RE: Long time, no post. First SPUT (but probably not the last)

[labontefan]

 
Hi folks!
 
 Haven t been around in awhile so I thought it was time to check back in. And I have to report my first SPUT in the still-new camper.
 
 I bought a new Coleman Utah last October, mostly for camping at the races. Only got to make one trip (Charlotte in October) before I had to put it away for the winter.
 
 However, we made our first trip of the new season to Bristol in March, and had a blast. We took the camper over on the Monday before the race (I only live about an hour from the track), so we could get a good spot. Then we went back over on Thursday to set up. We got it all set up, including the awning. However, in the confusion of trying to get everything unpacked, set up, etc., I forgot to stake down the awning. I thought about it once, but it seemed to be doing OK. Plus, one leg was in gravel, so I wasn t sure if I d be able to drive the stake into the ground or not.
 
 Friday morning, we got up and went to the track for practice and qualifying. While we were there, the weather turned pretty windy. A couple of the canopies that the teams had set up in the infield blew over...and I remembered the awning! " Oh no!"  I thought, " I bet the awning has blown down."
 
 After qualifying was over, we left the track. Everyone kind of went their own way, headed for the souvenir trailers, etc. I walked out to the fence just behind the track. We were camped close enough to the track that I was pretty sure I could see the camper from the fence. I was having trouble spotting it, and finally recognized the camper that was next to mine. I looked again, and there was my camper. But the awning seemed to be missing! I looked closer and realized the awning had blown over the top of the camper, and was lying across it!
 
 I decided I better head back for camp, rather than go shopping. When I got back, our neighbors came over and helped me pull the awning back down into place. Apparently, they had been sitting outside their camper when the thing blew over, and scared them to death! Fortunately, none of legs hit anyone. The only damage appeared to be to the center support pole. It had gone right across the air conditioner on the top of the camper, and had bent into a big curve! The guy next door managed to get it almost straightend out. It s sort of wavy now, and we can t adjust the length, but it works OK as a support pole!
 
 Needless to say, I immediately got out the tent stakes and the mallet and staked the awning down VERY securely! It didn t move the rest of the time we were there!

[tlhdoc]

 labontefan
You can get a new pole from your dealer if you want to.  Did the pole do any damage to the cover on the AC?

[AustinBoston]

 labontefan
We (i.e. I) tried this SPUT on for size once ourselves.  We were in Lake George, NY when a single gust of wind put the awning on the roof.  We were not there at the time.
 
 By the time we did return, neighbors (with a similar Coleman pop-up) had put the awning back up, but not staked down (didn t know where my stakes were).
 
 The only damage was a small ceramic wind chime, but it was special to PJay and so I was in the dog house for a while.
 
 Austin

[Dayton Dave]

 labontefan
Me too, this one is on my list as well.  Only I was under it when it went over the top.  I thought I was going with it.

[labontefan]

 labontefan
So far the only damage I ve seen is to the pole. After we closed things up after the race, I looked over the AC cover, and didn t see any cracks or dings. Unless there s something I haven t seen yet, I got off lucky!