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Thursday, August 26, 2010

RV Basics : Beware the Electrically Controlled Awnings

This story is a true story that occurred in August 2010. I did not personally witness it, but I heard if from my friend first hand and it is about his Dad and his Dad's new motorhome. So if you want to validate how close to the truth this is, it is very, very close.

My friends Dad bought a new motorhome this year (from Louisiana) and he lives in north Austin. This summer he took it out to Arizona. One of the really cool features of the motorhome is that it has electric awnings that can retract and extend with the push of a button. Even better, it has wind speed sensors as well as rain detectors. When the awning gets any weight on it from rain water, it automatically tips the rain out. If the wind gets too gusty, then the awning retracts.

He has met many, many people and is having a great time. One night he has friends over and they are enjoying the night and it is raining but they are outside under the awning. The drinks are cold and the food is hot and the talk is windy. A freak gust hits and within seconds the awning completely retracts, not before using the automatic dumping feature to dump the rainwater on his guests and then retracts so that now they are all getting rained on!

Pretty cool eh?

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