Team Outdoorsy
by Team Outdoorsy
Posted March 31, 2017

RV awnings are notorious for causing problems. From forgetting to close them when you travel to mildew issues, there’s a lot to watch out for when dealing with an awning. Fortunately, most of these common issues can be avoided fairly easily. Try some of these tips below when dealing with your RV awning in order to bypass a great many headaches.

First, let’s check out what Outdoorsy RV owner Mike Jackson has to say about proper RV awning usage.

Roll Up Your Awning When Away or Traveling

Don’t have your awning fly off when you’re driving. Remember to roll it up before you take off. And due to the threat of high winds—as well as the damage excessive sun exposure can cause—it’s always a good idea to roll the awning up when everyone’s away. Additionally, it is recommended that RVers put their awnings away when heading to bed.

A product like this is great to help you remember to retract your awning before you take off.

 

Avoid Windy Weather

The number one cause of damage to RV awnings is the wind. This is because these simple fabric covers aren’t exactly made to withstand some of the strong winds found in states such as Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Arizona. For this reason, it is best to keep the awning in during storms or especially windy days.

Allow to Dry

Rolling up a wet awning can lead to problems with mnew, mildew, deterioration, and staining. Therefore, it is crucial that you allow your awning to dry completely before putting it away after a weekend away. If you must put it away wet, be sure to pull your awning out as soon as you get back home so it can finish drying before being put in storage.

Don’t let this be you.

Account for Water

Rainwater can gather and pool on the top of the awning. Unfortunately, this will quickly lead to problems. Water is heavy and can easily be the cause of rips and tears in your awning fabric. In order to avoid this issue, leave one corner of your awning a bit lower than the others while it’s out. This will allow the rain to run off the side of the cover instead of pooling.

Invest in the Right Tools

While high winds are terrible for RV awnings, you can increase your sun-shade’s wind tolerance a bit by investing in de-flapper clamps and an awning stabilizer kit. By using these items and pulling the awning in during storms (or when you will be leaving the site), you will be much less likely to experience wind damage.

Clean Regularly

Nobody wants a dirty awning, especially when it means having the smell of mildew creep into your relaxation. For this reason, it is a good idea to clean your awning on a regular basis. This can usually be done quickly and easily by spraying the fabric down with water. However, it you find you have some particularly stubborn stains, you might consider using an awning-specific cleaner on those spots.

These tips are all simple ways to ensure your RV awning lasts for quite some time, providing you with shade, cover from the rain, and camping comfort for the next several years.

Team Outdoorsy

 

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