An awning tie down question

[JHuwJ]

We have a Fiamma 45S wind out awning at the moment and I have a tie down system for windy days. It is sturdy, works well and being yellow is harder to walk in to in low light.

Our new van has a Thule wind out awning. I’d like to keep using out current tie down system system but, from what I can see, I will need to do a bit of a conversion to make it fit. Has anyone converted their Fiamma tie down so that it will work with a Thule awning.

 

[David and Sally]

I accidentally bought a s/hand Fiamma tie down for our Thule.

Will watch this thread.

 

[Gellyneck]

Guess you could fabricate the metal parts that connect to the Thule legs and attach them to your Fiamma straps assuming your current straps are the ones that attach to the front awning plate.
You'd need a triangular loop, an S shaped hook and cranked plate that fits through the Thule leg.

 

[Howard B]

We have a Fiamma 45S wind out awning at the moment and I have a tie down system for windy days. It is sturdy, works well and being yellow is harder to walk in to in low light.

Our new van has a Thule wind out awning. I’d like to keep using out current tie down system system but, from what I can see, I will need to do a bit of a conversion to make it fit. Has anyone converted their Fiamma tie down so that it will work with a Thule awning.

I found a couple of small carabiners that fit through the gaps on the top of the legs which worked. However I tend to use ratchet straps or the single long Fiamma strap now.

 

[JHuwJ]

Guess you could fabricate the metal parts that connect to the Thule legs and attach them to your Fiamma straps assuming your current straps are the ones that attach to the front awning plate.
You'd need a triangular loop, an S shaped hook and cranked plate that fits through the Thule leg.

My metalwork is not so hot these days. I guess I might have some luck looking through the odds and ends at our local hardware store.

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[JHuwJ]

I found a couple of small carabiners that fit through the gaps on the top of the legs which worked. However I tend to use ratchet straps or the single long Fiamma strap now.

Do you by any chance have a picture of what you are using?

 

[L' Hobo]

We have a Fiamma 45S wind out awning at the moment and I have a tie down system for windy days. It is sturdy, works well and being yellow is harder to walk in to in low light.

Our new van has a Thule wind out awning. I’d like to keep using out current tie down system system but, from what I can see, I will need to do a bit of a conversion to make it fit. Has anyone converted their Fiamma tie down so that it will work with a Thule awning.

I always wind in my awning in every night but in addition, screw in pegs for the legs using an impact driver and to be doublely sure during the day, for years I have used a very long ratchet strap I've had from my long ago trucking days, looped just behind the top of the legs at the front of the awning and secured each side of the wound out awning by 2x 18 inch long Big Top pegs, driven into the ground by a club hammer

98% of the time it's overkill but I've seen what a sudden gust of wind can do to an expensive awning & motorhome!

 

[Howard B]

Do you by any chance have a picture of what you are using?

Amazon.co.uk

 

[Dorwyn]

Use an S clip around the top of the legs where it attaches to the awning rail. You can easily flick it off in a storm.

 

[Dorwyn]

Use an S clip around the top of the legs where it attaches to the awning rail. You can easily flick it off in a storm

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[David and Sally]

Use an S clip around the top of the legs where it attaches to the awning rail. You can easily flick it off in a storm

We heard you the first time

 

[Dorwyn]

Sorree! Eager fingers!!

 

[NR]

(-:

 

[royandsharont]

JHuwJ I think you are asking this because the Thule slot is on the inside of the header rather than on the outside on the Fiamma.

I now have a Thule and use Thule fittings but I don’t like them compared to the Fiamma ones, which I think are better. I’m sure my Fiamma metal connections will fit inside the track of the Thule header but I personally have not used them. However a good friend I believe uses his old Fiamma ones all the time on his Thule canopy so presume it must be doable

 

[Dorwyn]

JHuwJ I think you are asking this because the Thule slot is on the inside of the header rather than on the outside on the Fiamma.

I now have a Thule and use Thule fittings but I don’t like them compared to the Fiamma ones, which I think are better. I’m sure my Fiamma metal connections will fit inside the track of the Thule header but I personally have not used them. However a good friend I believe uses his old Fiamma ones all the time on his Thule canopy so presume it must be doable

I definitely prefer the Fiamma fittings, I particularly like the snap fit plastic connectors. It saved my bacon, or more particularly my awning, when we were hit with an amber alert out of a sunny blue sky in the south west France. With an S clip, you can knock it out just as quickly. But it's not as neat! Some people hate Fiamma accessories. I find them often to be good.

