Retractable awning advice

My kit of electrical conduit and silver tarp are getting pretty beat-up, and instead of building a new one I am considering buying a retractable. Anyone have advice on what they like/dislike and to look for or stay away from?
My current kit has gone over the trailer twice (more?) and something that is attached to the trailer and won't fly would be a good change.

One thing that I haven't seen but would be nice is a cabana style retractable so the side door clears the canopy and doesn't cause damage.

Thanks.

Dave

Dave,

I have a 8' x 20' rollout canopy. The mechanism is 26 years old and I have replaced the canvas twice (purchased from rv supply). Overall it has saved my marriage. Putting up or away was always a trying exercise with Lori especially if it was storming or after a bad weekend.
Good
Ease of use
Ability to slant down a secure to trailer at night
If you know weather is coming in you put the car in the trailer and roll it up at night
Quick get away
Bad
Limited coverage(though my next one will have sails you could add for longer stays
In extreme highway winds when towing you may have to seal the rolled up ends.
When tilted in the extreme down position you could damage the vinyl with the side door. I put a caster (wheel) mounted upside down to help prevent.
I am looking for a new trailer and the canopy is a must have.

dave,
my pace trailer came with a retractable awning.
its a nice set up, but it is just as suseptable to the wind as the portable ones. the only difference in mine was i didnt have to chase it accross the paddock;it got very bent up while i was out on track one session from a gust of wind that caught it right.
I treat it the same way as i would a portable one..................fragile.

mine is trashed, and i wont be repairing it anytime soon.
Josh

RV / Camper awnings... mine has locking 'arms' to keep it down in high winds... just don't leave it up with thunderstorms... $400.00 & up, depending on size...

My trailer came with a Carefree awning.

It is a 1985 model.

Canvas replaced once from Carefree at a cost of about $250.

Got shoved off the road in a construction area once and it tore up the structure attached to the side of the trailer, specifically the big tube with the springs inside. One end got broken off.

Could not find a replacement anywhere.

called Carefree and wound up talking to one of their engineers who sent me an entire new assembly.... On their dime.... NO COST to me.

As far as high winds, keep the canvas taught and they will be little issue.

Major high winds, I have a pair of deflappers from JC W"hitney or any RV store.

For the Really Really bad ones, I bought a pair of the screw in the ground doggie tie outs and a pair of cheap ratchet straps.

attach one end to the doggie thing and the other end to the corner of the structure (just loop it around. Snug it up and it is essentially windproof.

I have had the wind rocking the trailer with the awning staying put just fine.

I have a roll up on the motorhome and the conduit type with silver tarp at the trailer. When there will any high winds I roll up the unit on the motorhome. I don't worry much about the conduit one as it is locked down to the trailer with tie-downs and seem to be able to withstand any winds.

Ed

Thanks for the advice guys. I like the recommendation on Carefree. I'll look them up.

Dave

Quote:

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Originally Posted by EACIII

I don't worry much about the conduit one as it is locked down to the trailer with tie-downs and seem to be able to withstand any winds.

Ed

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How about the side not next to the trailer? Hopefully it is tied down securely, too.

I have seen wind easily pick up awnings and toss the heavy things they were tied down to. It happens a lot. I remember seeing a heavy hitch put a big gash in the side of a motorhome.

Best money racing that I've spent!!!!! It always seemed exciting to put everything up on Friday....but when it came time to take it down....UHHHHHH tired, grouchy, on Sunday night.....now 5 minutes, and it's done.......I've had Carefree, an I now have an A&E(?)...whichever one your closest RV dealer handles, and services!!!!!

Roll ups are very convienient, but wind rules all. I saw a 6 foot tall nitrogen tank sail over an 18 wheeler trailer due to winds picking up the awning it was trying to anchor. That said, I have a roll up on the RV and trailer and have used them for years. They roll up quickly if the winds get up, and come out quickly when it passes. Just use your head.

Depending on how fancy you want to get with the retractable awning, they also have them that auto-retract if wind speeds exceed a certain velocity---just in case you are on track when it starts getting gusty.

If you leave the feet anchored to the trailer wall you will have awning arms to dodge when entering/exiting the area under the awning. If you take them down you risk a gust ruining your much more expensive than tarp/conduit awning.

I prefer the Carefree of Colorado brand over the A&E.

In either case, strongly consider the "weather guard" type aluminum section. It's basically a metal insert between the tube and the awning fabric so that when the awning is rolled up the fabric is protected from sun damage. Otherwise the fabric will rot over time (especially in SoCal smoggy desert climate) and weaken it substantially. The replacement fabric isn't cheap.

I have the automatic kind on my MH, had a manual one on my old toyhauler. The automatic is nice but you can't use tie downs or a screen room - the structure isn't as sturdy as the triangulated stuff on a manual model. You also really can't adjust the angle on the fly to adjust for changing sun angle - that takes wrenches and a ladder.

Nice not to bump your head on the arms, and if you are out on the track when the wind comes up it retracts.

Customer "service" is different with the automatic ones as well. The anemometer cups break off but they won't sell just the cups - they sell the entire sensor at $70 each!

I use 3 tie down to secure the trailer side to the trail. Added a U on the back of the trailer so I had a good place to tie it down. If you secure it real tight that way it is good for all but the worst of wind. (I learned that from Doug Rocco. I was fighting to keep my awning on the ground one day and looked over at Doug and he was calmly working on his car under his. His is attached to his trailer. So I secured my to my trailer after that). If the wind will be real bad I use one of the car tiedowns from the outside top back to down low on the trailer or park a car there and tie down to that. Seems to work fine. Best thing is to park tigh, if there is another trailer on you far side it keeps the wind down.

I tried the roll up awning off the side of my trailer. Thought is was the greatest thing for a one man show until a fast moving summer thunder storm torn the main brackets off the trailer. The awning still attached, let the arms fly over the trailer and beat on my truck for 10 minutes. Never again. I picked up a 10X15 six leg shelter logic pop up. It has a blow out vent up top to reduce lift up. I tie it down with these http://www.creativeshelters.com/Cano...aw-Anchor.aspx
They are great. I normally don't use a canopy in paved paddocks because I get a garage. They have preformed well during some pretty bad T-storms. I will shorten the legs up and drop the canopy over the car for a overnight with a tie down to the roll bar for safe measure.