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Painter Poles on the Awing for Support


Trainman

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Just wondered if any of you out there use painters poles for extra support for the awing. I notice my awing does sag more to one end then the other and the wind does wip it around somewhat and were talking winds 10-20 mph. Looks like this would be an easy fix to the problem.

 

 

 

trainman

2019 RAM 1500, 5.7 Hemi, 4X4, Crew Cab, 5'7" bed, Towing Package, 3.92 Gears.

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I've used this setup in winds strong enough that fellow campers said they were taking bets on when I'd lose my awning.  I wouldn't recommend it long term in strong winds just because of the wear on the awning fabric itself, but for borderline wind or if you plan to leave your awning out while away and want to make sure that it's still there when you get back, the poles and straps work.  I have a third pole that I use in the center, which isn't pictured.  The shade fabric helps to send the wind up and over rather than underneath, but I've used the setup without it and it's fine, just noisier.  The straps I have are overkill - 1" straps would probably be fine.  The stakes you use are probably more important - I have some 15" iron stakes that work really well.  One thing that I don't like about these particular straps is that they expand slightly when wet, so if it starts to rain in the night, the awning will have about a half inch of play and so will make a racket.  I've considered threading the top of the poles so that I could secure them to the awning rail with a nut, but then I'd have to worry about the bottom lifting and the pole flipping out from under the awning.

 

The poles are these.  I use the 8' version.  Three holes drilled in the bottom of the outside rail of the awning accept the ends of the poles and the straps go around the end of the arms to hold the awning to the poles.  On our last trip, I tried using just three straps - one in the middle and one at 45° at each end, and it worked fine.  I do recommend a center pole and strap since a strong gust could push up the middle of the awning and bend the outside rail.

 

And if you have the new power awning that retracts automatically, then I guess that's a new problem to overcome if you want to strap it down.  Can that feature be turned off?

 

I have the Carefree awning, btw.  I don't use the diagonal braces when I tie it down, since they're just in the way.

 

IMG_0209.thumb.jpg.543eb3b4329d6d2d7469f5729bcfe0d1.jpg

 

 

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For the Carefree and Fiamma owners, another good awning tip is to roll it up like this when leaving.  It will withstand most any wind this way, and will provide a little shade and definitely some shelter for the windows in light rain.  Plus all you have to do when returning is roll the awning out and reset the arm length.  (It looks a little tight in this photo, which is either a mistake or possibly an illusion, as I usually roll it up so that there's about a quarter inch gap between the arms and hull.  You don't want the arms touching the hull since they may move a bit in wind and scratch the finish.)

 

IMG_1624.thumb.jpg.3a609bbb2f1bae278d8bff504fad030c.jpg

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That’s something about the Fiamma awning that I envy. The clamps on the legs of the Carefree don’t clamp tightly enough to use a strap - unless you set the legs at their shortest position, they’ll just collapse if you tighten them with a strap or anything. Hence the separate poles. I don’t think I’d need them with the Fiamma, though I guess it would relieve strain on the leg joints.

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I ordered two poles today and we will see what happens, our awing is the Dometic that's what they are using on the new trailers, personally I don't see where it would make any difference on which awing you have, just use the poles and stake the corners down. Our Casita did not have an awing as we ordered it that way, I'm personally not a big awing fan, just because of having to take it down every time we leave the campsite, for obvious reasons. We have only been extending our awing about 1/2 to 3/4 of the way out and even without poles it does blow in the wind pretty good at times. So I will report back in 3 weeks after we see how this works out for us. Thanks to all who posted pics and what you do with your awing.

 

 

 

trainman

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2019 RAM 1500, 5.7 Hemi, 4X4, Crew Cab, 5'7" bed, Towing Package, 3.92 Gears.

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I note from the pictures that you are in several of the pictures, more than one trailer set-up is not using the side bars that clip back to the side of Ollie and are designed to reinforce the awning.   Seems odd?

 

Often we find ourselves in a rain situation.  I like having a near dry entry and also sheltering of the windows as well.  But don't like leaving the awning out while we are gone for many hours.  Our solution is to extend the awning out about 1/3, and using 550 para-cord lines from the leading edge to dead weights below the ends of the awning.

