Date: Tue, 26 May 2015 07:58:20 -0700
Reply-To: Rocket J Squirrel <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Rocket J Squirrel <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Awning advice
In-Reply-To: <00d601d0970c$1fb51ff0$5f1f5fd0$@gmail.com>
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I've been using a Shady Boy for over a decade now -- in thunderstorms,
hailstorm and heavy heavy rain, winds that toppled camp gear. It's never
let me down.
There are some tricks.
Always securely tie down the outer two corners so winds can't blow the
awning up. Always use the optional blow-down poles so winds can't blow
the awning down. In heavy rain, shorten the outer corner tiedown lines
to pull the corners earthward so rain will sluice off and not pool on
the awning.
When set up like this, it's never let me down.
--
Jack "Rocket j Squirrel" Elliott
1984 Westfalia, auto trans,
Bend, Ore.
On 05/25/2015 09:59 AM, Stuart MacMillan wrote:
> I've had a Shady Boy, and it's a bit of a PITA to deal with. And, you ALWAYS need to tie it down. One time I didn't, and a sudden gust of wind on a calm day blew it upwards, and the center fiberglass rod was "slingshot" into the van and put a big dent in the cabinet. It would have put a big dent in me if I had been in there.
>
> Same goes for the Fiamma or any other awning. The PO of my son's van had a Fiamma that blew up like this and it ripped off the rain rails, partially tearing them away from the van body, and breaking the seal between the roof and the body. The awning was destroyed (or at least he thought so since he tossed it), and it took me a while to figure out where the water in the back of the van was coming from. It was coming in where the roof panel seal was broken. Now I need to weld the rain rail back to the body. There was also a lot of rain rail rust under those mounting brackets, so I can understand the desire to not modify or permanently attach anything to the van.
>
> Probably Ron's EZ Awning for me next.
>
> Stuart
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of Kk Al
> Sent: Sunday, May 24, 2015 12:40 PM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Awning advice
>
> Hi all.
> We are considering an awning purchase for our 87 Syncro with no pop top .
> We'd like something as desrete and slim as possible. And of course, does little or no permanent change to the vehicle.
>
> Any suggestions are appreciated.
>
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