Camper awnings larger than 8.5 feet come with support legs. These are permanently attached to the awning and when you close it, they fold up inside. A smaller size camper awning is self-supporting and does not need the support from the legs. You can secure the support legs of the awning to the ground or attach them to the wall of the camper. There are also popup camper awnings that will fold down along with the canvas material when you decide to move on.
Along with popup camper awnings you can get such additions as “Add a Room.” These help to double the amount of sleeping space you have and provide you with a sunroom where you can sit outdoors when it is raining. The sidewall supports of these camper awnings store easily into a bag on the front of the camper and the room itself does not attach to the awning of the camper.
Camper awnings that are 10 feet or longer also include a center support. When you want to extend the camper awning, you can roll it out to the full length or stop at any distance that you prefer. This is true of the popup campers awnings as well as for the awnings used with an RV. However, when you have the popup camper awning fully extended, the material will sag in the middle. To correct this all you have to do is roll back the popup camper awning one full turn.
When you first install popup camper awnings, you might think you have done something wrong when you notice that the arms seem to be bent a little. This is perfectly normal because the camper awnings are designed to have a slight bend in the lateral arms when the awning is fully extended. You should never try to push the arms of a popup camper awning into a straight position, especially when the awning is extended to its full length. This is the first mistake that many new owners of camper awnings make and as a result, they damage the awning.
