Awning - is it just for sun?

Has anyone used the gazebo leg weights,? forget the actually name.

 They fit around the feet of the legs,  l can fill with water or sand , they are very weighty and hold the legs in place even in high winds, I have four left over from when we had a gazebo now have a permanent fixture, so am thinking of using two of those.

when empty they are very light and easily stored.

On the flip side, the more you tie your awning down, the longer it will take you to get it wound back in safely if a squall blows up.

Dennis

Dare-devil-dennis wrote:On the flip side, the more you tie your awning down, the longer it will take you to get it wound back in safely if a squall blows up.

Dennis

I haven't found this with our Omnistor.  I slacken the Tie Downs enough to unclip them from the top pillars, then slide the feet out from the ground plates without disturbing the pegs and wind the canopy in.  I can then put the canopy out again in exactly the same place - only takes minutes.  Even on the calmest of days it only takes a rogue gust of wind to wreak havoc on an untied canopy.

Rich..

RML wrote:

Dare-devil-dennis wrote:On the flip side, the more you tie your awning down, the longer it will take you to get it wound back in safely if a squall blows up.

Dennis

I haven't found this with our Omnistor.  I slacken the Tie Downs enough to unclip them from the top pillars, then slide the feet out from the ground plates without disturbing the pegs and wind the canopy in.  I can then put the canopy out again in exactly the same place - only takes minutes.  Even on the calmest of days it only takes a rogue gust of wind to wreak havoc on an untied canopy.

Rich..

Likewise, I can have the 'wind protection' removed very quickly in calm conditions, but being a solo traveller, I wouldn't attempt to fully release the protection if caught out by a sudden squall and my method is time consuming, but keeps the awning safe.

When I have to roll the awning away in in windy conditions, I leave the awning legs out with foot plates pegged, slacken the storm strap slightly, sufficient to roll a couple of feet of awning in, before extending the legs (now at an angle) and repeat this a few times until there is enough awning in, to safely release the strap and legs.

This method is a bit slow, but means that although the strap is loosened, it would never allow the awning to be blown over the roof.