We Did It!!!

[MichelleSarah_5064211]

Some of you may remember I recently have posted a number of messages asking for advice on erecting an awning for the first time and where to go to test, ie somewhere with awning friendly pitches.

Well we went to Shamba holiday park in Hampshire, which I throughly recommend. The pitches are big and the staff are very helpful, they have wardens who direct you to your pitch. They come back every now and then to see if you are ok whilst setting up, then they leave you to it. I was impressed because one particular warden even helped us push and pull Vera (thats my caravans name) into the right position. Thats what I call service.

Anyway the awning. Well we didnt argue, nor did any poles fall on my head. But it did take us three hours to put up, which is a bit embaressing as I have a friend who can do theirs in twenty minutes. But that three hours was taken up with taking it out of boxes and putting poles together, which now wont ever need to come apart. Taking it down again was a different matter, we were battling against the weather and had to work out how to fold the awning and the annexes.

Anyway am now going on a bit. Have other people had experiences like mine, or am I the only person who has taking three hours to put up an awning. Hopefully next time we use it we will able to put it up a bit tighter and quicker.

From your slack awning friend

Michelle Sarah

 

[jacky3]

who's your friend 'paul daniels' 20 mins to put an awning up,guiness book of records material???????

 

[MichelleSarah_5064211]

I have obviously never witnessed him doing this. I was unbelievebly horrified and thought that myself and my husband were absolute faliures. How long does it take you to do yours. Bearing in mind, mine is size 1000, and has two annexes either end for my teenagers, I thought it would take an hour at least, even when I am a bit more used to doing it.....

 

[jacky3]

to get the awning(921) up,and pegged down and then groundsheets etc probably a good hour 'the 20 minutes i think was to get the awning groundsheets pegs and poles out of the bag'????

 

[MichelleSarah_5064211]

Well yeah, I think I agree, because a good part of the first hour was taking it all out of the boxes and arranging it as per the instructions. Whilst it was erected I labled all the poles as they were not labled at all so it was difficult to identify what went where. Some of the poles looked so similar sorting them was tricky. Don't you just hate these smug people who when you say something like, it took me three hours to put my awning up they say, oh it takes me 20 minutes to do mine. I was gutted!

 

[Viking1]

my fist time it tuck me 3 to 4 hours. but i still have trubl geting it back in to the dag. ( i had a falt on the mud wall had to take it back to deler who lost it but i had not give the dela the bag so WHEN he got me a new one i got a new bag has well so now i put all the bits that zip out in one bag.) it takes me 30 min to put up but the peg take me 1 to 2 hour to do. iv got a bad back which dus not help at all and i can not spell. good look mark

 

[jacky3]

you will get quicker as you get used to putting it up but its always going to take at least an hour and more for you as you have 2 annexes.these people who say they can do this and that are probably taking longer than you,take your time as i do and it goes up properly,not half cocked like some awnings look

 

[MichelleSarah_5064211]

I'm sure that mine must have looked a bit half cocked last week, but we fiddled and adjusted it a bit each day. After the three hours we were exhaused and knew we had got it to a point where it would stay up and just looked a bit saggy.

We are using it again in July for a rally and the 20 minute person will be there, think I might need to get a bit more practise in, otherwise we gonna look a bit stupid. Mind you I might time him and see if he is telling porky pies.

I forgot to say in the original message, when we were taking it down, some people in a dome tent opposite us got there chairs out and just sat and watch us take it down like we were some sort of show. We got so fed up with them that we didnt bother trying to put it all back neatly, I just threw alot of it on the bed and sorted it out at the storage site when we got home. Some people!!

 

[CaptainKangaroo]

I can do it in less than 20 mins!

 

[BrianStAlbans]

I can see it now,drive up to your pitch at 85 mph.reverse on,1st time of couse. After negotiating a good deal with the site owner,out comes the awning bag and after 15 minutes of leisurely hopping the awning is up.As you sit down and pull a beer out of you pouch people from all corners of the site gather to listen to the thoughts of Captain Kangaroo.You are truely an insperation to us all.

 

[Tina3]

I can do it in less than 20 mins!

I heard 20 secs !!!!!!!

 

[D@ve]

I heard 20 secs !!!!!!!

Why don't you two get a room

 

[Lol1]

Is Kanga that great? Or is he just another wallaby?

Answers on the back of a fiver please..

 

[MichelleSarah_5064211]

Brian, that can only happen in my dreams. My experience was more like.... take it out of the boxes, assemble poles, and I dont mean erect the poles, I mean actually put them together. Then erect the dam thing, both work in silence as tired and stressed, then stop have a lolly and a drink from site shop. Put canvas over poles, spend ages adjusting dam poles and canvas. Sit down again for a bit, then start on the annexes, grit teeth and feel like crap when hammer finger, finally finish and stand back and look at saggy awning Realise in a moment of joy the local chinese will deliver to site, order, wait, eat, go to club house and get ratted.

Find it difficult to wake up the next day, but have to as dog needs a pee and kids need breakfast. Holiday, what holiday?

 

[BrianStAlbans]

Michelle, am I reading this correctly, do you put the poles up first? If so try the other way,thead awning though and then get inside with the centre poles (upright,roof and joining piece).Insert the joining piece though the hole and attach the upright , lift to about 5 or 6 feet and angle the bottom back towards caravan to prop up the roof. Now fit roof pole and tension so roof is now fairly tight. Now work from centre to the front corners and then fit the two corner uprights and then the two end roof poles again tensioning as before.When all poles are in place raise the uprights to the correct height and re-tension roof poles if needed then start pegging (first peg nearest the caravan and then pull the other end tight in the awning rail and peg).Our awning is a 1050 and I put it up myself only needing a hand to thead the awning to start with and sometimes to hold centre pole if its a bit windy. Hope this helps ...Brian

 

[MichelleSarah_5064211]

Sorry, I think it was the way I worded it. I did'nt put the poles up first, but the instructions said to lay them on the ground roughly where they should be, then thread the canvas through. Then its easier to assemble the poles in the correct places.

 

[metz]

Hi Michelle, Don't worry,I've been putting up awnings now for more years than I care to remember and it still takes me about an hour,and thats just an awning and groundsheet,once you've got used to it and some sort of system worked out you'll be fine