gales and awnings

[Denise4]

Hi, I just wondered at what point everyone decides to take down their awning if the wind is getting strong. I am really nervous about the awning being ripped away from the van and can't relax at night with it howling outside. Also have many of you not been able to leave a site on the right day due to high winds being too dangerous for towing. At what point do you know if towing is out of the question? I see they are forecasting gales next week when just about every man and is dog will be away. Thanks Denise

 

[Russell_374247859]

Hi Denise

Yes, we are the same - cant sleep if awning is buffetting the van. Sight we visit in Cornwall is prone to gales, so we try and choose a pitch thats shielded a bit by hedges, but wind always manages to change direction to an unshielded side!

We also move the car around to give a bit of protection, and have invested in extra storm poles/straps. However, as you say there comes a time when you have to take it down, and I think that depends on how bad you feel its going to get. I (lucklily) have never had to tow in really bad winds - yet - though I would probably just delay leaving rather than risk it.

regards

Russell & Shelagh

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

I was in Cornwall in March when we had rain, hail, snow and gales. We were also living in our caravan for 3 months, last September until Boxing Day, and we had all kinds of weather thrown at us including gales. Our awning stood the pace with the exception of knocking a few pegs in that had come loose. We don't have no top of the range awning either, just a SunnCamp Scenic Plus.

 

[Angus1]

We`ve never actually taken down the awning because of the wind, but three years ago at Godevy Park we probably should, but by the time we got back to the site I decided it was too windy to try.

Had a very sleepless night being buffeted by severe gales, having double-pegged the awning inside and out, fixing guy ropes, fitting a tie-down kit and positioning the car to try to take the brunt of the weather.

5 vans lost their awnings that night, including the van next to us (but the other side of a hedge). It was all hands to the pump with probably 10 of us trying to limit the damage (the awning had torn, IXL poles broken, one punching a hole in the side of the van), chasing shoes, clothes, tables etc that were in the awning. After about half-an-hour we got it sorted,by now utterly windswept and soaked to the skin. The owners? Turns out they weren`t even there, they`d gone to the pub!

Lesson in there somewhere?

 

[Angus1]

Forgot to add, the wind snapped 13 awning peg elastics, and despite being about three quarters of a mile from the beach was covered in sand, some of which is still on as it dried on and isn`t keen on coming off.

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

When we were having the gales in March in Cornwall some of the fields were white as if it had snowed but it was foam off the sea. They showed it on the local T.V. news. Like you Angus, I positioned my car by my awning, nose into the gale so as to deflect its force. It must have worked too :O)

 

[wombat1]

I was at Freshwater East - Pembroke, over the Mayday weekend.

On the Saturday night the wind picked up, as was forecast, but not exactly what you could a gale, just blustery.

On Sunday morning there was a van with the awning including frame on the roof.

If you don't use any from of tie down and just rely on the awning cover pegs, you could suffer the same fate. It doesn't take too much wind to get under the skirt and turn your awning into an enormous kite.

 

[Denise4]

Thanks everyone, will make sure the tie down kit is packed. Forgot to take that at Easter - well husband forgot it! We now have a much bigger car - Shogun so that will be useful for blocking the wind. Lets hope the forecast changes. Denise

 

[Cathryn1]

I was at Freshwater East - Pembroke, over the Mayday weekend.

On the Saturday night the wind picked up, as was forecast, but not exactly what you could a gale, just blustery.

On Sunday morning there was a van with the awning including frame on the roof.

If you don't use any from of tie down and just rely on the awning cover pegs, you could suffer the same fate. It doesn't take too much wind to get under the skirt and turn your awning into an enormous kite.

You mention the wind getting under the skirt of the awning - I can't put our skirt on, as the wheeel of the caravan breaks the run of the awning track - what do you do? We are using a sunncamp porch awning.