Tie Down Tips
For Strong Winds
A good tie down method when camping at the Outer Banks has been very helpful. You will find that there is a nice breeze blowing most of the time. As refreshing as a breeze may be, it can pick up strength and blow with enough force that your tent, shade canopy, and RV awning can be blown over or damaged. I have also found a sudden thunderstorm can become destructive with strong wind gusts.
Some camping tips to prevent things from being blown over - I have the best luck with a good quality dome tent in a strong wind.
- Use enough anchoring ropes for the amount of surface to be held in place.
- The best way to get a stake to hold in the sand is to bury the stake 8-12 inches deep.
- For a large shade canopy or rain tarp, you could use a piece of firewood buried in the sand instead of a stake.
An RV awning can be damaged very easily in a strong wind. I have seen many awnings lifted up and laying on top of an RV roof. I suggest that you roll the awning back if you expect any strong winds or if you are leaving for a few hours.
What I have found to help hold an awning from lifting - For an anchor, you can use a screw type pet leash anchor and screw that into the sand.
- This should be screwed in with the top tilted away from the Rv.
- I then hook a heavy duty 1" spring to the screw anchor.
- I like to use a light to medium weight ratchet strap with the handle end hooked to the spring and the long end of the strap fastened around the round roll up awning tube.
- I usually anchor my awning at each end and find that to be sufficient.
Sometimes I have to dig a hole 6-10 inches deep to find hard sand for the anchor to fasten into the sand. The spring should help absorb some of the stress of the wind lifting up the awning which can help to prevent the bending of any awning parts. I hope you find these tie down tips helpful.
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