Wet awning

[ronstew]

Tomorrow we are heading out for several nights on the Washington coast (Grayland Beach and Ocean City State Parks). The forecast calls for showers, which isn't too bad. We don't usually put the awning up, but if it rains more than predicted, we might use it.

I am guessing that storing an awning wet is a bad idea. We are lucky, since when we get home, we can unfurl it in the carport. That just means leaving the Toyota in the driveway.

Thoughts and opinions for me and others?

[gbaglo]

My experience is that it gets wet closed or open when driving in the driving rain. You're lucky you can open it in the carport when you get home.
My carport has no roof, so that's out for me.

baglo

[Jim Bennett]

Unless a quick overnight stop, I always put the awning up. It only takes about 2 minutes. I prefer to roll it up dry, but don't sweat it too much. I just open it up again the next time out and it dries. I never had an issue with it getting moldy. Like Baglo says, just driving or sitting in the rain, it seems to be soaked when you open it anyway.

[Garand]

I agree with the posts above. I don't have a lot of experience with the Escape awning yet, but with our old Casita, we never had problems with mold or mildew, even though the awning always got wet whether it was furled or not.

I always open the awning after a trip, hosed it off inside and out, used dry lube on all the sliding and pivoting bits, and put it away dry. If it is raining on our return, I just wait for a sunny day. The biggest problem is leaves and stuff rotting inside the awning. After one experience with a stained awning, I always cleaned it as soon as practical.

Dave

[ksitte]

So, Dave, what's the dry lube you use? A teflon spray? Or is there something better?

KSitte

[Garand]

I use "Dri-Lube" which contains Teflon. I am forced to admit I'm a sucker for the latest snake oil for my firearms, but figure almost any Teflon-based product is good enough for the meager load placed on the sliding parts of the awning.

Dave

[escape artist]

Hi: Garand...I used to be a "Snake Oil Salesman" : I use a special product to clean and remove mildew from the vinyl awning. Can't remember the name but it is avail. from many RV. dealers. I'll try the Dri-Lube as there's one spot the slider seems to bind at, when opening/closing the awning. It is a by-product of the old style double bent arms. Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[fudge_brownie]

Mark Shaffer at fiberglassrv.com posted the following as a method of cleaning an awning. I have not tried it but it sure seems low tech and simple.

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The easiest way to clean a box type roll up awning is to get yourself a spray bottle, fill about half of the bottle with Clorox bleach or whatever type of bleach you use, then add a squirt of dish soap or car wash soap and fill the rest up with water then set aside. Open your awning fully, hose it off then take a soft bristled brush and remove any loose soil, then spray the bleach solution onto the awning heavy on both the top side and the bottom side. After you have both side saturated with the bleach solution, roll it up for about 20 minutes to a half hour. After the time is up, open the awning and you will notice a drastic difference, but hose all of the bleach solution off of the awning and be sure to spray the camper body off as well to ensure that any solution on the camper has been washed off. When you rinse off the awning, you should be done. Let it dry, and then roll it up. If the awning is heavily stained, you may have to do this procedure twice. I do this to every used camper I get in stock, and no matter how dirty the awning is, they all come as clean as a new awning. This method was recommended to me by a technician from A&E awning, and it works great. No need to buy expensive mildew remover or awning cleaner.

[escape artist]

Hi: Paul Braun...The stuff I used must have some bleach in it too...as it changed my nice blue tee to a mottled purple!!! I hate purple Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[Garand]

Originally Posted by Paul Braun

Mark Shaffer at fiberglassrv.com posted the following as a method of cleaning an awning. I have not tried it but it sure seems low tech and simple.

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This looks like a good solution (pun intended). I'd be very thorough in rinsing the awning, especially its housing. Bleach is a pretty active base and can corrode a lot of stuff. I'd hate to trade a stained awning for a corroded mechanism.

[hippo]

Simple Green seems to do a good job cleaning.

[ronstew]

So after a year and a half with the awning furled, I finally unrolled it after our trip. I didn't inspect the top side too closely. There were a couple of mildew spots on the bottom that came off easily with a weak bleach/soap mixture. I guess that I have not driven in the rain too often.

It took us a few days of camping in sub-freezing coditions to figure out how to minimize condensation (window over bed open, Maxx fan sucking air in so moist air goes out the window). And it took a week to get around to checking. So we found a bit of mildew on the edge of a cushion that touches a wall. A bit of a scrub, and it's fine.

Honestly, I don't think I would miss the awning if it were gone. For us, it is just extra weight and aerodynamic drag.

[gbaglo]

Ron,

I know you're in "sunny" Tsawwassen, but what do you sit under the other 364 camping days when it's raining? Awning is first thing I tend to, unless winds are too high.

baglo

[fudge_brownie]

Baglo, I agree with you. It takes two minutes, is a one person job and its great sun or rain. That glass of wine I always have after my 10 minute trailer setup routine is always better outside under the awning. It also keeps me from being underfoot inside when those important inside preparations are being done by the other half.

[Jim Bennett]

I would never go without an awning either, we just use it way too much. It shades against sun, and is invaluable during rainy periods. We have had a dozen people under ours a few times. Without it everyone would have to go to their individual trailers to wait out the rain. No fun.

[escape artist]

Hi: All...DITTO for us too!!! Rather than "Awning" it should be called "First Out" Here's a pic of my solution to "where's the awning rod" Two nylon cable straps...one open(bottom) one closed(top) always at the door at the ready. Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[Jim Bennett]

The only thing the awning rod gets used for is to get the stinky slinky outta its holder. I just use my finger to pull on the webbing loop. With the raised axle I only have a couple inches to spare though. My wife can't quite reach it.

[PGDriver]

When we camp up here in northern BC the awning is first up, then the bug screen... then the wine.
Always in that order and can't live without all three.

[rvomaha]

I understand you guys to say that the closed awning gets wet when driving the camper in the rain. Does rain also get the awning fabric wet when the awning is closed and just sitting still (in a storage lot, for instance)? Would we need to go open the awning periodically to let it dry out?

Love this forum!

Liz in Omaha, Nebraska

[Garand]

I'm sure it must get some water in there. It can't be as much as when deployed in the rain, but it's right out there in the elements. I hadn't thought about it before, but I guess its time to go unfurl it and see what our recent torrential downpours have done.

Dave