Porch awning pegging & how to peg tight to
Just back from a week away when we took the light porch awning instead of the big Bradcot. It's a cheapie - a Suncamp basic one - I like the fact I can put it up single-handed. The trouble I find though is holding its sides taught against the van. Previously when we've used it the weather has been calm, this week however we had fairly strong wind right on the nose of the van and we ended up taking the awning down because it kept pulling its pegs and was threatening to act like a sail 
. Part of the problem was from two pegging issues. The site we were on is fabulous but fairly new. It wasn't a club site as the one we were after didn't have a full week's availalbility (bet they did have space... the old issue of pitches reserved but not used?). Anyway, I digress.... where we were the generous pitches had tarmac hardstanding for the van, pea-gravel for the awning and then a good grass area beyond.
The first problem was that pegs didn't hold fast in the gravel. I used our longest pegs - 8" rock pegs, but it didn't take much to pull them and some just wouldn't grip at all - not sure what to do about that - ended up stringing long guys to the grass. It didn't help that we had not used awning rail stops to prevent slip - didn't even know they existed till I came across them when googling earlier today & think I will be investing in some!
The other problem occurs regularly... to pin the awning tight against the van, you need to put pegs in just under the side of the van.... how the Dickens do you bash 'em in when you've got nowhere to swing the mallet??? Do people use a battery drill for that? Can you get one of those in the confined space anyway? Tips gratefully received!