Awnings and wind; take them down or don't put them up

Page 2 - Passionate about caravans & motorhome? Join our community to share that passion with a global audience!
Jan 3, 2012
9,623
2,065
30,935
Visit site
Just as I finished it stopped raining and we thought Hallelujah when it started again but with that fine drizzle here in Gloucestershire.
What the site like have a great weekend (here in lincolnshire the sun has come out but it been raining early on)
 
Jan 19, 2002
1,496
419
19,435
Visit site
WE were away near Chippenham and although surrounded by hedges we still had a debate about our poled Kampa porch - in the end glad we followed the consensus of opinion and took ours down - during the night wind and rain 'whacked' the side of the van in gusts, but at least we managed to get some sleep not worrying about finding a heap of poles in the morning!
From previous experience hammering the pegs (at an angle) into a hard-standing surface might take some effort but they pull out with ease and are therefore vulnerable to getting loosened in the wind leaving elements of the awning flapping about - on that occasion I opened up the 'doors' on both sides at 2.00 am to allow the wind to blow through as the wind was from the front which perhaps saved the day as several other awnings (and ext covers for MH screens) were damaged during the night but ours lived to see another day.
 
Jul 18, 2017
12,168
3,414
32,935
Visit site
WE were away near Chippenham and although surrounded by hedges we still had a debate about our poled Kampa porch - in the end glad we followed the consensus of opinion and took ours down - during the night wind and rain 'whacked' the side of the van in gusts, but at least we managed to get some sleep not worrying about finding a heap of poles in the morning!
From previous experience hammering the pegs (at an angle) into a hard-standing surface might take some effort but they pull out with ease and are therefore vulnerable to getting loosened in the wind leaving elements of the awning flapping about - on that occasion I opened up the 'doors' on both sides at 2.00 am to allow the wind to blow through as the wind was from the front which perhaps saved the day as several other awnings (and ext covers for MH screens) were damaged during the night but ours lived to see another day.
TBH we have always thought it best to ensure all the "doors" are closed otherwise wind blows in and you have a parachute effect where the awning stops to billow and it wil then rip the pegs out of the ground. We try and put pegs in at 45 degree angle away from the awning. We also have storm straps for both our awnings, poled and air.
 
Jun 16, 2010
99
8
18,585
Visit site
hi about 5 years ago we went to glos and it rained for 6 days we had a awning up but the mount of water the awning just could not take it so it split so that one went in the bin i said from that day i will never go back to glos .cheers tom
 
Mar 17, 2020
487
363
4,935
Visit site
In Kessingland Thursday during the storm. Had the Caravanstore canopy out with a side and front up too. Arrived back from visiting family too late to take down - would have blown into or over the van as soon as un-pegged.
Got up three times during night to drop the sides and end and check pegging of guys to canopy.
Really terrified the canopy would crash against the van or blow over the top.
It survived. Intact. A miracle. The noise of the flapping was horrendous.
If anyone had told me a caravanstore canopy would survive winds like that I would never believed them.
It lives to fight another day!
But I will try never to have it up in winds anywhere close to those of the storm.
 
  • Like
Reactions: JezzerB
Jul 18, 2017
12,168
3,414
32,935
Visit site
In Kessingland Thursday during the storm. Had the Caravanstore canopy out with a side and front up too. Arrived back from visiting family too late to take down - would have blown into or over the van as soon as un-pegged.
Got up three times during night to drop the sides and end and check pegging of guys to canopy.
Really terrified the canopy would crash against the van or blow over the top.
It survived. Intact. A miracle. The noise of the flapping was horrendous.
If anyone had told me a caravanstore canopy would survive winds like that I would never believed them.
It lives to fight another day!
But I will try never to have it up in winds anywhere close to those of the storm.

We wanted to put up our new sun canopy instead of the porch awning, but weather forecast for Saturday was gust of winds exceeding 30mph so we put up the awning instead. The gusts turned out to be nothing more than a strong breeze!
 
Jun 16, 2010
99
8
18,585
Visit site
We wanted to put up our new sun canopy instead of the porch awning, but weather forecast for Saturday was gust of winds exceeding 30mph so we put up the awning instead. The gusts turned out to be nothing more than a strong breeze!
hi we have got a kampa 260 great little awning not a air one cheers ,tom
 
Jan 7, 2007
171
17
18,585
Visit site
I must be one of the lucky ones! Vanguard Sonama air awning up all last week during storm Francis in Dorset and no issues. No major bowing, just flexing slightly in the wind. Neighbours all had air awnings up with no issues. No idea what the wind strength was but I know it was stronger in other parts of the country but it was certainly pretty windy where we were.
 

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts