Caravan awning usage.
Discussion
We got our first caravan on Saturday and are planning on going away in it this week. We are aiming to go Tuesday to Friday with our destination most likely the Lake District.
Bearing in mind the short length of stay, the high probability that it will be wet and the fact we have never assembled an awning (and the fact that the salesman who dealt with us said with a straight face that it would take hours to put up the first time) would you bother with it?
I am considering leaving it at home for our maiden voyage, a wise move or not?
Bearing in mind the short length of stay, the high probability that it will be wet and the fact we have never assembled an awning (and the fact that the salesman who dealt with us said with a straight face that it would take hours to put up the first time) would you bother with it?
I am considering leaving it at home for our maiden voyage, a wise move or not?
For the first trip out with our new 'van, we took the opportunity to erect the awning that was supplied with it - the Dorema Royal 350 double size awning. It's huge, about the biggest you can get, but being on site was the perfect opportunity to practice erecting it with the space available. We were only there for 2 nights, and we only put it up on day 2 to take it down again on day 3.
Took a fair while, especially as I did it mostly on my own.
If you're going on an exploratory trip, then surely you'll want to be practicing getting used to all of your kit.
Even if it rains, it's good practice. You also need to practice drying it in the garage when you get home. LOL!
That said, even on showery trips, I find it's seldom that you find you need to pack it away wet. On the day of departure you often find a window in the weather when the awning can dry sufficiently. Another tip:- on the morning you strike camp, your awning will be covered in moisture/dew even if it hasn't rained. Open up the windows/doors for ventilation first thing, and run some kitchen roll over the skirt (& empty any puddles) as moisture always collects there.
Took a fair while, especially as I did it mostly on my own.
If you're going on an exploratory trip, then surely you'll want to be practicing getting used to all of your kit.
Even if it rains, it's good practice. You also need to practice drying it in the garage when you get home. LOL!
That said, even on showery trips, I find it's seldom that you find you need to pack it away wet. On the day of departure you often find a window in the weather when the awning can dry sufficiently. Another tip:- on the morning you strike camp, your awning will be covered in moisture/dew even if it hasn't rained. Open up the windows/doors for ventilation first thing, and run some kitchen roll over the skirt (& empty any puddles) as moisture always collects there.
You should definitely try to put up the awning. As an experienced caravanner of many years, I love it when newbies put up their awnings for the first time. I get out my lounger, grab a large glass of wine or a beer and sit and watch the fun. Most blokes don't need the instructions and throw them away or leave them to "the wife" and try on their own to erect it. It's loads of fun. Her telling him he's doing it wrong and the destructions say........ Him replying that he knows what he's doing and she should shut up and then it gets even worse, or more fun depending how you look at it, if it starts getting dark or rains.
I normally give them about an hour and then offer to help. Once I was told to eff off, "he knows what he's doing" so I bought my chair even closer to watch but he did get a bit shirty and invited me to go away please. Or words to that effect.
So to the OP, being serious a minute, read the instructions in bed tonight. Then read them again. Then when you get to the camp site read them again BEFORE you start and if you've got kiddies, get them to read them as well. If it's an awning that has poles that you need to fix to the van have a go tonight at just putting the awning poles up and fixing any clips to the van so you're ready for the weekend. Don't forget to take a battery drill, some small drill bits, a screwdriver and a heavy lump hammer for banging in the pegs.
If you do that and follow the destructions, it may well be that you can get your awning up in half an hour. Very few take much more that that and when my lad was early teens we used to caravan with another couple and would race them to get our awnings up. Seven minutes was the record. And that was a full size Isabella awning, none of this mamby pamby inflatable porch awnings.
Havew fun and let us know where you're going so we can come and watch or send a camera crew
I normally give them about an hour and then offer to help. Once I was told to eff off, "he knows what he's doing" so I bought my chair even closer to watch but he did get a bit shirty and invited me to go away please. Or words to that effect.