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[GAVLAD]

I use the Thule storm straps and also use a ratchet strap attached at either end to long steel pegs with D shackles. the long running end over the top of the end panel. Also use the U shape plates on the legs which are pegged down.
If I end up in Africa, I’ll let you know that it didn’t work out as well this year

 

[cyberyacht]

I pop-riveted a couple of large S/S lacing eyes, (from any boat chandlers) to the front face of mine and hook the straps into those.

 

[CV20Bobby]

I use these , it’s a Dometic but I use my old Thule straps . I used them on the legs at the top as per normal way of fitting but it loosened the leg fixings to the main beam and one of the legs came off

So I now use these in the Kador strip groove on the front of the main beam , hence no strain on the awning legs.

 

[L' Hobo]

I pop-riveted a couple of large S/S lacing eyes, (from any boat chandlers) to the front face of mine and hook the straps into those.

I hope the pop rivets were steel one and not the soft alloy ones?

 

[funflair]

I definitely prefer the Fiamma fittings, I particularly like the snap fit plastic connectors. It saved my bacon, or more particularly my awning, when we were hit with an amber alert out of a sunny blue sky in the south west France. With an S clip, you can knock it out just as quickly. But it's not as neat! Some people hate Fiamma accessories. I find them often to be good.

They were the second thing to break on ours, the first was the pegs bent as soon as they were knocked in (replaced with solid steel pegs) we then changed vans a had a Thule awning so I took off the top plate and fitted a couple of hooks that go over the top of the legs, basically all I kept was the webbing and the springs (which I cable tied on so they don't keep coming off).

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[Dorwyn]

It seems fairly random which makes we prefer and which things break. I've had most makes that I can think of, initially all Fiamma, so perhaps the fact that I started on those makes them familiar to me. Some interesting ideas came up though.

 

[CV20Bobby]

I also bought these ( after some Funster recommendations) strap fixings not an issue but limits the length of the awning but ideal if you need some shade quickly . Only issue is make sure the awning legs line up with somewhere where they can be fitted to the van .

 

[SarahBattyll]

I also bought these ( after some Funster recommendations) strap fixings not an issue but limits the length of the awning but ideal if you need some shade quickly . Only issue is make sure the awning legs line up with somewhere where they can be fitted to the van .



View attachment 1089967

How did you get on with these? I was worried in 15 knots they would flex the metalwork and potentially leave ripples or creases in bodywork. Would love your feedback

 

[CV20Bobby]

It’s a campervan , metal body work , fixed low down ( in my case lower bottom right of passenger door) the rear one just in front of rear bumper low down, Elddis CV20 . No issues . Keep them low down and not in middle of any bodywork panel on a metal van

Put the awning out and measure out where the legs will line up with the van , some vans may have plastic trim , wheel , fuel filler flap etc in the way before you buy to make sure they will fit.

 

[Mleabon]

anyone used these?

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[Gellyneck]

View attachment 1090546anyone used these?

I looked at these a year or two back but at c£70 decided to make up something similar from an old plastic chopping board the better half was throwing out. Not got around to getting screw-in pegs yet, right enough!

If you want to put the awning away the awning foot just pulls out of the slot. OK, you might have to move a few stones from the slot to let it do so!

Total cost, so far, £2.99 for 12 hammer in pegs!

 

[POH]

View attachment 1090546anyone used these?

yes i use them all the time I like the foot plates normally use the metal screws knock in with hammer out with a drill or the supplied key along with the Thule straps and two of the ones with triangle bit on with ratchet , I have not used the plastic screws yet so can't comment but the foot plates are brilliant and only take a few seconds to release , can't show a piccie as van parked on drive .

 

[Mleabon]

I looked at these a year or two back but at c£70 decided to make up something similar from an old plastic chopping board the better half was throwing out. Not got around to getting screw-in pegs yet, right enough!

If you want to put the awning away the awning foot just pulls out of the slot. OK, you might have to move a few stones from the slot to let it do so!

Total cost, so far, £2.99 for 12 hammer in pegs!

View attachment 1090578

Good idea. Its mainly the screw in pegs I think could be good. Combined with a battery drill driver.

 

[Gellyneck]

Good idea. Its mainly the screw in pegs I think could be good. Combined with a battery drill driver.

I'll eventually get around to getting screw-in pegs for them when I remember to put a drill driver in the motorhome!

 

[PeterShea]

This sort of thing works for us (when the plastic buckles broke on the original). Use tent pegs, plus the original springs, and loop through the cross bars and hook back onto the strap. Alternatively, is you can get one with the correct size of hook, you might be able to hook onto the cross bars directly rather than looping and hooking onto itself.