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Give
Me Shelter
Install a Girard Systems G2000 awning and discover what it's like to have it made in the shade. by Scott Dalgleish |
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When was the last time you started to open your awning, and after finding all of the paraphernalia used, taxed your mind remembering how the damn thing worked (read: operating sequence). And finally getting it open, only to have a wind come up and need to get it closed before it is ripped from your coach, or maybe you found yourself entangled in the spring loaded mechanism. Or perhaps you found the perfect site in the little wooded park by your favorite stream, and when the time came to create a little shelter from the afternoon sun you found the beautiful tree next to your coach was just a tad too close to allow your awning to open properly. How many times have you come back to camp to find the wind played havoc with your awnings while you were away? And don’t forget the countless times you have banged your head on the diagonal supports. Sound Familiar? Whether it was one of the reasons stated, or just the clean and aerodynamic look of the Girard Systems G2000 awning, we believe that this may well be one of the best investments we have made to date. With a list of features that seems like a wish list come true from years of RV experience, the Girard Systems awning is an aesthetically pleasing well-engineered solution to the age-old problems associated with awnings. Features like one-touch extend and retract from inside the coach,which means you can fully extend your awning in less than two minutes. Or use the remote control to fine-tune the awning’s position from your patio chair without leaving your seat. You can extend the awning to its full 9'-9" extension or stop the awning at any point in between. A safety feature built into the awning’s electric motor stops the awning from extending or retracting should it come in contact with an object obstructing its path of travel. The G2000’s pitch is fully adjustable to any angle between 5 and 35 degrees to allow for easier water run-off. There is a mechanical fail-safe mechanism, which allows you to extend or retract the awning in the event of a power failure. The system also includes built-in wind protection: A roof mounted sensor that will automatically retract the awning in the event of high winds, whether you are there or not. And gone forever are the days of walking into a diagonal support. Two stainless steel cables and the flexible lateral support arms keep the awning fabric taut, increasing service life while allowing the G2000 to withstand changing wind conditions. The Girard lateral support arms fold conveniently into an aerodynamic compact box, which beautifully integrates with the exterior of the coach. “With a list of features that seems like a wish list come true from years of RV experience, the Girard Systems awning is an aesthetically pleasing well-engineered solution to the age-old problems associated with awnings.” Since our Windsor did not come furnished with a Girard awning, one of our biggest concerns was what would happen to the mounting brackets and holes that were made in the side of our Windsor by the previous awning (two curbside, one long patio and one over the entry door)? While one can certainly elect to take the coach to a competent body shop and have the holes filled and the side of the coach repainted to match it’s original condition, we thought this to be an excessive expense to add to the cost of the new awning and installation. At the Girard factory facility we found a more cost effective and practical solution. Installation We started our installation by discussing our concerns with the President of Girard Systems, Marcia Girard. Marcia was quick to put aside our fears of any leftover unappealing marks in the side of our coach. The careful placement of two side marker reflectors would cover the existing holes and marks left from the previous awning support arms. The placement of the G2000’s supports and box would cover any of the previous awning’s holes and support track. Better still, since the Girard G2000 is available in lengths up to 21'-8", the two previous awnings could be replaced by just one awning. All that remained was to select the fabric (we matched the Sunbrella fabric on our other window awnings) and selected the optional fairings to be placed on both the front and rear of our G2000.
The installation took just a matter of hours as the old awnings were carefully removed and our new G2000 was positioned. With the new awning’s support brackets concealed and thru-bolted to the Windsor’s side, the new awning box was lifted into place. The wind sensor was then mounted and properly sealed to the coach’s roof. We selected the front passenger’s side overhead cabinet to house the electronic controls for the awning. With the final adjustments made for height and pitch to accommodate water runoff, we began to appreciate our Windsor’s new look. Gone were the four vertical support arms that previously attached to our coach’s side, resulting in a new, clean, uncluttered look. Later, we decided to have the existing coach graphics painted on all of our awnings. The Girard G2000 comes powder coated white from the factory. Painted, the awnings tastefully blend with the Windsor’s finishes. The Girard awning mechanism comes with a limited lifetime warranty, and the Sunbrella fabric is covered for five years. Scott Dalgleish is a freelance journalist who has enjoyed the Western outdoors and RV lifestyle for over 40 years. He is a contributer to MotorHome magazine and for the past six years, Scott has been working closely with Dodge and Cummins in areas of new product development and customer relations. Scott and his wife Debra are the owners of a new Monaco Windsor. |