So to the OP, being serious a minute, read the instructions in bed tonight. Then read them again. Then when you get to the camp site read them again BEFORE you start and if you've got kiddies, get them to read them as well. If it's an awning that has poles that you need to fix to the van have a go tonight at just putting the awning poles up and fixing any clips to the van so you're ready for the weekend. Don't forget to take a battery drill, some small drill bits, a screwdriver and a heavy lump hammer for banging in the pegs.
If you do that and follow the destructions, it may well be that you can get your awning up in half an hour. Very few take much more that that and when my lad was early teens we used to caravan with another couple and would race them to get our awnings up. Seven minutes was the record. And that was a full size Isabella awning, none of this mamby pamby inflatable porch awnings.
Havew fun and let us know where you're going so we can come and watch or send a camera crew
ColinM50 said:
...I love it when newbies put up their awnings for the first time. I get out my lounger, grab a large glass of wine or a beer and sit and watch the fun...
You are not alone in this
It is great free entertainment when on site.
We love watching tuggers set up: from when they first try and park up (caravan movers are cheating btw)to all the phaff with pipes, water barrels etc and then the cherry on the top...the awning. Great fun
Seriously though: great advice given on here - read the instructions and also see if there is a YouTube video on it as well which you can watch/download and take with you. The more times you do it the easier it becomes.
Its not much fun in the rain though. I don't bother until it stops tbh
Enjoy
^^ Same here.
Last weekend, we were in the New Forest in my motorhome and watched some apparent novices attempt to erect their awning. After 90 minutes, the frame wasn't even up and they disappeared in their car.
We had to erect a large tent to photograph it for an eBay ad. During the erection process, the novices returned for Act 2 and we still had our tent packed away before they'd finished.
That said, we've decided to buy a Kampa Rally Air Pro thing (when / if funds allow) for our motorhome and I fully anticipate like-minded campers to enjoy our 'show' on our first attempt.
Last weekend, we were in the New Forest in my motorhome and watched some apparent novices attempt to erect their awning. After 90 minutes, the frame wasn't even up and they disappeared in their car.
We had to erect a large tent to photograph it for an eBay ad. During the erection process, the novices returned for Act 2 and we still had our tent packed away before they'd finished.
That said, we've decided to buy a Kampa Rally Air Pro thing (when / if funds allow) for our motorhome and I fully anticipate like-minded campers to enjoy our 'show' on our first attempt.
oblio said:
We love watching tuggers set up: from when they first try and park up (caravan movers are cheating btw)to all the phaff with pipes, water barrels etc and then the cherry on the top...the awning. Great fun
About the same amusement can be had watching the people in motor homes try and drive down the small roads or into the towns/villages.It was amusing last year - we were driving around and noticed a sign for a local craft/farm shop. We thought we'd take a look so drove down the long narrow track.
At the end we found a nice big motor home that couldn't get under the barrier and couldn't turn around
I'm all for people enjoying either caravans or motorhomes, but there are definitely pluses and misuses for both.
We used to use a campervan and also took great delight in watching couples fall out while setting up their caravans.
When we added child and dog we bought a caravan and became that couple. I can see why they call them divorce-in-a-bag
We bought our awning second hand and I didn't even know there were instructions until after we'd put it up the first time. I tried following the instructions for the second go until after an hour and a half I worked out that the poles on the instructions were different to the poles we had.
The poles were also marked with coloured tape... incorrectly.
And they had numbered stickers on which also didn't match anything.
I wonder whether the seller did it deliberately just to be a b
d (and I might do the same when we sell it on)...
We're about to replace it with an inflatable one. Less setting up means more holiday.
When we added child and dog we bought a caravan and became that couple. I can see why they call them divorce-in-a-bag
We bought our awning second hand and I didn't even know there were instructions until after we'd put it up the first time. I tried following the instructions for the second go until after an hour and a half I worked out that the poles on the instructions were different to the poles we had.
