Awning pegs and hard standings
Help and advice required please.
I sustained a serious injury to my right arm 10 months ago (I'm right hand dominant), which has also left me with considerable dexterity problems in my right hand too.
I know for a fact that I will not be able to drive awning pegs into hard standings on sight. I can not move my arm to shoulder height, let alone pick up and swing a mallet.
Between us, I'm sure my wife and I will be able to attach the awning to the caravan without too much trouble, but can anyone offer practical solutions to "pegging out" the awning without using a hammer/mallet please. We do not want this to become the obstacle that ends our touring adventures.
Many thanks. Ian
Comments
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I’m not trying to be funny here and I sympathise with your problem but do you really need to erect the awning?
We caravanned for many years without an awning because of the toll it took on our backs and the osteopath's bills were becoming steeper. Life was much simpler and less painful without the flipping awning.
Not having an awning does not signify the end of caravanning.
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Sorry to hear about your injury. I also wonder if you could manage without an awning, at least in the short term? If you feel it is essential then have thought about the systems that rely on a drill to screw in the pegs? This might be an easier option for you that trying to bang in pegs. During our last six or so years of caravanning we used a Caravanstore roll out awning, however I think you would equally struggle with one of those as it does require reaching up. I hope you find a workable solution.
David
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If you really can't manage without the awning, you could call the site staff and explain your problem and request assistance when you arrive. I'm sure somebody would be willing to offer help in return for a brew and biscuit or similar.
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I have tried the screw in pegs with a drill but really found them difficult and not as good as hammer in ones.
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Please, CS, How were they "Difficult "
??When I'm going to use pegs on land that's a bit 'loose' I put TWO screw in pegs at 90* to the guy or ladder/ring, one to the left & one to the right. Very seldom have problems that way. Remembering that OP has a Physical problem that he/she fears could even limit the pleasure of 'vanning, I'm just thinking of making life a little easier for somebody.
Deleted User, "Overseas" should not offend anybody,
, even I venture across the Great Divide to Anglesey occasionally 
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Agree HD, sure someone will help. Although how much they can help does depend on the HS and type of pegs being used.
We have used ABMs angled peg approach, usually in Cornish granite. We also make use of dry stone walls, rather than bottles, putting them carefully back together after (won’t work on Club Sites, twitchers will have you hung drawn and quartered).
Not having an awning shouldn’t be the end of your caravan days. It just requires rethinking and asking yourself do I really need all the stuff I store in an awning. Could a smaller amount of stuff be stored onsite in a simple pop up tent, that once the stuff is inside, is held down without pegs? Taken out and tent stored to go home. Quicker and simpler. If you need to sit under something, then a roll out awning might be the best answer. Hope you find a solution😃
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I used screw in pegs for a while, but then went back to conventional pegs. Perhaps I didn't do it correctly, but the difficulty I found was getting the pegs out. They sometimes tended to take the pegging ladder with the peg and roll it around. However, perhaps the time has come for me to give them another go - especially as I find it difficult to kneel these days, now having had two knee replacements. I'm beginning to wonder if the problem I had was down to the type of screw in pegs I had.
David
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Yes sorry, I meant a wind out. Still have same issue if using sides in.
Can your wife not knock in pegs OP?
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Absolutely agree, David. It was Deleted User User who helped convince us to go down this route..... (sorry about the photos I have used before...)
David
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This is a specific question for Deleted User User - if you spot this post. Would value your advice. I know you have a Thule 6200. At the bottom of the legs, there is a little hole for pegging the legs. Do you use screw pegs for these? If so, which do you use that might fit the hole?
Best wishes
David
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I would certainly assist someone in the OP's situation if asked. I remember when I first started caravanning the trouble I had erecting the first awning.. I had actually given up and put it away when along came two gentlemen of great caravanning experience. Half an hour later I had an awning erected and and the knowledge of how to do it myself. If a cup of tea was on offer, even better.
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well you have the magic touch with them, well done
Perhaps it is just the hard standing we were on (on several club sites) and maybe grass is easier, wouldn't know hate the stuff, hope it's banned soon
but I personally found them difficult to get them started, and not as secure as hammered in ones, but mentioned them in case the OP didn't know about them. I didn't realise I had to justify my use of the word difficult1 -
Yes, I use steel pegs now. Just wondered about a screw in option. I have just been looking at the Peggy pegs foot bracket which looks good..... but expensive. Take a look at the bottom of the page....the feet of our downpoles will fit...
https://www.campervanstuff.com/shop_stuff/index.php?mod=product&id_prd=1218
See YouTube video.....
David
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Sorry to intrude, David DSB, but if I may add my twopennorth, the wind-out awning on my Ducato has small fold down 'feet' on the bottom of the legs { bit obvious I suppose } and these have small holes for steel pegs. I use the simplest 'nail type steel wire pegs bent at 90* about an inch from the hook. Then I put any h/duty or screw-in pegs thro the slightly closed hook.
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Husband and I always put the awning up together. Then I always hammered the pegs in while he filled the water carriers. Once when he did it I criticised, said we had a 'floppy' awning. He said, well you do it then. That was it from then on, it worked, both happy. I'm sure your wife could do it. Sometimes it is rather hard, but with the right mallet and determination.
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I haven't done this, always wanted to try it, but never got round.
Some time ago I did some work for ...., anyway for the first time I used concrete bolts. These need a pilot hole, but, this was for medium to hard grade concrete.
I've always wondered if they would be an ideal screw in peg for the awning, because of the hard standing being more of a tight ballast I'm guessing no need for the pilot hole, so they could work.
Only downside, well two, the bolts threads are razor sharp, and a very decent impact driver would be needed.
I'll get round to trying them one day.
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Sorry to hear of your troubles. Last couple of years I have used a 25cm masonry drill to "start" peg holes and then knock in smooth pegs. This has been fairly successful. I have in the past used screw pegs with little success.
I hope that someone on the forum comes up with good idea.
Best wishes for the future
NIMROD
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It all makes me happy that grass is still our chosen preference. Mind you, if there’s only a few inches of topsoil, it’s still down to what’s underneath😃
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A decent lump hammer is better than a mallet.
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Agree. Although I doubt that all outfits could cope with the weight!🤣
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Absolutely no intrusion at all Brian. I addressed it to David as I know he has exactly the same awning. It sounds like you have the same get as David and I. I quite like the idea of the Peggy pegs units in the links above your previous post. They look really good, but expensive.
David
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I'm impressed that it works so well - when I tried using jerrican sized containers of water to anchor the guy lines on my Coleman Event Shelter, on a car park in medium wind, (the event organiser told me there'd be grass to peg into!) it just dragged the whole thing around when it gusted.
And re the OP - if the awning's essential, (we've only used ours once, as a kitchen/dining area when we had family staying with us on a site, otherwise it stays firmly at home), would some sort of DIY pile driver work? I'm thinking of something like two steel tubes, one which fitted over the peg both to hold it in place and do the actual pushing, another fitting over it telescope fashion, filled with something like concrete down to maybe half way up inside and a T handle at the top. My theory is that one might stand and work it, probably two handed, without having to raise arms above shoulder height. This is probably an ill thought through idea with a gaping fault in it ready for someone to point out, but seems worth contemplating?
It would also look distinctly Heath Robinson-ish, and may even attract enough attention to get bystanders to do the job for you :-)0
, there will come the day that I will need help 
