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RV Awning Shades? Are they okay?


livelaughlovejs

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When we go camping the majority of the time we can't use our RV awning area.The sun shines on us & sometime we are parked too close to other campers.

 

I have found this RV Awning Shade but its expensive. I was wondering if anyone uses this kind of RV awning shade or If you recommend another kind?

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003VFCKR2/ref=gno_cart_title_0?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A3DZHE7L946MNL

 

Ideas? Advice? Anything?

2014 Tiffin Allegro Open Road 31SA

2016 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk

RV Blog: http://seizethedayrvadventure.com/

 

 

 

 

 

 

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That's really not all that spendy. They can run quite a bit more for a good quality shade. Personally I like the Vista shades. They are a two part shade. So for my awning it stays permanently attached with a 3 foot drop shade, then there is a bottom panel that attaches for additional length. The upper panel rolls up into my awning and deploys automatically. The majority of the time, that 3' provides a decent amount of shade, but other times of the year it's really nice having the full length panel to attach all the way to ground level.

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We have had so many night-time fire drills with wind and awnings that we no longer leave awnings out at night unless we are absolutely certain that we won't have to rush out in our undies and take the awnings in.

 

So, if only for that reason, we'd probably be reluctant to attach anything that slows the process of taking them in down.

 

Our main awning can be tilted down quite a bit anyway... I've noticed that the modern coaches with curbside slideouts have awnings that barely provide any shade at all except at high noon. Yet another reason to stay with our old motor home. :

 

WDR

1993 Foretravel U225 with Pacbrake and 5.9 Cummins with Banks

1999 Jeep Wrangler, 4" lift and 33" tires

Raspberry Pi Coach Computer

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Had one for many years. Used it more in the early years. The attachment to the awning tube is via the rail and the top of the shade, in the case of the one pictured, is an 18' long pocket with a plastic bead fed thru it. You do not want lots of kinks in the bead to make feeding of an 18' shade into the rail even more difficult. That meant to us that you don't fold the awning cause that would also put multiple folds into the bead. So we rolled it for storage which means you have an 8' long roll of pretty substantial screening material to store somewhere in your rig when not in use or traveling. Do you have or want to devote an 8' long storage area?

 

I never found it difficult to handle either the awning or awning and shade if a storm came up during the night. You do it often enough and it becomes routine enough to 'do in your sleep' and takes only a few minutes. But if you only use your rig a few weeks per year, maybe putting it all out and taking it all back in again represents somewhat of a learning experience each time.

 

The reason the shade awning wasn't used as much by us after awhile is we generally wouldn't move on weekends and would get our site for the week midweek. If at all possible, we'd pick a site where our 'patio' would not be on the "late afternoon sun" side.

Then
The puller - Wiers Towmaster (Int'l 4700LP)
and pusher - 40' Travel Supreme

Now

30' Winnebago Aspect TS
Signs of my new life

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I never found it difficult to handle either the awning or awning and shade if a storm came up during the night.

I guess it depends upon where you camp. One morning, camped along the highway next to Blue Lake (north of Ephrata, WA) we noticed that the usual night-time winds were a bit more substantial than usual. We had brought our awning in, as usual. But our two kids found themselves being rolled in their tent towards the lake. We ran out and rescued them, brought them into our 29' Alpenlite 5er and went back to sleep.

 

The next morning there were bits and pieces of other folks' awnings spread around the area. With the aluminum arms of several bent into weird positions.

 

If you've ever experienced an awning drill in rain and 50mph gusts at 2am you'd certainly not be blase about the issue, I can tell you that for sure.

 

WDR

1993 Foretravel U225 with Pacbrake and 5.9 Cummins with Banks

1999 Jeep Wrangler, 4" lift and 33" tires

Raspberry Pi Coach Computer

Ham Radio

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I've not had the 2 am awning drill, did have the solar panels need lowered drill though. Once...

 

You bring back memories of a disastrous and very windy camping trip, woke up with the tent skipping across rocky ground with my buddy and I zipped up in our sleeping bags. Never realized just how tiny and hard to find that zipper tag is to find.

First rule of computer consulting:

Sell a customer a Linux computer and you'll eat for a day.

