[Mark7]

Many years and a couple of 5'ers ago I left my awning out one night not aware of the forecast.

It started raining, but I was in the habit of always lowering one corner to let the water run off. I looked out of our bedroom window and saw a steady stream of water coming off of that corner of awning so I figured was OK.

Sometime later that night, probably 2AM we were awaken to a huge storm, thunder, lightning and heavy rain. Never even gave the awning another thought and the DW and I just laid there listening to the rain. All of a sudden, there was a noise and the 36' trailer almost dumped us out of bed! Wife figured a tree had fallen on the rig, but I said "the #$!@? awning"! I got up and opened the door as far as I could and witnessed the carnage! I'm sure what happened is the heavy rain overcame what could runoff that corner and turned it into a swimming pool. When it let go and the hundred or better gallons of water was set free, that's what shook the trailer.

I went out, took a utility knife and got up on the roof and cut it loose. Left the twisted aluminum for morning. The whole campsite was 2" deep in water. That storm dumped 7" of rain that night, and literally destroyed the state park we were staying in (Pattison SP in Wisconsin). There is a big waterfall at that park and it was insane watching what it turned into overnight. Water at the swimming beach came up about 6 feet (before the falls)

I digress...

Insurance covered my new awning, and to make lemonade out of lemons we cut the old fabric to make "matching" picnic table cover as well as covers for both benches of said table! People would comment on how our table cover matched our awnings and then I had a story to tell!

Now, any hint of rain or wind, or if I we are leaving for any length of time and of course at bedtime, the awning gets rolled up!