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securing Zip Dee awning for travel

Yahoo Message Number: 110496
We have had one of our Zip Dee awnings unfurl 3 times while we were driving. One time was while crossing a bridge in Canada. The wind got under the metal cover of the passenger side awning and it ripped out the awning as a large ballooning sail. Another time we were on a freeway when the driver side awning unfurled. While a bit sporty to recover, we removed the whole assembly using a razor blade and made a simple repair to the rusted/broken internal spring. The third time, more recently, was a recurrence of the passenger side awning ballooning in a high wind situation. The driver's side issue is easy to diagnose, and is not a particularly distressing issue since it involved a broken spring. However, the passenger side awning issue is very distressing. In both cases, the wind was able to get under the metal cover and balloon the awning. In both cases, the "travel latch kit" broke. the piece that is riveted to the metal cover was ripped out and is lost on the road somewhere in Oklahoma (and the other is lost in a Canadian river). We need a more secure way of wrapping the metal cover and ensuring the awning remains within the metal cover when driving in high wind situations.

Has anyone found a successful way of strapping the awning down for periods of driving when there are high winds present?

Thanks

-skip saunders-
2000 Magna 5778

Re: securing Zip Dee awning for travel

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 110500
Skip we experienced the same issue with the Driver's side large awning while traveling in Wyoming in a high crosswind. We subsequently saw a number of Country Coachs that had installed a length of 90° aluminum just below each awning. It acts as a deflector so the wind cannot get in behind the awning's metal cover, yet doesn't require any physical attachment to the awning. Hope this helps. Safe travels.

Jeff Thurston 2004 Intrigue 42ft
11630

Re: securing Zip Dee awning for travel

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 110501
Hi, Skip, we have a 2000 magna and the driver side large awning has a latch a each end have way down with a latch that i close over the arms to hold them from opening out, the main awning on pass side i wrap a tie around the arms to stop them from opening, good luch Charles 5886

Re: securing Zip Dee awning for travel

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 110502
Hi,

Early in the life of our '01 Intrigue, #11238, we also had the issue with the large driver side awning. It would only happen If the wind was coming from the 10 o'clock direction. I consulted with ZipDee's customer service dept. who suggested increasing the spring preload which I did and which solved the issue. I'm sorry, I don't recall how many turns of tension for our length of awning, but I'm sure they could advise.

Don

Re: securing Zip Dee awning for travel

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 110503
thanks... yes, we too have those latches, we keep the latches secure when driving. The issue for the driver's side did not involve any movement of the arms that are secured by those latches. Instead, the wind was able to get up under the metal awning cover (which covers just the roller assembly). For our experience with the driver's side awning, the problem was a rusted wind-up spring inside the roller. It broke and allowed the awning to balloon out as a big sail....but it did not require any movement by the two arms for the awning to escape. The Driver's side issue doesn't really concern me since all I needed to do was replace the windup spring and ensure that it was under strong tension. We've not had any issues since on the Driver's side. However, the passenger side has a much large awning, the arms do not have any latches such as you mention. When driving we always strap the awning arms together on the passenger side such that movement would be very difficult. However, in our most recent case, the wind was strong enough to get under the metal awning covering, break the travel latch kit, and balloon the awning; the force of the now liberated awning was sufficient to break both straps on the arms too. Everything was thus flapping in the winds. We were driving at 65 mph with 35 to 50 mph cross winds in Oklahoma at the time of our "event".

So, what I'm really seeking is someone who has a good idea about how to wrap the metal awning cover with some sort of strap assembly that will prevent it from releasing the awning that it is supposed to cover/protect. The current ZipDee "travel latch" is not sufficient.

Thanks

Re: securing Zip Dee awning for travel

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 110504
Thanks Jeff. That sounds like a creative solution that might help.... I'll have to think more about that.

Re: securing Zip Dee awning for travel

Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 110513
Hi, what was the solution for the awning, thanks Charles 5886 2 k magna

Re: securing Zip Dee awning for travel

Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 110518
I had that happen to me also Skip. I was thinking about a way to pin the roller to the arm, but that would require putting a pin in after the room was retracted and taking it out before you extended the room. Did not seem practical at the time and it still doesn't. A friend said he had an aluminum strip (about 6 or 7 inches wide) installed under the awnings entire length, it was secured to the fiberglass and bent it such a way so it caused the air to flow over the roller and not under it, so the awning material could not billow out. Don't know where he had it done, it was at least 8 years ago.

Earl Densten

03 Intrigue 11554

Re: securing Zip Dee awning for travel

Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 110519
Sure would like some photos of that if anyone cares to share. Thanks in advance.

Jerry & Brenda Azzara
'99 Intrigue Chefs Delite
#11702 
6s

Re: securing Zip Dee awning for travel

Reply #9 –
Yahoo Message Number: 110522
The last time I visited Airstream in 208 they retention my awnings placing 27 turns on the rewind springs. No problems. Note. I originally had A&E and Carefree topper window awnings. They are now all Zip Dee installed by the factory in 06. Haven't had an issue since . That said there are provisions to use cale ties to secure the awnings in very high winds on I-8, 1`-40 , I-10 and crossing from Lodi to the Bay area. TWI 2004 Intrigue 11731.

Re: securing Zip Dee awning for travel

Reply #10 –
Yahoo Message Number: 110523
Guys, I'm not a Zip Dee expert but we have them on our 2000 Magna. See the instructions in this link:

http://nebula.wsimg.com/fda1a42bcf98814b963347055e70b902?AccessKeyId=C8A729CF410B06765C18&disposition=0&alloworigin=1

Or go to the Zip Dee site and go to How to Operate your manual awning. Select Universal Hardware choice. In my experience you have to use that "Z Lock". If you put the ZLock in the closed position before traveling down the road, I don't think there is any way for that awning to unfurl when the Z Locks on both ends of the tube are in the Closed position.

I had mine blow up like a balloon two weeks ago in a side wind in Oklahoma and discovered I had forgotten to put the ZLocks in the close position.

Your Mileage May Vary
Fred

Re: securing Zip Dee awning for travel

Reply #11 –
Yahoo Message Number: 110538
I put the z-lock in the locked position... but I've found that it can sometimes work loose....When my awning ballooned in Oklahoma the most recent time, I know I'd had the z-lock in place when we started driving, but it was open when our "event" happened. maybe I need to replace the z-lock....

Thanks
-skip-

2000 Magna 5778

Re: securing Zip Dee awning for travel

Reply #12 –
Yahoo Message Number: 110541
The springs don't last much after 15yrs.
Almost all of mine have been replaced.

Alex Ritchey 2000 affinity

Re: securing Zip Dee awning for travel

Reply #13 –
Yahoo Message Number: 110552
Our 22 year old Zip Dee awnings have survived several windstorms including such places as North Dakota, Montana, and Coachella Valley.

We use the awning arm to increase the tension on the 22 foot patio awning spring at least every three years.

That awning has the two pivoting locks at the closed position that I engage prior to each trip.

We also use velcro straps at the top and bottom of each set of closed awning arms to keep the arms from separating during travel.

The above has worked for us for 15 years. (knock on wood....)