 

One of my dead weights is the Anderson hitch.  The other is a milk crate loaded with "local" rocks.   Advantage is no additional weight to haul around as we have always found local rocks and the hitch is always with us.  I suspect we all have other items that meet that criterion.  For example a 5 gallon collapsible water container that we use for boon-docking, or even an ice chest filled with water will work equally.

 

I tie the lines in such a manner so as to easily be able to adjust them when we extend the awning as the need arises.  I am comfortable leaving our awning extended out to only about a third or so even in strong winds.  Doing so keeps our entry nearly dry, our chairs stay reasonably dry.

 

I like the idea of using the poles to provide a secondary measure of down force resistances that our current setup does not address.  Especially if they were collapsible so that we can easily store them in the basement.

 

Painters Poles?  Could you please share a link to them?

TV:  2019 F-150 SuperCrew Lariat, 3.5L EcoBoost, Max Tow, FX-4, Rear Locker      OLLIE:  2018 OE2 Hull 342, Twin Bed.    OLLIE DYI’s:  BB LiFePO4's, Victron 712 Smart, 350 Amp Master Switch, Houghton 3400, Victron Orion DC - DC, 3000-Watt Renogy Inverter, P.D. 60-amp Converter, Frig Dual Exhaust Fans, Kitchen Drawer Straps.    TV DYI’s:  2 5/16" Anderson System, Timken Bearings, Nitto recon’s, Firestone Rear Air Bags, Bilstein 5100’s, Mud Flaps & Weather Tech all.

  image.jpeg.9633acdfb75740f0fd358e1a5118f105.jpeg

 

 

 

 

 

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Overland:  I REALLY like your  pole selection.  They are short for travel, are very light and quite strong.  But at $40 each for two of the 8 ' model, the cost is quite high.

 

I am wondering if other owners have a similar but more cost conscious approach that are also small, light and strong?

TV:  2019 F-150 SuperCrew Lariat, 3.5L EcoBoost, Max Tow, FX-4, Rear Locker      OLLIE:  2018 OE2 Hull 342, Twin Bed.    OLLIE DYI’s:  BB LiFePO4's, Victron 712 Smart, 350 Amp Master Switch, Houghton 3400, Victron Orion DC - DC, 3000-Watt Renogy Inverter, P.D. 60-amp Converter, Frig Dual Exhaust Fans, Kitchen Drawer Straps.    TV DYI’s:  2 5/16" Anderson System, Timken Bearings, Nitto recon’s, Firestone Rear Air Bags, Bilstein 5100’s, Mud Flaps & Weather Tech all.

  image.jpeg.9633acdfb75740f0fd358e1a5118f105.jpeg

 

 

 

 

 

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I agree on the cost.  Fortunately I had them from our tent camping days and so I'm glad they're getting a second life with the Ollie.  I think that the smaller version would probably be fine, but of course with the fat ones, there's no fear of bending them.

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I ended up ordering these from Amazon,  /Green-Elephant-Telescoping-Tarp-Poles/dp/B072K1B91Q/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?keywords=tent+poles&qid=1566243433&s=gateway&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzQzkzNlNaOFUyNTRCJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwOTgxNzYxMTJKMVRTRVM4TTlCTiZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNDgzNjU5MVFaWU9NV0wzRkIyTSZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

 

All reviews were good and it should work, made just like painter poles and works the same. The top end has a 1/4" screw in pin, shouldn't be any problem attaching it to the awning frame, etc. If you don't want to Copy and Paste the above, just type in Green Elephant Telescoping Tarp Poles on the Amazon website, I got the $49.99 ones, they adjust out to 91".

 

trainman

 

 

 

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2019 RAM 1500, 5.7 Hemi, 4X4, Crew Cab, 5'7" bed, Towing Package, 3.92 Gears.

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On our older trailets, fiamma, we strap it down with corkscrew hooks and straps, plus , for me, ( night time visibility) bits of neon surveyors ribbon, and call it done.

 

Easy to pack it in, and roll up the awning, when the wind picks up.

Sherry

2008 Ram 1500 4 × 4

2008 Oliver Elite, Hull #12

Florida and Western North Carolina, or wherever the truck goes....

400 watts solar. DC compressor fridge. No inverter. 2 x 105 ah agm batteries .  Life is good.


        
 

 

 

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