Easy way to set up and take down awning?

[popup-flyer]

I swear, every time I go camping and leave the awning up a storm rolls in overnight while sleeping and I have to go out at 2am or something and put it up at least partially.

If I don't put it up we have nice weather.... so I don't put it up that much LOL.

If we have it up and are leaving the site I will absolutely NOT leave it up in Texas. I don't want to have to fix/replace the plastic roof.

 

[wcvworg]

I have one of these onboard -

It was original bought to help the Mrs get into bed when we were using a tall air mattress, and it folds flat which is fantastic. Of course, I'm 6 feet tall so I don't need much - your height may vary.

 

[miohpopup]

I opened the awning on my 2001 Viking to clean it when I purchased it this spring. But I did it with the camper all tucked away. Easy to reach.
I'm curious about how to open and get it up when the camper is fully extended. Ladder?
And, I've heard that one of the ways to ruin it is to leave it up when away for a 6 hour or so hike and the wind comes up!
Does anyone have a suggestion to make this all easy?
I see that there are two legs on each corner... I'm assuming that one set hooks into the side of the PUP. The other looks like it extends to the ground and would need lines anchored to secure the thing if opting for that option.
Thanks!

I must agree with those who raise the roof partway and then setup the awning. I always wanted to wait and setup the awning as the last thing but I always ended up cussing at my partner. A friend suggested setting up the awning right away by raising the roof up partway, extend the vertical poles and get the rafter poles in place. This last time I marked the vertical poles so it is easier to know where the darn buttons are on the vertical poles and I marked the rafter poles so I didn't extend them too far and have them fall apart. Taking it up and down is so much easier if you do it before you raise the roof all the way. And yes, the wind will destroy an awning. You can always lower the vertical poles as far as you can if you don't want to take the awning all the way down and roll it up. Remember to raise one vertical pole up an extra hole and lower the other vertical pole down an extra hole if you think it is going to rain. Heck, it is probably just as easy to raise and lower the vertical poles right away when you set it up so you don't forget in case it rains. Pooling water on the awning can rip it and removing the pooled water after the fact is always messy.

 

[polydoly8]

I got a bag awning for my new to me pop up this summer. I'm "vertically challenged" and my girls are about the same - 5'5" range - we are able to unzip, roll out and connect the awning using the cooler pretty easily with the camper fully extended. The one I have uses a ball from the rafter supports to a cup you installed on the popup, and then I went for the option of installing the cups for the "vertical" supports on the camper to be angled and not in the ground - sometimes it is too rocky to get stakes in and then no extra ropes/wires to deal with. BUT - our third time out with it- unexpected thunderstorm came up while we were out hiking and the 15mph winds ripped the "vertical" supports that are aluminum off the awning. I don't think if they had been to the ground instead of angled back it would have made any difference with the winds. The rest of the awning system was fine, no issues. But there is no way to repair the aluminum legs. So once I get new legs for it, I will be doing the extra work of taking the lights off and taking the awning down whenever we leave camp.

 

[tfischer]

We rarely take our awning down. What I do instead is bungee it to the sides of the camper I have the legs extending back to the camper sides, so the dog tie out doesn't get caught in it). Unless I know massively high winds or hail is coming, I leave it up.

We're camping one last time this season and I will try to remember to take pics.

 

[Roach Coach]

I opened the awning on my 2001 Viking to clean it when I purchased it this spring. But I did it with the camper all tucked away. Easy to reach.
I'm curious about how to open and get it up when the camper is fully extended. Ladder?
And, I've heard that one of the ways to ruin it is to leave it up when away for a 6 hour or so hike and the wind comes up!
Does anyone have a suggestion to make this all easy?
I see that there are two legs on each corner... I'm assuming that one set hooks into the side of the PUP. The other looks like it extends to the ground and would need lines anchored to secure the thing if opting for that option.
Thanks!

I have a Rockwood pop up. I raise my roof slightly higher then my head. I then set up the awning. I then raise the roof completely up. I ensure to watch the poles to ensure nothing breaks.

 

[BillyMc]

Can only speak for the PUP we had, 1997 Starcraft Starmaster 1224. I learned early on to deploy the awning with the roof about shoulder high. If you happen to need to roll it up after you setup we didn't have to completely break down. I would remove the shepherd hooks and store the top half of the door, then lower the roof enough to reach the awning. Then raise the roof back up, reset the door, and put the hooks back in. That said we usually had a screen room attached to our awning. With the room attached, curtains down, and an extra tie down you would be surprised how much wind it will withstand. We spent a week at Oregon Inlet OBX with the awning deployed and screen room attached.

