I'll preface this by saying that I haven't seen this or any other Westy
awning setup so I couldn't speak to application, but I thought I'd pass
along a tweak that I saw once in a campground. This dude in a trailer was
having the same problem with water pooling in his awning, so he picked an
appropriate spot on each panel and punched in a brass grommet (I guess you
would call them that... the kind you find in the edge of a tarp for putting
a line through). This created a small drain hole inboard of the outer
edges/supports, a short distance away from where the water that made it over
the edge went anyway. It was unobtrusive when it was dry out, didn't effect
the integrity of the awning, and provided relief from the water pooling up
that didn't effect use of the awning during rain by draining it off near
where it was already inclined to run off.
I hope that makes sense.
Anyway, if you can stomach punching a hole in your awning here and there,
that might be a solution for you.

Cya,
Robert

----- Original Message -----
From: "Loren Busch" <starwagen@GMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Saturday, June 17, 2006 4:34 PM
Subject: Re: Fiamma Awnings Parts Support

> RE: Fiamma awning, rafters, and water
> What Bob says is absolutely correct.  But, if you look at the
> directions/instructions that come with the Fiamma awnings they suggest
> that
> the awning be tilted down on ONE corner only to allow water to run off.
> If
> you do it that way then putting the rafter in makes the problem of trapped
> water worse, not better.  Tilted down at one corner, water runs off just
> fine without the rafter, as long as that corner is way down.  With the
> rafter in a pool is formed on the high side.  The solution is as Bob says,
> slope the entire outside edge of the awning, then rain runs off just fine.
> The one trouble with this is our vans are low enough that any down slope
> leaves you ducking when going or coming, the outer edge of the awning is
> going to smack you in the face otherwise.