As a long term tent camper and more recently in a caravan I thought nothing of it when being told the site we were coming to this weekend only had hard standings. Iv always carried strong rock pegs for the tent and they have served well since we got the van but we always camp on grass until this weekend. My pegs go in no problem and come straight back out so we have had to forget about the awning.
Can you give me some recommendations for the future ? Some sort of screw in pegs or what and where to get them.? I thought the answer would be steel pegs and a hammer but evidently not.
Strong rock pegs. a lump hammer to to put them in and a claw hammer to remove them. Some hard standings depending on the ground underneath are a nightmare. I have found that practice makes perfect.
We use penny washers and M10 x 200 coach screws which we buy from Toolstation for around £5 for a pack of 10. These are 20cm long and work a treat. We always start by hammering them in about 5cm with a lump hammer and then, depending on the ground, we either screw them in the rest of the way with an electric drill or we keep on hammering until they are fully in. We use the electric drill to take them out.
We have bent so many rock pegs in the past, even ones which claim to be extra tough, but we have yet to bend one of these coach screws and they seem to hold firm.
Any update on the 'our disaster' topic that you put on?
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Hello, and unfortunately nothing practical to contribute from me now, but I can relate to lor6126.
We've camped at a well reputable campsite with grass pitch but the underneath was full of small pebbles, stones. We didn't realise unt we were pti bing up our tent (Outwell, with their original plastic pegs). Had to use one of the steel rod anchor pegs to make pilot hole for each plastic peg but even then we broke a number of pegs.
Once we came home we ordered the typical straight steel rock pegs (6.5mm x 20-ish cm) to tackle any ground but perhaps I was naiive.
Following this thread with keen interest. Thanks for the question and the replies.
Quote: Originally posted by blueexpo97 on 17/8/2024
Any update on the 'our disaster' topic that you put on?
Hi yes. I'm sorry I had meant to update.
£400 bill to supply and rewire new electric cable and replace jockey wheel and outer bracket.
An expensive mistake but hopefully not one we will ever repeat.
Quote: Originally posted by Pixie_Hez on 17/8/2024
We use penny washers and M10 x 200 coach screws which we buy from Toolstation for around £5 for a pack of 10. These are 20cm long and work a treat. We always start by hammering them in about 5cm with a lump hammer and then, depending on the ground, we either screw them in the rest of the way with an electric drill or we keep on hammering until they are fully in. We use the electric drill to take them out.
We have bent so many rock pegs in the past, even ones which claim to be extra tough, but we have yet to bend one of these coach screws and they seem to hold firm.
I am going to invest in some of these for the peg bag. Thank you. Although our rock pegs did not bend, they simply did not stay in the ground. My husband says it was shale with nothing for the peg to get purchase.
Quote: Originally posted by camcroft on 17/8/2024
Strong rock pegs. a lump hammer to to put them in and a claw hammer to remove them. Some hard standings depending on the ground underneath are a nightmare. I have found that practice makes perfect.
The problem seemed to be that there was nothing for them to grab on to and they would not stay in the ground.
Quote: Originally posted by cheeseface on 18/8/2024
Hello, and unfortunately nothing practical to contribute from me now, but I can relate to lor6126.
We've camped at a well reputable campsite with grass pitch but the underneath was full of small pebbles, stones. We didn't realise unt we were pti bing up our tent (Outwell, with their original plastic pegs). Had to use one of the steel rod anchor pegs to make pilot hole for each plastic peg but even then we broke a number of pegs.
Once we came home we ordered the typical straight steel rock pegs (6.5mm x 20-ish cm) to tackle any ground but perhaps I was naiive.
Following this thread with keen interest. Thanks for the question and the replies.
Hi it was the typical straight steel rock pegs I was trying to use.
Dheeseface - I had a similar experience at the weekend: broke 3 of the Outwell luminous pegs that came with the tent, one sheared off in the ground, and I bent several normal metal tent pegs.
I'd left the rock pegs at home... but from the above, maybe I need some coach screws too, JIC.
------------- Camping - emotional resilience in action, a triumph of hope over adversity and antidote to virtual reality.
And I thought it was just me!!! Quite literally sat here in mid Wales and just given up on the awning. Same as you they went in and they mostly (about 50%) came straight out, majority of the others followed suit when the wind picked up. I’ve just ordered drill in screw pegs but will ge visiting Toolstation too , thanks for the tip Pixie_hez
Had me chuckling to myself reminiscing about a site in Essex I've used a few times where OVERKILL was a necessity! Most extreme case was a friend who 'drilled' holes with a mains powered SDS drill and masonry bit to get rock pegs in to a GRASS pitch for his tent! The ground on this site was unbelievable hard, ROCK pegs got bent when simply hammering them in, thin 'wire' pegs and any feeble pegs just failed before penetration! Personally I drilled 'pre-holes' with a masonry bit in a battery drill, before driving in HD rock screw pegs with the electric drill!
Getting them out again was equally difficult, I resorted to a modified (slot widened to fit peg shaft) jemmy bar! Secret was to wet the location of pegs in AND out to make insertion and extraction possible! I will NOT be beaten by a bit of sodding grass!!!!!!
The ONLY pegs I carry these days are rock pegs, equal number of straight or screw types as the ground demands, AND a masonry drill bit for my battery drill, AND the modified jemmy bar for extraction! I WILL NOT BE DEFEATED BY MUD!
I usually avoid hard-standings whenever possible, but wherever we use our awning these days I always use screw-in pegs and an electric drill. My theory being that if it knocks straight in it can pull straight out again.
Just struck me, a CL site I used last year for a short w/e stay where I didn't bother with an awning, had loose PEA GRAVEL for the all HS pitch, now I can't imagine any of the regular pegs being very effective in that!
It was very deep pea gravel, not just a surface finish, the caravan jockey wheel sank so deep it wouldn't rotate, it just ploughed a furrow, the main axle wheels sank probably a third of the tyre depth, the (well over specified on van weight/power!) motor mover was working very hard pushing this 'bow wave' of loose gravel ahead of the wheels, I cant imagine my normally used old faithful screw/straight rock pegs (around 200mm long) penetrating deep enough to find any 'soil' to get some purchase on!
None of the other campers had an awning up, so couldn't get a clue about pegging from what they used. I suspect it would have been nigh on impossible to properly secure an awning with regular pegs, even with two crossed pegs to each anchor that has always worked for me on loose ground in the past.
Camped on a variety of surfaces over the years, many with 'surprises' beneath the surface, but this one probably rated as the most unsuitable! - and that's without even trying to secure an awning!
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Topic: Peg advice
via mobile 18/8/2024 at 11:29pm
