ZipDee Street Side Awning Install Question

[RMNummi]

Post install: So unlike the factory ZipDee awning with the screw down locks, the street side only has the travel hook to hold it down while traveling? Seems kinda sketchy after looking at it. Is there additional ideas to better lock it down? I was thinking maybe ordering additional hooks and mounting them on the arm(s)…any thoughts or am I just being paranoid.

[s1000pre]

Originally Posted by RMNummi

Post install: So unlike the factory ZipDee awning with the screw down locks, the street side only has the travel hook to hold it down while traveling? Seems kinda sketchy after looking at it. Is there additional ideas to better lock it down? I was thinking maybe ordering additional hooks and mounting them on the arm(s)…any thoughts or am I just being paranoid.

The travel hook is more than enough. There have been numerous times I have neglected to engage the hook. The spring does most of the work. Merry Christmas.

[richard5933]

I recently spoke with customer service at Zip Dee about some of our smaller awnings. The information I found showed what seemed like an excessive amount of pre-loading on the springs for such short awnings. What I was told is that unlike the larger patio awning with all the lockdown safety devices, the smaller ones are largely held by the spring tension on the roller, which is why they get wound so tightly. Perhaps this applies to yours as well.

[Bill M.]

My street side and rear awnings are held closed only by spring tension. No lock or hook. They work fine. I did have a problem keeping one closed when the main spring broke on one of them. I ended up just taking the awning off the trailer until I could fix it.

[Mollysdad]

If Zip Dee asked me, (they didn't) I'd have suggested mounting the travel latch near the front of the awning. Seems like air getting under the cover starts at the front as you drive. (You sailors are familiar with 'apparent wind'?)

[tjdonahoe]

Originally Posted by RMNummi

Post install: So unlike the factory ZipDee awning with the screw down locks, the street side only has the travel hook to hold it down while traveling? Seems kinda sketchy after looking at it. Is there additional ideas to better lock it down? I was thinking maybe ordering additional hooks and mounting them on the arm(s)…any thoughts or am I just being paranoid.

Have on our 04 and 13 31’ classic
Never any problem.

The long curb side broke all the rivets. Only was held on by the silkflex caulkin. I drilled out the old rivets and installed new ones

[azflycaster]

Originally Posted by RMNummi

Post install: So unlike the factory ZipDee awning with the screw down locks, the street side only has the travel hook to hold it down while traveling? Seems kinda sketchy after looking at it. Is there additional ideas to better lock it down? I was thinking maybe ordering additional hooks and mounting them on the arm(s)…any thoughts or am I just being paranoid.

If you are concerned, you can always purchase an extra travel latch.

[featherbedder]

The small awnings do not have hooks or wheels, full length street side has hook patio has hook towards rear and turn wheels each end. IMO hook is not much good as placed far rear, would not stop from furling open. Awning is tight against trailer, wheels hold tight. This manual style has wheels but others don't have wheels to hold tight. IMO if proper tension wound and wheels tight how can furl? carefree patio awning that came w/my 1976 AS did not have hooks or turn wheels never prob. in 36 yrs. before I changed to Zip-Dee. I had 1 of first 5 awnings manf. by Zip-Dee on my1967 AS and no hooks or wheels.

[Trowbridge]

Far more 'sail area' on the curbside, in comparison with the spring tension. On the streetside, approximately same tension is for vastly smaller 'sail area'.

But to be extra certain - - buy a hook and install it in each of multiple window awnings.

[RMNummi]

Yep, sent for another hook kit.

[Ol Bob]

You can add Velcro straps on the front and rear awning arms for added security. I see lots of folks doing this.

[Paul Dobbin]

Originally Posted by RMNummi

Post install: So unlike the factory ZipDee awning with the screw down locks, the street side only has the travel hook to hold it down while traveling? Seems kinda sketchy after looking at it. Is there additional ideas to better lock it down? I was thinking maybe ordering additional hooks and mounting them on the arm(s)…any thoughts or am I just being paranoid.

Our Airstream Land Yacht,35' Diesel Pusher had 4 Zip Dee awnings. One 18 footer, 2 5 footers and 1 10 footer. All had a place to secure the front awning support rods to the body.
A few years into our 17 year ownership, we stopped using the lock downs.
Travel @ 70 -75 MPH never had any awning even try to open. The spring tension was more than enough to prevent that from happening.

[Wazbro]

My trailer didn't have anything other then the springs securing the street side awnings. Worked fine until one of the springs broke while driving down the road and it flew open doing 55mph, luckily no damage, tied it closed to get home. I drilled a 5/16" hole through the end piece to hold the awning through to a hole into the end of the awning and put a 1/4" bolt through the hole to lock the awning in place while towing.

[Mount'n Man]

Originally Posted by Ol Bob

You can add Velcro straps on the front and rear awning arms for added security. I see lots of folks doing this.

The PO of our rig evidently had an arm swing free and scratch the side while traveling. When we acquired her, she already had velcro installed on the arms while in the "locked" travel position. We continue to use this without issue.

[RMNummi]

Ahh, but while doing the install I “wound up the spring” to put on the tension. What it doesn’t tell you is how many turns to put on. Do you wind it till it stops (highest spring tension) or put x amount of turns on it…. My neighbor the garage door installer says optimal spring tension is found before reaching the stop. ??? Hence my, “It feels right but a good lock can’t hurt”

Comments or observations welcome.

[n2916s]

Originally Posted by RMNummi

Ahh, but while doing the install I “wound up the spring” to put on the tension. What it doesn’t tell you is how many turns to put on. Do you wind it till it stops (highest spring tension) or put x amount of turns on it…. My neighbor the garage door installer says optimal spring tension is found before reaching the stop. ??? Hence my, “It feels right but a good lock can’t hurt”

Comments or observations welcome.

13 turns on my 2006 27’ Safari. Not ridiculous resistance — you don’t need all that much.

[richard5933]

Originally Posted by RMNummi

Ahh, but while doing the install I “wound up the spring” to put on the tension. What it doesn’t tell you is how many turns to put on. Do you wind it till it stops (highest spring tension) or put x amount of turns on it…. My neighbor the garage door installer says optimal spring tension is found before reaching the stop. ??? Hence my, “It feels right but a good lock can’t hurt”

Comments or observations welcome.

There is specific information on this question on the Zip Dee site. The patio awnings actually get fewer turns than the other smaller awnings, reason being that there is a safety catch system on the patio awning but the others rely solely on tension to keep them rolled up.

Here's a link to the Zip Dee page with manuals/instructions: https://awningsbyzipdee.com/resources/manuals-guides/

[azflycaster]

Originally Posted by RMNummi

Ahh, but while doing the install I “wound up the spring” to put on the tension. What it doesn’t tell you is how many turns to put on. Do you wind it till it stops (highest spring tension) or put x amount of turns on it…. My neighbor the garage door installer says optimal spring tension is found before reaching the stop. ??? Hence my, “It feels right but a good lock can’t hurt”

Comments or observations welcome.

The number of turns is based on the size of the awning. On my 25 foot trailer (16 foot awning) the number of turns is 16 + 7 = 23

https://www.awningsbyzipdee.com/wp-c...ing-Spring.pdf

[pmclemore]

On my street side rear window awning it was 7.

Pat

[ftelliott]

Originally Posted by Mollysdad

If Zip Dee asked me, (they didn't) I'd have suggested mounting the travel latch near the front of the awning. Seems like air getting under the cover starts at the front as you drive. (You sailors are familiar with 'apparent wind'?)

I think their theory of the case is the hook is aft of center because this is where the turbulence is worst.