Awning Collapse

[Echelon73]

We always close ours when we leave....always. Sometimes we leave it open at night, but only if we are in a well protected area and they are not calling for storms or wind. The huge awning on our 30 footer just does not do well at all in wind. I see other styles of RVs that handle wind pretty well, but ours really struggles with wind.

[akjam]

Wind I understand but rain? This should not be. We have a SunSetter awning bolted to the front of our cabin in Alaska. It does not have the side support arms that the Zip Dee awnings on our Airstreams do. It sheds water just fine. If it did not, there would be no point in having it since we installed it because it rains quite a bit in Alaska in the late summer and it allows us to be outside.

Yes, we learned a lesson and it is going to cost us to replace it but this should not be the case. This is a design flaw that Zip Dee should address. This is sort of like have an umbrella collapse in the rain and then saying, you should have put it away when it started to sprinkle!

[kscherzi]

The Airstream awning seem to be pretty fragile things. I'm left with the impression they can collapse under heavy sunshine too.

[FCStreamer]

Yes, I think there is a design flaw. In order for the awning not to restrict the door movement, it's raised to an angle that captures water when it rains. Water is heavy and enough of it will break the awning.

The answer is to lower one side to enable water to drain off. A better answer would be to design an awning with a better drainage system when fully extended.

[Caffeinated]

Originally Posted by akjam

Wind I understand but rain? This should not be. We have a SunSetter awning bolted to the front of our cabin in Alaska. It does not have the side support arms that the Zip Dee awnings on our Airstreams do. It sheds water just fine. If it did not, there would be no point in having it since we installed it because it rains quite a bit in Alaska in the late summer and it allows us to be outside.

Yes, we learned a lesson and it is going to cost us to replace it but this should not be the case. This is a design flaw that Zip Dee should address. This is sort of like have an umbrella collapse in the rain and then saying, you should have put it away when it started to sprinkle!

No. It's just physics. The awning is designed to be adjustable. If you set so it collects water and collapses, then you own it. It's easy to tilt so water runs off. All rv awnings work like this.

Mike

[dznf0g]

Originally Posted by Caffeinated

No. It's just physics. The awning is designed to be adjustable. If you set so it collects water and collapses, then you own it. It's easy to tilt so water runs off. All rv awnings work like this.

Mike

Ditto; this is an issue with most all RV awning applications, regardless of awning brand....and always has been. On a house application one has mounting height allowances which allow for a more radical house-to-roller angle. On a 7' high AS mounting location (as with most TT applications) there simply isn't enough height to allow for the roller to be substantially lower than the trailer mounting edge, and still be able to walk under the roller....so end to end tilt must be employed in order for water not to accumulate on the fabric.

Tall 5th wheels and motorhomes are the possible exception....but not always.

[Tyvekcat]

Yeah, I almost had that happen. We went on a hike , and it started raining. It rained hard.
We got back and that awning was sagging, really sagging ! I dumped a massive amount of water . It had to be 15- 20 gallons, or more ! It was heavy to push up to dump. I had just rescued it .
Awning seemed ok, but no wind. We were really lucky .
I don't like using it but the wife likes bringing the acorns & leafs home with us.

Safe travels

[xrvr]

If you put it in Carravan position it seems to help.

[Tn Traveler]

Originally Posted by avionstream

If you put it in Carravan position it seems to help.

What is caravan position?

[xrvr]

When the awning is only open about four feet. Still will clear the door.

[gypsydad]

We also learned the hard way with our first 25' AS. Wind and rain can be an issue, especially at 3am with inclement weather! Wife had me go out to roll up large awning during rain/wind storm at 3am one time. The awning was whipping up pretty good with lots of stress on supports and the noise was scary inside. Not fun.
1) Always make sure one side is lower by at least a notch in the supports.
2) If your concerned about possible winds weather you will be there or not, put them up. Much easier to do when wind is not blowing.
3) To be safe when leaving them unattended for extended period of time while your out sight seeing, either put them up, or tie down the corners to a secure anchor. But, best insurance is put them up. It doesn't take long to set or retract an awning.

