Most of your RVs today come with an electric awning, and that electric awning comes with a rain shed feature. The rain shed feature uses a gas-charged shock, allowing the awning to dip in the corners to shed excess water. But you probably don't know that you may be causing those shocks to fail prematurely.

Most people love the convenience of the electric awning and think you need to press the button and start enjoying the shade. But there is one more step you want to take:

• Extend your awning about two feet.

• Pause for about five seconds.

• Extend it the rest of the way.

The pause allows your gas-charged struts to take in air slowly, preventing premature damage to the seal which causes the struts to fail. When you retract your awning, you need to reverse this process, allowing the struts time to discharge slowly.

If you take the time and pause when extending or retracting your awning, you will extend the life of your struts, giving your awning its rain shed ability. Extending your awning, and the fabric sags for a second and then snaps in place, is a sign that your struts have a blown seal and need to be replaced.

A short pause before you start enjoying that shade will save you money.

RV Supply Center aims to take the hassle out of RVing and make your travel adventures more enjoyable.

If you need a new awning fabric for your awning, we offer the best pricing on installation in the desert!

For standard awnings:

Standard 3 year warranty fabric parts and labor: $449

Heavy Duty 5 year warranty fabric parts and labor: $549