How do you hang lights on awning?

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ChrisandDarrin

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Jun 12, 2008
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HI, I have a stupid question.  We are new to RVing and  just purchased some lights for our awning and I have no idea how to hang them.  Husband says we should just use clothes pins- I don't think that will look so good.  How does every else hang theirs? 
???
Thanks!!
 
If you look on the underside of your awning bar when the awning is open you will see a slot running the length of it. The pull down strap is normally in this slot. RV stores, Walmart, and other camping places sell little rubber fixtures that fit into that slot and then slide down to where you want them. They have a hook on the other end to hang the lights from. They are inexpensive.

Woody
 
There are basically 3 ways

For manual awnings the method mentioned above is a good one

you can also get clamps, they look like suspender clips that are "paired" one goes over the wore and the other hooks on the awning flap.. Both of these are good.

If you have automatic power awnings however this might not be the best solution. I worry about what happens if the wind sensor faults in a 0.05MPH breeze (supposed to trip at around 15mph) and rolls 'em up.

If the lights were attached to the flap. or the roller, bad news

So I drilled a couple of holes in the arms and hook a dollar store cloths line between the arms just "in" from the roller tube

That's where I string em up, using the cloths pins provided with the line.
 
I had an old timer rv'r tell me...  "in a sudden bad storm, what goes up must come down. QUICKLY"

He voted against the lights since he said the time it took to hang them, it would take the same time to take them down.  Here in Fl.  we get crazy afternoon storms and sometimes they come up out of no where. 

Now I have a lamp outside  8)
 
searching said:
I had an old timer rv'r tell me...  "in a sudden bad storm, what goes up must come down. QUICKLY"

He voted against the lights since he said the time it took to hang them, it would take the same time to take them down.  Here in Fl.  we get crazy afternoon storms and sometimes they come up out of no where. 

Now I have a lamp outside  8)

We were given similar advice when we first started RVing and I was hanging lights.  Took the advice and never put awning lights up again.
 
Nobody's going to see "how" they're mounted, so I personally would not worry about the HPR (high priced retail) products out there.  Clothes pins did seem a little big to me, so I use binder clips (see photo).  Hardly visible once they're up and they are quick to affix and remove.
 

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searching said:
I had an old timer rv'r tell me...  "in a sudden bad storm, what goes up must come down. QUICKLY"

That was the thinking behind my use of a cloths line to hang the lights on

(Also the high price clips)

1: I use the cloths pins that are attached to the temp cloths line

2: I don't have to take the lights down to roll up the awning

3: I can take 'em down REAL FAST if I want to (like one second) just grab the far end (Far from plug) and pull, or grab the plug end and pull, other than two clips (one at each end) I have to release, it's down, I can even just grab one of the line ends and 'unhook" and take it off the line.... Later

Or I can just retract the awning leaving them on the line
 
I have had the set of rubber clips for about 5 yrs. now and the original cost was around $5.95 I think. When I go camping by myself or with adults I rarely put the lights up but when the grandkids are with me they like them. I lower the awning until they can reach the bar and let them hang the lights, gives them something to do and then enjoy it.

Woody
 
Thanks for all the ideas.  We did find some clips at a local RV store here and they were very easy to put up and take down. 
 
I have some special awning clips.  Some have broken from yanking them down.  I read on another board how someone used badge clips and that's what I will replace with.  I have a few and they work great.  I need more, but not the 100 that comes in a box from Office Depot.
 
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