[MrUKToad]

Agree 100% about tilting the awning; we've had waterfalls coming off our awning (Florida, in August) but it's coped OK. I don't usually leave it out in serious rain but sometimes you get caught off guard; I have been out in my underwear in a major storm to get the awning in before now.

A question for the knowledgeable; How effective are guy ropes (possibly a British term, I mean bits of rope staked to the ground and holding down the corners of the awning) in the wind? I've used them sometimes and it does stop the awning suffering that lifting and dropping action caused by moderate winds.

[dznf0g]

Originally Posted by MrUKToad

Agree 100% about tilting the awning; we've had waterfalls coming off our awning (Florida, in August) but it's coped OK. I don't usually leave it out in serious rain but sometimes you get caught off guard; I have been out in my underwear in a major storm to get the awning in before now.

A question for the knowledgeable; How effective are guy ropes (possibly a British term, I mean bits of rope staked to the ground and holding down the corners of the awning) in the wind? I've used them sometimes and it does stop the awning suffering that lifting and dropping action caused by moderate winds.

I use them when wind is in the forecast.

[SeaLevel]

Originally Posted by MrUKToad

A question for the knowledgeable; How effective are guy ropes (possibly a British term, I mean bits of rope staked to the ground and holding down the corners of the awning) in the wind? I've used them sometimes and it does stop the awning suffering that lifting and dropping action caused by moderate winds.

I don't think that helps at the top, where the awning is connected to the side of the trailer. Having the awning whipping around in the wind would stress that area and eventually cause leaks or worse.

[Troutboy]

Have a friend that says to always tie corners down as it helps. But still with wind, rain, and definitely at night, take it in.

He says never leave it out overnight, never.

This is the tie down he uses

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003V...=claw+tie+down

I plan on buying this bad we get our first airstream in a month. So I'm collecting critical gear now.

[Troutboy]

Oh, they also sell this on airstream life website.

[overlander63]

Originally Posted by avionstream

When the awning is only open about four feet. Still will clear the door.

Unfortunately, the newer awnings don't open and stay in that position unless modified.

[AWCHIEF]

Originally Posted by MrUKToad

Agree 100% about tilting the awning; we've had waterfalls coming off our awning (Florida, in August) but it's coped OK. I don't usually leave it out in serious rain but sometimes you get caught off guard; I have been out in my underwear in a major storm to get the awning in before now.

A question for the knowledgeable; How effective are guy ropes (possibly a British term, I mean bits of rope staked to the ground and holding down the corners of the awning) in the wind? I've used them sometimes and it does stop the awning suffering that lifting and dropping action caused by moderate winds.

I was told by the ZD rep at the Last Florida State Rally to not under any circumstances tie the awning down. That said I sometimes use a home made sun shade that serves the same purpose. Also I have a ZD sun room that uses several hundred pounds of water as ballast and to seal the bottom edges to the ground if desired. I have never used it in bad weather to test its effectiveness at keep the awning from blowing away.

[dznf0g]

Originally Posted by AWCHIEF

I was told by the ZD rep at the Last Florida State Rally to not under any circumstances tie the awning down. That said I sometimes use a home made sun shade that serves the same purpose. Also I have a ZD sun room that uses several hundred pounds of water as ballast and to seal the bottom edges to the ground if desired. I have never used it in bad weather to test its effectiveness at keep the awning from blowing away.

I had heard that before, but never was told why. I have always used tie downs with a spring tensioner at the stake end and never had any issue with two different awning brands in 23 years of combined use.

[slowmover]

I've used tie downs on mine. All sorts of experimental configurations. At 22' long it's a great huge piece of fabric, and can rock the trailer when deployed partially. I wouldn't trust tiedowns to keep the awning from disaster. There's a definite limit to the stresses whether at the trailer attachment points or with the awning itself.

Being from Texas or other Plains states may make this more apparent, but I'd never recommend tiedown use as any sort of insurance. Something is going to give. Constant 15-mph winds with gusts becomes too much, too quickly.




1990 35' Silver Streak
2004 555 Cummins