Taking the recreational vehicle out on the road to the far reaches of as-yet unexplored campsites and new territory is wonderfully liberating. There’s something very special about the freeing feeling of being out at a campsite.
Wednesday, February 26, 2020
Tuesday, February 4, 2020
The Importance Of Caring For Your RV Awning
Your RV awning is one of those features of your RV that, while not completely essential, makes camping and outdoor living just so much more enjoyable. Consider the weather. When you’re camping out in the south or southwest, or any other areas where the sun is unrelenting, your awning can make it so much more enjoyable for you to spend prolonged time in the great outdoors. Similarly, if you frequent an area like the northwest with incessant rain, your awning can make it that much easier for you to spend time outdoors that you’d otherwise spend inside- and then, what’s the point of camping? Moreover, for those intrepid souls, your awning can allow you to spend extra time outside in light snow. One of the most enjoyable experiences is to be in camp when the snow is piling up around you. In short, your RV awning protects you from sun and light rain and snow and can make days that otherwise would be unwisely spent in the outdoors much more amenable. With the right care to your awning and the equipment that you use with it in camp, you can enjoy many seasons of service from it without having to pay for undue replacement or repairs.
Here at RV Upgrades, we don’t just offer the tools, cleaner, and equipment you’ll need to care for your RV awning and make an outdoor living, we have the know-how to put into action to make it a reality. Like any other piece of equipment, your awning will require not only the proper use but also routine maintenance in order to continue functioning properly. Here are a few things to consider to keep your awning functioning as intended for many seasons.
Use Your Awning Properly and Only In The Right Conditions
Using your awning properly and only in the right conditions, as well as closing it up under adverse conditions, will go quite a long way to keep your awning happy and healthy. While your awning is intended to provide and can provide, reasonable protection against the sun and light rain or snow, it should never be subjected to the forces of pooling water, heavy snow or high winds.
If your awning is unpowered, it can help to use a tool like our Camco 42544 Easy Reach RV Opener when you need to open it. It will free you from needing to carry along a ladder or a stool and make it much easier for you to open your awning. Once you’ve opened your awning, you should keep it secure and staked down. Preventing excessive movement due to wind can help prevent damage not only to the awning itself but to the awning arm. A slight breeze won’t destroy your awning, but staking your awning down will keep it secure and stable under light winds. We offer stakes such as Camco’s 42522 Awning Stake to keep your awning secure and cinched down. In addition, we sell helpful add ons like Camco’s 42251 Awning De-Flapper Max to help prevent your awning from flapping excessively in the wind. They offer a universal fit and help minimize the stresses, rips, and tears to awning fabric due to flapping in the wind. While not absolutely necessary, they’re a nice way to minimize the wear that will occur over time.
These devices make an awning more stable in the wind. Under no circumstances should an RV awning be left extended in strong, even moderately strong winds, and an awning should never be left unattended. Gusts of wind can cause immediate and lasting damage to awnings and should not be risked. Close up your awning any time you’re concerned about the power of the wind.
Additionally, although your awning is intended to protect against the rain and snow, it should never be allowed to collect water or allow excessive snow to accumulate on it. These stresses will damage not only the fabric but can destroy an awning arm. Some awnings will shed water on their own, but never allow it to pool, and don’t leave your awning extended in the rain if it isn’t being supervised. Be sure to drain any water pooling in your awning as frequently as possible. Even better, don’t allow it to occur at all.
As a general rule regarding the use of your awning, you should retract it at night, any time you leave camp, and in heavy rain or wind. Keep it secure and tied down (when practical) when in use and follow these prescriptions and you’ll be on the way to preventing damage to your awning. These precautions will prevent the majority of damage that an awning will sustain due to environmental conditions.
Keep Your Awning Clean and Dry
Since your awning will probably be used to protect you from the rain and snow, it’s going to get wet pretty frequently. Even though your awning may be in common contact with water, it’s important to remember that your awning should never be stored while wet. Storing a wet awning is inviting mildew and rot that will make quick work of your awning, almost regardless of what it’s made of. Make sure you thoroughly dry, and if necessary clean, your RV’s awning any time you store it. Here at RV Upgrades, we offer a multitude of treatments and cleaners that, when paired with the right practices, can add seasons to the life of your awning.
