Awning tension

[james_374308220]

Our caravan is a Lunar LX 2000 and we have a Sunncamp prestige awning. Despite several attempts we can not get the awning correctly tensioned to prevent water from pooling on the roof. This has already led to the awning collapsing and damaging some poles. The van is on a pitch that slopes along the length of the van and to level the van the back end is close to the ground. When the awning is set up water always pools on the roof at the top of the slope. Any help anyone can give would be great

 

[ValA.]

Do you have just three 'roof poles'? If so, then buy a couple of extra lengths of awning pole, with a joint which can be tensioned, the width of your awning, two clip-on awning pads which slide along your awning channel, and two u clips to clip to the front poles. Use these between the caravan and the front of your awning, between your normal awning poles, and make sure that you tension them and all your existing poles when first erected, and then again three or fours hours later, then again at the end of 24 hours when they've warmed and cooled down.

 

[james_374308220]

No I have five roof poles that came with the awning and despite tensioning all of them still cannot get the roof tight

 

[ColinA]

do you use a tesioning tool?

Colin

 

[BigRoy]

james, I'm assuming your van is on a seasonal pitch so you can't be there all of the time to push the water off.

Pitching on a slope that runs the length of the van will always cause pooling on the awning roof at the top of the slope because you lose the "fall".

If you look at the roof along the high part of the slope you will see that it is almost level, not letting the water drain away.

The only thing you can do is to try to get the awning level with the van by dropping it down on the high part of the slope so that it doesn't follow the slope of the ground

 

[JeremyClarksson]

I am still experimenting with this but it seems to have worked so far in some fairly adverse conditions.

I get the frame fully set up in the awning, loosen all the poles slightly, peg the skirt down as low as possible, tighten the horizontal poles first followed by the vertical poles and this seems to give a nice tight roof.

If there still seems to be a danger of pooling on one side in negligible or light wind conditions I have moved and extended the extra pole in the middle so it runs from the caravan side apex to the outer corner like an "N", this cuts across the area where pooling is likely and gives a run off over the corner of the awning.

In heavier winds I have kept it straight for the extra strength and the wind normally seems to blow the rain off anyway.

Like I said - still experimenting - so would like to hear other ideas, valid criticism or views.

 

[james_374308220]

Yes the van is on a seasonal pitch to try to make more use of the van and i have bought a tensioning tool. we own six dogs that we take away with us so really need the awning and don't want to have to set up and take down the awning every time we go away for a weekend, or tow the trailer to take the awning home on the off chance it may rain while we are there and cant dry it off. Last time we set the awning up i did drop that end but perhaps not far enough will try again to get more fall on that end.

 

[Garfield]

we had this problem our last time out, we alleviated it by shortening the uphill pole significantly such that the end panel of awning was actually folding up at the bottom, why not try seven roof poles?

 

[james_374308220]

Just a quick note to say I have now managed to get the correct tension in the roof of my awning and have cured the water pooling problem. I would like to say thank you to every one for there help and suggestions.