Then work your way out from the centre, placing the poles into the correct positions. Once the main body of the awning is up, make sure (if your model has them) to place the canopy poles in.

In the pictures you will see how adding poles and cross braces can help your awning stand up in any weather. To secure our awnings I've always been told I go over the top but, we've never lost one apart from hiaving an annex blow in twice over the years.If you set up your awning correctly it will help to protect it against unnecessary damage should the weather turn windy. Later we bought a Dorema Escada and we found that awning to be excellent value and exceptionally well made. My SIL now has it and is very happy with it so maybe you got a "Friday" awning. We would buy another Dorema awning. Incidentally this is by no means intended to disparaging to Dorema, prior to the wind blowing it down the awning was excellent and we were very pleased with it and as I said in the OP my first though appears to be the correct one, I have recieved a lesson on the risks of leaving an awning up in the wind! To use the storm straps, simply attach the clips to the poles at the front and rear of your awning. Then, tighten the straps until they are snug. The straps will help to keep your awning in place and prevent it from being damaged by strong winds. Once your awning is in the rail, make sure the awning is in the centre of your caravan if it’s a full awning.

I push this string in through the front of the awning through the holes where the veranda poles pass through the canopy, wrap it around the moulding where the uprights meet the roof rails so it's not tied to the pole itself & again I tie this string down to the three Dog tether screw I've put in the ground tight to the awning at each conrner & the centre pole position. Tie this string "just" tight so it's not pulling the frame out of shape but won't allow it to lift. this way the storm straps hold the canopy down, the extra webbing & strings hold theframe and it can't go anywhere. For maximum stability, it’s crucial to get good tension into your awning poles. You can do this by hand or by using a tensioning tool like the Hercules, as well as power grips. Each year, we deal with hundreds of claims for damage to awnings or caravans due to stormy weather – either when touring or on a seasonal pitch. The good news is that Caravan Guard covers awning storm damage as standard under our caravan insurance policy subject to inclusion of the awning’s value in your insured sums.

Dorema Safe Lock System Kit

It doesn't mention anything about wind speeds in the spec or instructions, nor can I find anything on the Internet. The wind direction was coming at a 45 degree angle towards the front off side corner of the van so there was a little protection but it is the exposed front corner of the awning that gave up. Even on a touring awning, bad weather can strike at any time, so we’d recommend always fitting storm straps. If you’re on wet and muddy ground, you might want to peg through your groundsheet to help keep your awning cleaner.