The poles were also marked with coloured tape... incorrectly.
And they had numbered stickers on which also didn't match anything.
I wonder whether the seller did it deliberately just to be a b
d (and I might do the same when we sell it on)...We're about to replace it with an inflatable one. Less setting up means more holiday.
First time always a nightmare, a necessary learning curve.
We caravanned throughout my childhood, the maiden voyage was without an awning. It pissed down with rain all Bank Holiday weekend on a "campsite" in Herefordshire that was really a farmer's field covered in sheep dung. Throw in three under-10's, incessant rain for three days, the first thing my Dad did when we got back was bought an awning, mainly as somewhere dry to stash all us kid's shoes and associated crap.
If you can get away with not needing it then do so, save its debut outing for dryer climes with more time on your hands.
We caravanned throughout my childhood, the maiden voyage was without an awning. It pissed down with rain all Bank Holiday weekend on a "campsite" in Herefordshire that was really a farmer's field covered in sheep dung. Throw in three under-10's, incessant rain for three days, the first thing my Dad did when we got back was bought an awning, mainly as somewhere dry to stash all us kid's shoes and associated crap.
If you can get away with not needing it then do so, save its debut outing for dryer climes with more time on your hands.
Our full size awning has been put up once for all of 5 minutes. First time we used the van we put it up, had a look at it, thought it was a right faff doing it, didn't look right and couldn't be bothered to try and make it look so, so we took it down immediately and put up the porch awning that we took along as well. Our full size awning took me about an hour and a half to put up badly and the porch awning only took 10-15 minutes.
Never used the full size one since. Having looked at it, it didn't look like it had ever been put when be got the van (2nd hand).
Never used the full size one since. Having looked at it, it didn't look like it had ever been put when be got the van (2nd hand).
I always find the extra space of an awning invaluable as it gives the kids somewhere to play in the rain and to keep other bits and pieces in that you don't want cluttering up the van - we always run a powered cool box for drinks so we can use the fridge inside for food for example but for reasons much discussed about time and effort I am not sure I could ever convince myself to buy a full sized awning. That said had I been given one with the van I would have used it at least once before deciding whether I wanted to look for another solution. Our first "outing" if it could be called that was on the site we now store our van, the day we picked it up. We "camped" for the Saturday night. Put it all up on the Saturday and took it all down on the Sunday just to make sure we had everything/new what we were doing(ish!) before going away for our first week a few weeks later.
Off topic slightly, when I started I thought about a set up like this http://www.leisureoutlet.com/caravans-and-motorhom... on the basis you could just wind out the canopy and then add (or not) the rest as you felt like it. I concluded it was cost prohibitive and we didn't really have the climate here for just a canopy although if regularly heading to the Med they seem ideal
Off topic slightly, when I started I thought about a set up like this http://www.leisureoutlet.com/caravans-and-motorhom... on the basis you could just wind out the canopy and then add (or not) the rest as you felt like it. I concluded it was cost prohibitive and we didn't really have the climate here for just a canopy although if regularly heading to the Med they seem ideal
Edited by Huffy on Wednesday 13th April 14:24
SimesJH said:
That said, we've decided to buy a Kampa Rally Air Pro thing (when / if funds allow) for our motorhome and I fully anticipate like-minded campers to enjoy our 'show' on our first attempt.
You wont have a problem...trust me.I had the full one for the MH and the setting up was easy except for threading it onto the guide rail on my MH canopy which was a right B*stard of a job for one person. We swapped it in for the driveaway version which, if all else fails, just pump it up and go from there. It becomes very self explanatory when you don't have hundreds of ally poles to slot together...
Edited by oblio on Friday 15th April 09:07
Have it down to an art.
We have a selection of 3 awnings. The 5m 'porch' being used most often. The full one is a little old and threadbare - pretty much just reserved for Le Mans.