 

[Dingit]

I have a highwall. The roof is over my head before we start raising it.

 

[frogman79]

I'm in the group of raise halfway pull the thing out and set up and then raise the rest of the way. We had a family member many years ago fall off a 5 gallon bucket will trying to help set the awing up with the camper up all the way and need medical attention, IE a CAST. Clumsy people should stay the heck away from ladders, foot stools, and buckets.

As far as what to do to tie it down, I found 3 bungee cord straps that are 3' long that will stretch to around 6' and put much positive pressure if used as the tie downs. I stake as close to the bottom of the poles as I can to avoid tripping hazards and hook to the bar across the front edge of the awning and not the bottom the poles. I use the heavy duty large nail looking spikes. Last time went out we had storms 3 out of the 5 days and the thing never moved.

Putting up is the reverse of opening, get the camper to a point you can lower it, then lower it half way, put the awing up, lower the rest of the way. Does leave a nice shaded spot to hang out in if you need it.

 

[fredhead]

After some pretty awful and downright dangerous experiences with our awning I've gotten it down to two steps:

1. Close zipper.
2. Do not disturb. Ever.

I had two bad experiences with my old awning. The first one was that the first time I used it, the zipper busted. To get it home I had to remove it from the camper and it would not slide out of the track. All those screws out and put the entire thing inside the pup, which has a 12' box. Got home and instead of replacing the bag I installed snaps to hold it closed.

Next time I went camping, the snaps held good. All along the way I kept checking my mirror the ensure that. At the campsite the wind caught it and tore it off. It rode home again inside the pup.

I have a new awning, and getting ready to go again. Don't know if I will use it or not.

 

[Sneezer]

I am strictly a fair weather camper so I rarely deal with adverse weather. If I am staying longer than 2 nights, the awning gets deployed, and I often set up the screen room as well for the kitchen. My awning has no capability of attaching to the wall of the pup, so I stake it out. It uses spring tension poles for the rafters so it would’t take much to dislodge it in wind.

My dream is to get a FIAMMA awning for both sides, but that is way out of my budget these days.

 

[Sherronlee]

I opened the awning on my 2001 Viking to clean it when I purchased it this spring. But I did it with the camper all tucked away. Easy to reach.
I'm curious about how to open and get it up when the camper is fully extended. Ladder?
And, I've heard that one of the ways to ruin it is to leave it up when away for a 6 hour or so hike and the wind comes up!
Does anyone have a suggestion to make this all easy?
I see that there are two legs on each corner... I'm assuming that one set hooks into the side of the PUP. The other looks like it extends to the ground and would need lines anchored to secure the thing if opting for that option.
Thanks!

I never understand why people don't secure their awning well enough to be able to leave it up at all times? In our 23 years of owning 2 different Baysides, we have never worried about our awning. My husband always has it wall secured. I will I had a photo of it but I don't and we lost our awing a couple of years ago, so I can't take one now. My husband always secured both ends of the awning with rope going down to tent pegs in the ground ~ 2 on each end. Then on top of that, he had a system that was like a long strap. It attached to the frame of the trailer, then ran up and across the top of the awning and back down on the other side ~ where there was a spring that allowed it some movement, and then attached to the frame of the trailer on the other end of the trailer. While I used to curse those ropes on each end, I learned to put a pool noodle on each rope, so that it was very visible and then it wasn't so bad. We camped in all kinds of weather, including a snow storm and never had an issue with the awning.

 

[Bob Powers]

I opened the awning on my 2001 Viking to clean it when I purchased it this spring. But I did it with the camper all tucked away. Easy to reach.
I'm curious about how to open and get it up when the camper is fully extended. Ladder?
And, I've heard that one of the ways to ruin it is to leave it up when away for a 6 hour or so hike and the wind comes up!
Does anyone have a suggestion to make this all easy?
I see that there are two legs on each corner... I'm assuming that one set hooks into the side of the PUP. The other looks like it extends to the ground and would need lines anchored to secure the thing if opting for that option.
Thanks!

Ours is an aftermarket replacement awning. Our old one detached in a windstorm. It is suggested that you unzip before raising the top of the trailer, but at least for us it's no biggie if we don't. We bring a stepstool with us. We unzip the bag, my wife takes the middle and walks the awning out until the legs and horizontal supports are exposed. I drop down the legs first, extend them fully, then extend the horizontals out fully and snap them into place just under the awning bag at either end of the trailer. Then we stake the legs down...we're not tying them down at this point, just stakes. This new awning is much heavier and sturdier than the original.

