A Little Awning Lesson

[Yelekreb]

A little awning lesson for us all....

I managed to forget to fully retract the awning after taking down our Khyam - only by a couple of inches. I then open the drivers door - bang! Awning & door met at speed.

No visible damage, but I couldn't get the awning to close. More fiddling about, winding in, winding out - me feeling stupid, much cursing....

I then checked the awning legs and the impact had dislodged one of the legs from its spring loaded position resulting in the awning flap not sitting correctly and hence not closing. Once reseated all closed as it should have done.

Couple of lessons here, firstly if you can't close the awning check the legs, but perhaps most importantly - make sure you wind in the awning fully!

A little lesson for me - but it could have been quite costly!

 

[Wojciech Jerzy]

A little awning lesson for us all....

I managed to forget to fully retract the awning after taking down our Khyam - only by a couple of inches. I then open the drivers door - bang! Awning & door met at speed.

No visible damage, but I couldn't get the awning to close. More fiddling about, winding in, winding out - me feeling stupid, much cursing....

I then checked the awning legs and the impact had dislodged one of the legs from its spring loaded position resulting in the awning flap not sitting correctly and hence not closing. Once reseated all closed as it should have done.

Couple of lessons here, firstly if you can't close the awning check the legs, but perhaps most importantly - make sure you wind in the awning fully!

A little lesson for me - but it could have been quite costly!

Hi there, what did you mean by saying "check the legs" and "make sure you wind awning fully"? Sorry, English is not my native language. I have a problem with closing the awning, when I try to close it, it jumps through and doesn't move. Any ideas? Many thanks in advance!

 

[WelshGas]

Hi there, what did you mean by saying "check the legs" and "make sure you wind awning fully"? Sorry, English is not my native language. I have a problem with closing the awning, when I try to close it, it jumps through and doesn't move. Any ideas? Many thanks in advance!

The gearing in the awning mechanism uses Plastic gear wheels. Very easy to strip the teeth by over tightening etc:

 

[Wojciech Jerzy]

Hi there, what did you mean by saying "check the legs" and "make sure you wind awning fully"? Sorry, English is not my native language. I have a problem with closing the awning, when I try to close it, it jumps through and doesn't move. Any ideas? Many thanks in advance!

I managed to close it but it was way through hell. I pushed all awning towards the car and second person kept winding. It kept jumping through but managed to close it, moving legs little by little. So yes, check the legs phew, for the moment I thought I will have to leave fhe awning here in the wild!

 

[Wojciech Jerzy]

The gearing in the awning mechanism uses Plastic gear wheels. Very easy to strip the teeth by over tightening etc:

It's secong hand Cali, first time I opened it ever. I'm afraid it may have been damaged. It kept jumprin through the teeth.

 

[Wojciech Jerzy]

sorry for mistakes, typing from phone in the cold West of Ireland.

 

[AlisonF]

Once you get it sorted and have chance to take a breath - take some photo's of the view and post them for the rest of us who haven't got away this weekend to enjoy please

 

[WelshGas]

It's secong hand Cali, first time I opened it ever. I'm afraid it may have been damaged. It kept jumprin through the teeth.

I think you can get replacement parts. I don't think they are cheap.

http://www.omnistorawnings.co.uk/department/5102/

 

[Wojciech Jerzy]

Once you get it sorted and have chance to take a breath - take some photo's of the view and post them for the rest of us who haven't got away this weekend to enjoy please

Sorted, but no more awning this weekend, need to learn a thing or two. Hello from Ring of Kerry

 

[AlisonF]

The awning would just block the fabulous view. I am so jealous. Thanks

EDIT - how did you get the boat on the roof without the roof bars...

 

[hirsty]

awnings are my bete noir, having previously had one flip-up straight 12 o'clock vertical due to lack of tent pegs (on a previously dead calm wind-free day).

another favourite wheeze is swinging the legs down violently through 90` degrees from horizontal to vertical when not quite seated properly in the awning housing - I learned today the hard way that the VW spring loaded version is different to the Fiamma push click method, though both manufacturers would give you an equally good facial injury if you really try.

if you're going for the hat-trick of blunders, try letting it roll out unsupported about 18" and open the rear side door, you should be able to get a good paint scrape sample off the top edge, allegedly

PS: glad you got off lightly & maybe someone else won't now follow in our genius footsteps!

 

[Wojciech Jerzy]

awnings are my bete noir, having previously had one flip-up straight 12 o'clock vertical due to lack of tent pegs (on a previously dead calm wind-free day).

another favourite wheeze is swinging the legs down violently through 90` degrees from horizontal to vertical when not quite seated properly in the awning housing - I learned today the hard way that the VW spring loaded version is different to the Fiamma push click method, though both manufacturers would give you an equally good facial injury if you really try.

if you're going for the hat-trick of blunders, try letting it roll out unsupported about 18" and open the rear side door, you should be able to get a good paint scrape sample off the top edge, allegedly

PS: glad you got off lightly & maybe someone else won't now follow in our genius footsteps!

Good post! Good learning for me. Thanks for reminding me to use the tent pegs, I would have probably ended like yourself later that day, it was very windy.

 

[hirsty]

yep, definitely put it away if it's more than a light breeze / drizzle.

I realised the hard way there's a reason windsurfers move so fast & an extended Cali awning is twice their surface area - no pegs or straps could secure it, or it'd just snap the aluminium brackets off the van rail.

 

[WelshGas]

The California awning can take a lot more than " a light breeze or drizzle " IF it is properly pegged out, has guy ropes fitted and you use proper rock pegs at the correct angle, properly tensioned and sloped rather than flat. Obviously, it cannot cope with really stormy weather and torrential rain etc: in which case I use a cheap storm awning that won't break the bank if it is lost/damaged.