For general protection against the elements, we offer treatments like Camco’s RV Awning Waterproofer. This waterproofer is ideal for treating awnings but also useful on furniture, covers and any tents you might also bring with you on your trips. It not only waterproofs fabric to keep you dry but can help prevent moisture-related damage to treated fabrics, and the protection is intended to survive through several washes. Another powerful protector is 303 Product’s High Tech Fabric Guard Spray, which is useful on quite a wide range of fabrics and materials. It provides water and stain repellency to make your gear not only more useful but more resilient.
However, even an awning that was dried before storage can accumulate moisture in excessively humid conditions that can accelerate the formation of mold and mildew that will damage your awning over time, not to mention ruin any aesthetic it possesses. Therefore it is important to periodically wash your awning if you have always dried it before storage. Washing and cleaning your awning will act as a safeguard against damaging factors like mold that can gain a foothold even if you always store your awning dry.
In addition to considering a waterproofing treatment, you’ll want to make sure you wash and clean your awning periodically. Consider our Camco Pro-Strength RV Awning Cleaner, which is effective at removing mold, sap and road grime from your RV awning and is effective for treating a wide range of materials including acrylic, vinyl, and nylon. Cleaning your RV awning periodically can help prevent damage due to the accumulation of grease and grime and will help prevent damage due to mold. Treating your awning, making sure it is dry before storage, and cleaning it periodically will, just like the right practices in the use of your awning, add to its lifespan.
Keep Your Awning Secure And Covered
Even when your awning isn’t busy keeping you dry or out of the sun, you’ll want to afford it some extra level of care. When your awning is stored away, you can keep it secured with sturdy straps at least, if not completely covered. Let’s face it, even when your awning is rolled up and secure, it's still being bombarded by the elements, and that can result in a premature demise for your awning fabric. There are, however, ways we can help to mitigate those effects.
When storing your awning, after, of course, cleaning it and making sure it’s dry, you should at minimum secure the awning with straps. We offer durable awning straps by AP Products that are compatible with a number of awning makers such as A&E, Faulker awnings, and awnings by carefree. Cinch straps by AP Products will last significantly longer than ribbon straps and offer much more protection to your awning and awning arm than alternatives. They will secure the awning and arm, effectively securing them against damage due to wind or driving. That helps to eliminate stresses to the fabric and the arm, and all adds up to extra longevity for your awning.
Awnings, while rolled up, aren’t just being barraged with environmental stressors like wind and driving. Even when rolled up, your RV’s awning is still being rained or snowed on, and if not, the sun is likely beating down on it all day. Prolonged exposure to the elements, particularly to the sunlight, can wreak havoc on awning fabrics. We offer Awning Pro-Tech RV Patio Awning Cover Kits to keep your awning fabric safe and covered when not in use. They are easy to install and can accommodate most awnings, powered and unpowered. These covers protect your awnings from the deleterious effects of wind, precipitation, and sun which can have a profound effect on the lifespan of your awning. They can even be used to protect your awnings while driving with a transportation clip, offering a level and care and protection that goes far beyond routine maintenance.
Protecting your awning from adverse conditions like high wind and pooling water, keeping your awning secure, clean and dry, and covering it when not in use are some of the most important considerations you can make for a humble piece of equipment like your RV Awning. If you take this into account you’ll be well on your way to providing the proper care to your awning and ensuring it will last. Here at RV Upgrades, however, we don’t just understand the value of caring for your RV’s Awning, we also offer the accessories and replacement parts that you can use with your awning to make your experiences outdoors better.
Take a look here to see some of our awning accessories that you can use to store, tie-down, or repair your awnings. We offer many repair parts such as brace knobs, stop bolts, sliding arm locks, patch kits and more that you can use to perform the unforeseen odd jobs necessary to the maintenance of your awning.
As for outdoor living, we offer a full range of products so you can live in comfort in the outdoors under your awning. Consider getting an awning mat for your outdoor living room. Not only with an awning mat keep you comfortable and off of the ground, but many models will allow dirt and sand to pass through only one way. That makes them perfect for preventing mud and dirt from being tracked through the interior of your RV. Here at RVUpgrades, we offer RV mats that are not only practical but attractive from Prest-O-Fit, Faulkner, Camco, Carefree and more to keep you comfortable and your RV clean. You can find them in any color or pattern you like as well.
