Awning poles

souillac
souillac Forum Participant Posts: 17
edited March 2016 in Parts & Accessories #1

We have just bought a really nice second hand awning. It is a full awning with numerous poles. How does everyone mark their poles for easy assembly.

Comments

  • commeyras
    commeyras Club Member Posts: 1,853 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2016 #2

    There are probably 3 corner poles, one for the centre and the others for each outside corner - they will be slightly different!  You will have 3 the same, probably with a hook on the end,  which actually 'connect' to the caravan and you may be able to identify which poles touch the ground; the other poles actually 'extend ' the basic poles to the required lengths. Once you have got a basic pattern sorted slide the awning through it's channel and put in the poles keep the height at comfortable one and be careful the poles do not catch on the caravan;do the centre first then one side with linking poles and then the next.  Finally, if your awning has them,  put in the 3 short poles that fit the short canopy/overhang.  Extend the poles and ensure the awning  is a snug fit on the frame (don't be too alarmed if it takes a few goes to get it right) and then use coloured tape to show which which pole connects to another EG blue to blue, red to red etc.  Good luck; errecting an awning for the first time can be a challenge but it gets easier - honest!

  • souillac
    souillac Forum Participant Posts: 17
    edited March 2016 #3

    Help hope it's not raining

  • Nuggy
    Nuggy Forum Participant Posts: 512
    edited March 2016 #4

    I would suggest that before you make your first attempt, empty them out in the garden and lay them in the positions you think they go and you can soon see the patern. The roof poles can be fitted in place and put the legs near where they go.

    As for marking the poles, a few rolls of different coloured insulation tape, black, blue, red, yellow, green etc. wrapped round using the same colours on ends that meet. You can also have two bands of the same colours if you wish. Then draw the plan on a piece of paper and don't leave it at home.

    Sorting the zip sliders, where they go, is often overlooked.

    You will provide a bit of entertainment for those watching.  Don't cry

  • Flappa30
    Flappa30 Forum Participant Posts: 33
    edited March 2016 #5

    Divorce in a bag,,Foot in Mouth

    We never marked ours, after a few outings you just get to know. Keep the instructions handy in case...

  • cariadon
    cariadon Forum Participant Posts: 861
    500 Comments
    edited March 2016 #6

    it does get easier, i found that by placing the instructions inside the window stops it being blown away, and for each person to know what their jos are.

  • Cornersteady
    Cornersteady Club Member Posts: 14,433 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2016 #7

    Like most things in life the more you do it the easier it gets. Even now though I lay out the poles in their correct order/posotion on the ground before starting 

  • QFour
    QFour Forum Participant Posts: 442
    edited March 2016 #8

    Coloured nail varnish cheap and bright colours. Put some different bands on the ends of the poles.

    Watched a couple many years ago trying to put a tent up. After an hour or so I walked over to see what was happening. They had it all down on the floor connected together but they were missing the legs. The young women said that when they bought it the guy said all the poles were in the bag. I stood and looked at it and realised they had managed to use the legs in the roof. I pointed this out and we removed them and erected the continental frame. It's a lot bigger than that she said when we had the poles in the right place. It was massive in the picture when we bought it Laughing

  • Alex Cassells
    Alex Cassells Forum Participant Posts: 159
    edited March 2016 #9

    Hi souillac, we use the different coloured insulating tape method. Cheers, Alex.

  • commeyras
    commeyras Club Member Posts: 1,853 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2016 #10

    Good morning Souillac.  But you make sure your first attempt/marking session is on a nice pleasant day with no rain or wind.  Laying out your nicely marked poles in their positions is the way to do it.  A cool beer half way through the process helps!  You will soon get the hang of it.  As I thought, coloured tape wins. Cool

  • souillac
    souillac Forum Participant Posts: 17
    edited March 2016 #11

    Coloured tape here we come, we don't argue as we don't speak to each other anyway 40 years of wedding bliss

  • TheAdmiral
    TheAdmiral Forum Participant Posts: 506
    edited March 2016 #12

    Different Colour Tape