Sell a customer a Windows computer and you'll eat for a lifetime.

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When we go camping the majority of the time we can't use our RV awning area.The sun shines on us & sometime we are parked too close to other campers.

 

I have found this RV Awning Shade but its expensive. I was wondering if anyone uses this kind of RV awning shade or If you recommend another kind?

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003VFCKR2/ref=gno_cart_title_0?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A3DZHE7L946MNL

 

Ideas? Advice? Anything?

 

We got one last year and love it. It keeps the area much cooler and does provide a bit more privacy.

Trish & Raquel

--------

"Road Runner" -- 2005 Volvo VNL780, 500hp Cummins ISX, Ultra-Shift, ET-Hitch, 198" wb

"Wile E." -- 2013 Heartland Landmark San Antonio

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We actually made ours. There is a wholesale place near Bushnell, Fl. Found a deeply discounted piece that was only slightly dirty. I folded in the edges to hem. Turned the top edge down twice and we added grommets. We use small "S" hooks to suspend it from the opening in the awning roller. It comes off really fast and no spline to mess with. We only use it when we are parked for awhile. Total cost was about $40 and a little time.

Ron & Linda

Class of 2007
2000 Monaco Diplomat

2005 Honda Element

"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are" Theodore Roosevelt

"We can't control the wind, but we can adjust our sail"

"When man gave up his freedom to roam the earth, he gave up his soul for a conditioned ego that is bound by time and the fear of losing its attachments."

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We found solar shade fabric at Home Depot. They stock black, green, lt blue and tan. The darker colors block more light. We made an awning shade for our LM from the tan to complement our paint. It has a rubber bead that slides into the awning roller, grommets along the bottom edge, and I got long highly-elastic bungies and stakes to fasten it to the ground at a 45* angle. This provides a larger shaded area under the awning and much improved privacy. If a strong wind comes up we just unhook the bungies from the awning and roll them up together (electric awning). We've forgotten they were rolled together and driven across country that way with no problem.

 

We got light blue solar shade fabric that complements the truck and made a windshield cover that wraps from the back of each door and is held by velcro on inside back edge of the door. The doors can be opened without removing the cover. We also made covers for the sleeper windows that are held in place by small magnets sewn into the edges. It takes a very strong wind to dislodge them.

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Fulltimer - resident of Polson, MT

Mostly in CO, MT, NC & KW FL

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Maybe I'm missing something. If you can't use your awning, how would you use this screen that attaches to your awning. Can it be used without extending your awning first?

 

The shade attaches to the awning roller, so no, it can't be used with the awning rolled up unless an alternate method of attaching it is used. I suppose a second awning rail could be installed on the side wall, just below the rolled up awning.

Dutch
2001 GBM Landau 34' Class A
F-53 Chassis, Triton V10, TST TPMS
2011 Toyota RAV4 4WD/Remco pump
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I think that the shade can be rolled up with the awning for storage. I wouldn't travel that way but would store it while at the site that way. Dave.

2006 Coachmen Aurora 36ft. Class A motor home. 2009 Honda CRV toad. "Snowbirds" apprx. 6 mos. each year. Travelling to the SW each winter than returning to Wi. each summer. Retired and enjoying our travels along with Buddy the cat.

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I seldom use my awning for several reasons: too windy during the day, parked so sun is on other side of motorhome, and out sightseeing during the day. (I also had the 2:00 am in the pitch dark with a flashlight trying to put my awning in so I NEVER leave it out at night. Nothing interrupts your sleep more than getting dressed and going out into a howling wind in the middle of the night.)

 

However, one time I DO use it is when I am parked in a hot place and the sun is shining onto my refrigerator. I find the refrigerator works much better when it is not facing the sun in the desert. I have gotten better over the last couple of years in making site reservations so I usually pick a site where the door and refrigerator side of my RV will be in the shade in the late afternoon.

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  • 2 weeks later...

We rarely use our awning anymore and have never left it out at night. Lat summer while near Austin Texas we had the awning out during the day. Not much wind at all but all of a sudden a big burst of wind ripped the awning off. The front bracket was bent in a rather unique way.

BobK & Joy

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