We offer Carefree Of Colorado Sunblocker Panels and Vacation’r Rooms so that you can really bring your outdoor living to the next level. A Sunblocker panel makes it easy for you to stay in the outdoors while keeping the sun out of your ‘outdoor’ living room, and a Vacation’r room makes it easy to convert the area under your awning into a tent. They’re just a few of the options we offer for converting your awning into extra living space so you can really enjoy the outdoors. Take a look here to see more offerings we have to customize your outdoor living space.
With the proper care and attention, your awning will give you many seasons of enjoyment alongside your camper, and with the accessories we offer here at RVUpgrades, you can get the most out of your outdoor living. Take a look through our product offerings to find what you’re looking for or give us a call today at 866-332-7881 to let us help. We are the RV authorities and can put our experiences to work for you.
Here at RV Upgrades, we don’t just offer the tools, cleaner, and equipment you’ll need to care for your RV awning and make an outdoor living, we have the know-how to put into action to make it a reality. Like any other piece of equipment, your awning will require not only the proper use but also routine maintenance in order to continue functioning properly. Here are a few things to consider to keep your awning functioning as intended for many seasons.
Use Your Awning Properly and Only In The Right Conditions
Using your awning properly and only in the right conditions, as well as closing it up under adverse conditions, will go quite a long way to keep your awning happy and healthy. While your awning is intended to provide and can provide, reasonable protection against the sun and light rain or snow, it should never be subjected to the forces of pooling water, heavy snow or high winds.
If your awning is unpowered, it can help to use a tool like our Camco 42544 Easy Reach RV Opener when you need to open it. It will free you from needing to carry along a ladder or a stool and make it much easier for you to open your awning. Once you’ve opened your awning, you should keep it secure and staked down. Preventing excessive movement due to wind can help prevent damage not only to the awning itself but to the awning arm. A slight breeze won’t destroy your awning, but staking your awning down will keep it secure and stable under light winds. We offer stakes such as Camco’s 42522 Awning Stake to keep your awning secure and cinched down. In addition, we sell helpful add ons like Camco’s 42251 Awning De-Flapper Max to help prevent your awning from flapping excessively in the wind. They offer a universal fit and help minimize the stresses, rips, and tears to awning fabric due to flapping in the wind. While not absolutely necessary, they’re a nice way to minimize the wear that will occur over time.
These devices make an awning more stable in the wind. Under no circumstances should an RV awning be left extended in strong, even moderately strong winds, and an awning should never be left unattended. Gusts of wind can cause immediate and lasting damage to awnings and should not be risked. Close up your awning any time you’re concerned about the power of the wind.
Additionally, although your awning is intended to protect against the rain and snow, it should never be allowed to collect water or allow excessive snow to accumulate on it. These stresses will damage not only the fabric but can destroy an awning arm. Some awnings will shed water on their own, but never allow it to pool, and don’t leave your awning extended in the rain if it isn’t being supervised. Be sure to drain any water pooling in your awning as frequently as possible. Even better, don’t allow it to occur at all.
As a general rule regarding the use of your awning, you should retract it at night, any time you leave camp, and in heavy rain or wind. Keep it secure and tied down (when practical) when in use and follow these prescriptions and you’ll be on the way to preventing damage to your awning. These precautions will prevent the majority of damage that an awning will sustain due to environmental conditions.
Keep Your Awning Clean and Dry
Since your awning will probably be used to protect you from the rain and snow, it’s going to get wet pretty frequently. Even though your awning may be in common contact with water, it’s important to remember that your awning should never be stored while wet. Storing a wet awning is inviting mildew and rot that will make quick work of your awning, almost regardless of what it’s made of. Make sure you thoroughly dry, and if necessary clean, your RV’s awning any time you store it. Here at RV Upgrades, we offer a multitude of treatments and cleaners that, when paired with the right practices, can add seasons to the life of your awning.
For general protection against the elements, we offer treatments like Camco’s RV Awning Waterproofer. This waterproofer is ideal for treating awnings but also useful on furniture, covers and any tents you might also bring with you on your trips. It not only waterproofs fabric to keep you dry but can help prevent moisture-related damage to treated fabrics, and the protection is intended to survive through several washes. Another powerful protector is 303 Product’s High Tech Fabric Guard Spray, which is useful on quite a wide range of fabrics and materials. It provides water and stain repellency to make your gear not only more useful but more resilient.
