Questions, Answers, and Comments
Regarding RV Awning Travel Locks

Photos show the lock placed on the rear arm of the awning. Wouldn't it be better to have it on the front arm? (Roger, Feb 26, 2014)

The function the RV Awning Travel Lock performs would work equally well whether placed on the front or rear arm.

On some awnings, especially manually-operated awnings, the lever which one flips before extending or retracting the awning might be in the way if the lock were on the front. To avoid that problem, the lock is mounted on the rear arm.

For an awning to unfurl, the roller tube must rotate. If we can stop it from rotating, it can not unfurl. The RV Awning Travel Lock prevents the roller tube from rotating and therefore prevents the awning from unfurling.

The roller tube is stiff enough in torsion that it can not twist. Therefore, if the rear end of the roller tube is prevented from turning by the lock, the front end can not turn either.

Do I need one or two RV Awning Travel Locks to secure my patio awning?

One RV Awning Travel Lock will do the job.

The key to peventing an awning from unfurling is to keep the roller tube from rotating. If it can't rotate, the fabric can't unfurl. It's as simple as that.

If one end of the roller tube is prevented from turning, the other end won't turn either. The roller tube is stiff enough in torsion to prevent it from twisting, therefore if one end can not turn, the other end can not turn.

The RV Awning Travel Lock and its mounting system is robust enough to handle the loads imposed upon it. It is very effective in preventing unfurling!

Why is the hole for the pin of the RV Awning Travel Lock
offset 1/8"?

The instructions for installing the RV Awning Travel Lock say that the hole in the end cap should be drilled 1/8" clockwise from the location of the pin. Why the offset?

As much as we would like it to happen, the awning will not roll up and stop at exactly the same position each time. There are simply too many variables which can effect the position, among them strap position, procedure used, temperature, moisture, wind, and spring tension.

If the hole were at the exact location where we thought or hoped the pin would be, if it were off a little bit in one direction it would not fall into place. By offsetting the hole a little bit (1/8"), the pin can usually be seated with just a gentle tug on the awning strap if off in that direction.

To summarize, the offset increases the chances that the pin will fall into the hole either directly or with a small tug on the strap.

Does securing the arms prevent the awning from unfurling?

NO!

The arms have nothing to do with unfurling. The arms could be welded to the side of the coach and unfurling could still happen. It's rotation of the roller tube which enables unfurling, not the arms falling down.

The device intended to stop the roller tube from rotating occassionally fails; that's what enables unfurling. In electrically-operated awnings, sometimes it is a component in the drive mechanism which fails. The results are the same: the awning unfurls.

Here's an article which discusses this issue in depth: The Greatest Myth...

Support for RV Awning Travel Locks

I'll be glad to answer any questions via e-mail or phone.