time to check your tie downs for the awning, on a recent trip up north we had a small drama (well to me it was small, to the owner it was a catastrophe) the owner of a rather large van, at a guess about a 28 footer, who at the time and still is to my knowledge travelling and working their way around australia was working as a general hand and his wife as a cooks assistant and in doing so was away from his van all day, a gust of wind, estimated to be around 40 knots, grabbed his awning and turned it inside out and over the top of his van, in so doing it tore a large long hole in the side, busted and bent the three stabilising arms holding the awning and punctured the roof also destroying his wyngard automatic t.v. antenna, when poppa smurf and I went to investigate we found that he had only left one tie down to secure it and that it had also been frayed beyond a reasonable holding strength, the moral is, if he had replaced the tie downs and used the proper ammount he would have saved the estimated $5,500 repair bill, a matter of $15.00 or so for new tie downs, is it time to check yours, I know that was the first thing I did on return to little blue, oh the name on the back of the van was, "adventure before dementure" brought a smile to poppa smurf and me, spent the next couple of hours helping him get her in to some sort of shape to travel. never mind a couple of beers and a new story to tell around the fire. motto check em or lose em