However, even an awning that was dried before storage can accumulate moisture in excessively humid conditions that can accelerate the formation of mold and mildew that will damage your awning over time, not to mention ruin any aesthetic it possesses. Therefore it is important to periodically wash your awning if you have always dried it before storage. Washing and cleaning your awning will act as a safeguard against damaging factors like mold that can gain a foothold even if you always store your awning dry.
In addition to considering a waterproofing treatment, you’ll want to make sure you wash and clean your awning periodically. Consider our Camco Pro-Strength RV Awning Cleaner, which is effective at removing mold, sap and road grime from your RV awning and is effective for treating a wide range of materials including acrylic, vinyl, and nylon. Cleaning your RV awning periodically can help prevent damage due to the accumulation of grease and grime and will help prevent damage due to mold. Treating your awning, making sure it is dry before storage, and cleaning it periodically will, just like the right practices in the use of your awning, add to its lifespan.
Keep Your Awning Secure And Covered
Even when your awning isn’t busy keeping you dry or out of the sun, you’ll want to afford it some extra level of care. When your awning is stored away, you can keep it secured with sturdy straps at least, if not completely covered. Let’s face it, even when your awning is rolled up and secure, it's still being bombarded by the elements, and that can result in a premature demise for your awning fabric. There are, however, ways we can help to mitigate those effects.
Awnings, while rolled up, aren’t just being barraged with environmental stressors like wind and driving. Even when rolled up, your RV’s awning is still being rained or snowed on, and if not, the sun is likely beating down on it all day. Prolonged exposure to the elements, particularly to the sunlight, can wreak havoc on awning fabrics. We offer Awning Pro-Tech RV Patio Awning Cover Kits to keep your awning fabric safe and covered when not in use. They are easy to install and can accommodate most awnings, powered and unpowered. These covers protect your awnings from the deleterious effects of wind, precipitation, and sun which can have a profound effect on the lifespan of your awning. They can even be used to protect your awnings while driving with a transportation clip, offering a level and care and protection that goes far beyond routine maintenance.
Protecting your awning from adverse conditions like high wind and pooling water, keeping your awning secure, clean and dry, and covering it when not in use are some of the most important considerations you can make for a humble piece of equipment like your RV Awning. If you take this into account you’ll be well on your way to providing the proper care to your awning and ensuring it will last. Here at RV Upgrades, however, we don’t just understand the value of caring for your RV’s Awning, we also offer the accessories and replacement parts that you can use with your awning to make your experiences outdoors better.
Take a look here to see some of our awning accessories that you can use to store, tie-down, or repair your awnings. We offer many repair parts such as brace knobs, stop bolts, sliding arm locks, patch kits and more that you can use to perform the unforeseen odd jobs necessary to the maintenance of your awning.
As for outdoor living, we offer a full range of products so you can live in comfort in the outdoors under your awning. Consider getting an awning mat for your outdoor living room. Not only with an awning mat keep you comfortable and off of the ground, but many models will allow dirt and sand to pass through only one way. That makes them perfect for preventing mud and dirt from being tracked through the interior of your RV. Here at RVUpgrades, we offer RV mats that are not only practical but attractive from Prest-O-Fit, Faulkner, Camco, Carefree and more to keep you comfortable and your RV clean. You can find them in any color or pattern you like as well.
We offer Carefree Of Colorado Sunblocker Panels and Vacation’r Rooms so that you can really bring your outdoor living to the next level. A Sunblocker panel makes it easy for you to stay in the outdoors while keeping the sun out of your ‘outdoor’ living room, and a Vacation’r room makes it easy to convert the area under your awning into a tent. They’re just a few of the options we offer for converting your awning into extra living space so you can really enjoy the outdoors. Take a look here to see more offerings we have to customize your outdoor living space.
With the proper care and attention, your awning will give you many seasons of enjoyment alongside your camper, and with the accessories we offer here at RVUpgrades, you can get the most out of your outdoor living. Take a look through our product offerings to find what you’re looking for or give us a call today at 866-332-7881 to let us help. We are the RV authorities and can put our experiences to work for you.
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