Girard Awnings - like them?

[Neal]

I really like how the Girard awnings look but I've heard varying stories about them. Some say you can't use them in even the slightest of wind. Some say they don't come down low enough to provide adequate shade on the patio area. They are expensive but are they worth it? What's your opinion and experience with Girard awnings?

 

[MapNerd]

We have them and haven’t used them except once or twice so far. If there’s any wind, we find ourselves too scared to put them out. Even though they have wind sensors and are supposed to retract automatically at a certain amount of wind, we’ve read many stories of sudden gusts of wind flipping them right up onto folks’s roofs. At $14k and change for them when new, I can’t imagine such a repair would be cheap.

It’s a shame, they’re really nice when we can use them but they need to be beefed up somehow. I’m not saying it should be hurricane resistant but I shouldn’t need to worry about a gust of wind for my super expensive awnings while those with much old coaches with their manual, flip-down awnings leave them out all day without a car in the world.

 

[Buly]

i think it is a poor design. such a huge sail area with no other support than at the coach. Mine becomes a huge rainwater collector.
I was lucky to catch in on time before collapsing $$$$. Bottom line, we use it, but very carefully

 

[Neemer]

Interesting input. I love the look of them and they arc and appear to provide much better shade coverage than the one I have. My Dometic just comes straight out from the coach and is useful in a very limited number of sun positions.

 

[dave burns]

I’ve had girard on my last 3 coaches. Wouldn’t have anything else. Adjustment is easy but critical in order to properly shed water and handle wind. Mine have all come with wind sensors that auto retract in any wind over about 30 mph gust. The toppers and retractable window awnings are the best never an issue in even the worst storms. If your doing a switch they are well worth the money imo.

 

[Joe Hogan]

Our CanyonStar has this brand with a wind sensor. Currently the awning retracts after being deployed after a minute or so. No wind. It will do this several times before it will stay out. My guess is the wind sensor is providing erroneous readings causing the problem. Not sure how this should be addressed.

 

[dave burns]

Our CanyonStar has this brand with a wind sensor. Currently the awning retracts after being deployed after a minute or so. No wind. It will do this several times before it will stay out. My guess is the wind sensor is providing erroneous readings causing the problem. Not sure how this should be addressed.

Does yours use an Anemometer or is it motion activated. If it is motion you will need to call girard as they are preset from the factory. If it has an Anemometer there is a black or grey box that has an adjustment screw inside. Advance the screw a 1/4 turn and recheck it.

 

[Joe Hogan]

Does yours use an Anemometer or is it motion activated. If it is motion you will need to call girard as they are preset from the factory. If it has an Anemometer there is a black or grey box that has an adjustment screw inside. Advance the screw a 1/4 turn and recheck it.

Thank you, I will check which system is used.

 

[J&JD]

Love the look both deployed and stored. We never leave them out if we leave the coach as we just don’t trust the wind sensors to do their job.

 

[Bill Hunt]

I had a service manager at a large dealership tell me that when you have $ 14,000.00 awnings that you don’t use them. LOL

 

[dave burns]

Love the look both deployed and stored. We never leave them out if we leave the coach as we just don’t trust the wind sensors to do their job.

I always bring in the big awning but I leave the window awnings down all the time. Never had a problem with them

 

[Joe Hogan]

My awning is a Dometic. The controller for the awning is in a front door side basement compartment on my coach. Press the button to adjust sensitivity from 12 MPH through 24 mph retract sensitivity.

 

[JRS]

Only have used ours like 3 times since September pickup. With the low winter sun, they don't provide shade. Maybe will use more this summer? I agree they look cool.