It was a clear, sunny day at a coastal campground, well away from the beach,
where It's always breezy. With no warning a sudden gust came directly at it.
Lifted it up at a 45 degree angle, and then it was basically a bow with an
arrow in it.  I tied it down every time I used it after that.

Stuart

-----Original Message-----
From: Rocket J Squirrel [mailto:camping.elliott@gmail.com]
Sent: Saturday, November 14, 2015 10:41 AM
To: Stuart MacMillan; vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: A Westy awning

On 11/14/2015 09:48 AM, Stuart MacMillan wrote:

> Before that, I had a Shady Boy on my '84 Westy.  That was okay, but
> one time the wind caught it and the center fiberglass rod shot out
> into the van like an arrow, putting a deep dent into the cabinet. It
> might have put one in me if I'd been in there.

Yikes. I use my Shady Boy in all kinds of weather: hail, heavy rain, gusty
wind, and when properly staked-down it's been bulletproof. I have had the
center pole drop down to the ground with a clatter when wind shakes it loose
from its anchor hole, but have never had it hurl itself into the van with
lethal force, that's for sure.

--
Jack "Rocket j Squirrel" Elliott
1984 Westfalia, auto trans,
Bend, Ore.