 

[EasySix]

I have the bag awning like yours. And any way you look at it, they are difficult to put up and take down. I have to do both with the camper top half way up so that I can gain access. When the top is fully up it is near impossible to roll it up and get it back in the bag. But here is a little video I made a year or so ago after one camping trip where I fought with the awning both up and down. In the video I am using a bolt and wing nut for demonstration purposes. I have since begun to use a snap-in locking pin on both sides. The awning is still susceptible to high winds, but no so much for the light winds now that I secure it in this manner.

Thanks for sharing this. Have 2008 Viking (new to us) with a similar/same awning and we gave up trying to set it up (blackflies and mosquitos). Figured we'd get to it next year

 

[Odie2013]

I opened the awning on my 2001 Viking to clean it when I purchased it this spring. But I did it with the camper all tucked away. Easy to reach.
I'm curious about how to open and get it up when the camper is fully extended. Ladder?
And, I've heard that one of the ways to ruin it is to leave it up when away for a 6 hour or so hike and the wind comes up!
Does anyone have a suggestion to make this all easy?
I see that there are two legs on each corner... I'm assuming that one set hooks into the side of the PUP. The other looks like it extends to the ground and would need lines anchored to secure the thing if opting for that option.
Thanks!

Just wondering if anyone knows where to purchase the clips that attach to the trailer that the screens attach to.
Tia
Dale

 

[teejaywhy]

DEPLOYMENT
I always raised my roof part way (~head height) and then deployed the awning. Our 2005 Jayco Baja 10Z had three support poles. Six poles total, three vertical and three horizontal. I found it easiest to install the center poles first, finish raising the roof, then the outer poles.

TAKING AWNING DOWN IF WINDY
Honestly, if I had to take it down everytime I was worried about wind, I probably would never put it up. Instead, I would guy the poles from the top with sturdy rope tied with two half hitches so the ropes could be periodically tightened. You want the the force to be vertical, pulling down. Made it through many storms, never failed.

Here is a pic of the awning with guy ropes ( also put guy ropes on the EZ Up)

 

[BillyMc]

DEPLOYMENT
I always raised my roof part way (~head height) and then deployed the awning. Our 2005 Jayco Baja 10Z had three support poles. Six poles total, three vertical and three horizontal. I found it easiest to install the center poles first, finish raising the roof, then the outer poles.

TAKING AWNING DOWN IF WINDY
Honestly, if I had to take it down everytime I was worried about wind, I probably would never put it up. Instead, I would guy the poles from the top with sturdy rope tied with two half hitches so the ropes could be periodically tightened. You want the the force to be vertical, pulling down. Made it through many storms, never failed.

Here is a pic of the awning with guy ropes ( also put guy ropes on the EZ Up)

View attachment 88147

For the EZup I usually tie it down to the picnic table, If the wind can lift that it can have it.

 

[Minimalist]

I always unrolled the awning once I raised the roof about a third of the way up, installed the rafter poles and vertical posts then continued raising the roof, awning would "drag" itself into place.

That's the way I always want it to do as well. 50% of the time I forget hence I carry a collapsible stepping stool.

 

[bluespruce]

We are also in the camp of raise the roof part way and then deploy. When we remember that is…. Half the time we don’t remember then it’s standing on coolers. Our old pup was not a highwall and I could just stand on the ground.

I installed the little cups on the wall for the down poles. one less thing for the dog tie out to get wrapped around. 90 pound strong Labrador can dislodge a pole that is staked down. Quite easily in fact.

on Our down poles there is a “D” ring on the bottom of the pole. I tie a short length of paracord from the D ring to the roof support so if the wind picks up a little and dislodges the pole from the cup the awning won’t fall down or worse yet fly over the camper and damage the roof.

our previous pup had the twist to lock poles. They never seemed quite tight enough so I slipped a SS hose clamp over the bottom part of the leg and slid it up to the top part of the pole then tightened it with a screwdriver. Much more secure. When we stowed the legs I just put the hose clamp on the end of the leg and tightened. It would slip right in the track and the tail end of the clamp provided a nice little spring to hold the poles in the track.

 

[Pmbradley]

Ours may not store as nice as a bag awning but ours only is 3 poles and 3 guy wires. You slide it out of the track and roll.or fold it up when not in use and slide it in the track when camper is closed for convenience and lay it on the roof till ready to set it up.

Where did you get that one? I am wanting a new awning, and my bag one is a pain.