Wife sorts the inside out. I do the electric and plug the waste in. Daughter get's sent to fetch water if not on a serviced pitch. This then is perfectly timed to supply a cold beer before starting on the awning
Pegging out is a pain in the arse by the way.
We have a selection of 3 awnings. The 5m 'porch' being used most often. The full one is a little old and threadbare - pretty much just reserved for Le Mans.
Wife sorts the inside out. I do the electric and plug the waste in. Daughter get's sent to fetch water if not on a serviced pitch. This then is perfectly timed to supply a cold beer before starting on the awning
Pegging out is a pain in the arse by the way.
We had our maiden voyage trip the week before last. It was 4 nights in the Lake District and we decided against taking the awning as it was too large to store in the car and it was raining heavily and we wouldn't have had time on the evening of our arrival to put it up.
We had a great time and managed without it, but we are going again next Friday for the bank holiday weekend so I have been thinking about getting a smaller porch awning as these seem like a good idea for a short stay.
I got talking to a bloke at work who has a similar caravan and he recommended his awning, he has a Kampa 330. This is a cheap light weight one that seems to have a couple of benefits, 1) it is cheap at £267.00 - which is good as I have been spending lots in the last couple of weeks 2) He reckons it is easy and quick to put up.
Are Kampa cheap and nasty? I am under no illusions that they won't be as rugged as more expensive brands and won't last as long, but at this stage it looks like a solution to the awning question.
Or are there any other value brands of awnings that are not as bad as the price may make you think?
We had a great time and managed without it, but we are going again next Friday for the bank holiday weekend so I have been thinking about getting a smaller porch awning as these seem like a good idea for a short stay.
I got talking to a bloke at work who has a similar caravan and he recommended his awning, he has a Kampa 330. This is a cheap light weight one that seems to have a couple of benefits, 1) it is cheap at £267.00 - which is good as I have been spending lots in the last couple of weeks 2) He reckons it is easy and quick to put up.
Are Kampa cheap and nasty? I am under no illusions that they won't be as rugged as more expensive brands and won't last as long, but at this stage it looks like a solution to the awning question.
Or are there any other value brands of awnings that are not as bad as the price may make you think?
Kampa are fine! If you're patient you can grab a bargain on eBay.
And as if by magic..... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Kampa-rally-pro-330-Awni...
And as if by magic..... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Kampa-rally-pro-330-Awni...
Edited by Rosscow on Friday 22 April 10:40
There is a Kampa Rally Plus 330 awning which has a bedroom anexe for sale about 30 miles away from me.
It is a couple of years old, used twice, described as perfect condition when I contacted the seller. It is a 2014 model and no longer in the Kampa range.
It would have been £350 when new, what do you reckon it is worth?
The seller would like £185, that is only £80 less than a new one, is the saving enough?
It is a couple of years old, used twice, described as perfect condition when I contacted the seller. It is a 2014 model and no longer in the Kampa range.
It would have been £350 when new, what do you reckon it is worth?
The seller would like £185, that is only £80 less than a new one, is the saving enough?
PH5121 said:
There is a Kampa Rally Plus 330 awning which has a bedroom anexe for sale about 30 miles away from me.
It is a couple of years old, used twice, described as perfect condition when I contacted the seller. It is a 2014 model and no longer in the Kampa range.
It would have been £350 when new, what do you reckon it is worth?
The seller would like £185, that is only £80 less than a new one, is the saving enough?
I doubt you'd use the bedroom annexe in all honesty, but it's probably not a bad price. I'd offer £150.It is a couple of years old, used twice, described as perfect condition when I contacted the seller. It is a 2014 model and no longer in the Kampa range.
It would have been £350 when new, what do you reckon it is worth?
The seller would like £185, that is only £80 less than a new one, is the saving enough?
I'd also be keeping my eye on the one above, if you could get that for around £130 including postage I'd get that one.
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