Chinook RV

It's with a heavy heart that I mention what I just read in the news: A "disgruntled former employee" went into Fiamma USA this morning (near Orlando) and shot people. Five have died (plus the shooter killed himself). There are apparently only around 8 regular employees there (they mentioned 12 were in the building - maybe all were employed at Fiamma or maybe other businesses that share the building, not sure).

I keep thinking of how knowledgable, friendly, and helpful Kevin Lawson was when I called this past March (needing a part for my little old 1999 awning, but did he mention how "old" it was? Nope, he said how great it looked and gave me a part number) -- and then how Bob Snyder helped another member (in this thread) by explaining how to lubricate a certain part. An awning that an RV place had said needed to be replaced then worked like butter.

With two employees being so wonderful at a relatively small company, that tells me the company culture is one that encourages it. I wish every place I called were like that.

Edited later to add: Both Kevin Lawson and Robert Snyder were killed in the attack. I know it's a company over 2,000 miles away, and I/we only had brief dealings with them; but you tend to remember "the good ones" who care, take the time to help, and really know their product (and encourage you to call back, even if it's something relatively trivial for a nearly 20-year-old product). You just know they were good people. Also, my buddy ordered a replacement Fiamma awning for his other-brand-RV last summer (which we installed) and made an ordering mistake (his own fault). Jeff Roberts, who was also killed, and Robert Snyder were nothing but friendly and helpful to him.

Sorry this is a downer, but I felt like posting a recognition of these super helpful people.

(Re-edited because I made a mistake with Jeff's name.)

Very sad. They are all in my prayers. Very sad.

Such tragic news. Our prayers to the families.

I am very sorry to hear this. Time for prayers and reflection.

Blue~Go wrote: Oh, side note on that. I went to put the (apparently never used as it looked mint) awning out, and immediately noticed that the little metal feet were bent (the ones that either stake to the ground or go in the body pockets). Hmm, I thought, that's odd, as it looks like it may never have been used even once. So I carefully straightened them. That's when I noticed that if they are straight they touch the fiberglass body at the bottom of the wall pockets. Oh. So of course I then bent them back to how Chinook must have bent them in the first place. Now they (again) don't touch the body.

A-ha! I'm a new owner of a '98 Concourse (rear door) and have been stumped by the fact that when I insert the metal feet into the body pockets they do not fit in all the way. The feet are flat and the pockets open (pop up) a bit, but not enough to fit the whole metal foot. How much of bend should the foot have, and at what end...or is it a general concave curve? Perhaps that would allow it to fit. I don't wanna break it, since they seem to be difficult to purchase as a replacement part.

It's really windy today so I don't want to pull the awning out to look, but here is how I remember it:

1) Pretend you are standing near the bracket on the side of the body and you have the awning leg in your hand and are poised to insert the foot into the bracket. In this position the upper half of the foot is flat (as stock), and the lower half bends out away from the body at a shallow angle.

One note is that I never deployed the awning with the original white plastic body brackets Chinook installed. One of them was broken and so I replaced them both with the newer style (aluminum/silver) feet that are currently sold for the purpose (I got mine from GoWesty because that was easiest at the time). That said, when I re-bent the feet to fit the Chinook body with these body brackets, I was essentially bending them back to how they had been originally.

If the wind ever dies down here I can take a photo of the foot. But basically the bend is in the lower half (as inserted) so that it doesn't run up against that little molded in :"lip" on the Chinook body.

BG

PS: Congrats on your new Chinook! Sounds like nearly a sister ship to mine (early '99).

Thank you for the tip. I will get out there and bend those little suckers soon.