
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Autotrail
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1995
I have asked our dealer, to fix the locating clamps for the awning to the side of the motorhome, instead of having the legs locate on the ground, I would then use good straps to fix the awning to the ground inplace of the legs, hopefullymaking a much more secure unit.........is my thinking wrong do you reckon?

Beware because if the straps get pulled out or loose, the van walls will get well and truly knackered ! :cry::cry::cry:

If its very windy put your awning back in its box.

Peter
 

darklord

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Apr 28, 2011
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Did,nt think of that, cheers:thumb:

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sedge

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Jul 7, 2009
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I would have to say, the awning is about the least used bit of our motorhome. Even when it's sunny it's often very windy and to us if we are touring and stopping on aires, you can't really batten down (although some people do stay a fortnight and have everything including tents and the kitchen sink out and use two pitches at least LOL - we are very law abiding and don't)

If you really need to batten down then I'd be very dubious about leaving it out anyway TBH.

Funnily enough when I first saw the mountings for the legs on the side of M'Hs 3 years ago now, I said 'ooh what a good idea!' then my Pete said exactly the same as what Peter from John's Cross has just said. Not, then ....
 

TheBig1

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Nov 27, 2011
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many many years! since I was a kid
it suprises me that anyone would actually want to fit a self supporting canopy awning to their motorhome wall. Basic physics should tell you that the awning would act as a lever against the wall, which is only made of very light materials. Add in gusts of wind increasing the upwards and/or downwards forces, and they become the recipe for disaster.

Think of a shelf fitted to a plasterboard wall. fine if you dont load it up too heavy. however extend the width and start pushing it up and down on the outside edge. if your lucky it will just shear of the screw fixings, but more likely you will get big holes left in the wall.

now take the same concept and fit an 8ft wide awning/shelf to your van wall....no thankyou

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aba

Free Member
Oct 27, 2009
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yorkshire
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I have asked our dealer, to fix the locating clamps for the awning to the side of the motorhome, instead of having the legs locate on the ground, I would then use good straps to fix the awning to the ground inplace of the legs, hopefullymaking a much more secure unit.........is my thinking wrong do you reckon?

if you are putting the legs on to the side of the van you need to strap back to the side of the van otherwise your wasting your time.

also i hope you got the metal clamps and not the plastic ones that break and wreck your van.
 
Oct 2, 2011
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Coachbuilt
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Since 2011
I'm booked in to get an awning fitted at St Johns Cross soon so I will take advice on these type of mounts.:thumb:
 

aba

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Oct 27, 2009
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yorkshire
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dec 2009
the forces are increased if you anchor a moving object to a fixed object the strongest way to anchor an awning is to fix it back to the van then as the van moves in the wind so does the awning and vice versa.

it is only as strong as its weakest bit so if you fix it to the ground (which isn't going to break) the weak point moves from the leg just sat on the ground to the next weakest item and so on until the weakest bit happens to be the sidewall of the motorhome.

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