My husband and I are 70 years old and currently camp with an Outdoor Revolution 6 birth air beam tent we like to be comfortable so have our kitchen unit, 3 cupboards, kitchen table, small fridge, 3 ring gas hob, small camping electric cooker, TV, 2 chairs (mine is zero gravity as I have back problem so quite big), 2 single camp beds and sims, Thetfird portable toilet, we also take my husbands guide dog and his retired guide dog and their beds feed storage bins etc and a trailer to put it all in.
The 6 birth is perfect for our needs and we feel we now have everything for a comfortable camp however although the 2 % sight my husband has means he can put up and take down the tent he now has dementia so remembering how to do things will be a problem and I am not able to erect the tent and side extension and I find loading everything into trailer then unloading and erecting tent storage units etc very tiring and takes nearly a whole day.
We do not want to give up camping so I wondered if buying a second hand trailer tent might be the answer my only concern is will I be able to erect it how big it would be to tow and would it give enough space for us the dogs and our home from home bits.
I would only want one which had a sealed awning because I hate bugs and spiders and would like one with fly screens on doors and windows if possible.
I have googled and love what the pennine pathfinder and Pennine Pullman gives you but prefer to have something that is not wider than the car and as we already have toilet, cooking equipment and sink if the awning was large enough we could use what we already have.
So my question is what size are the awnings and can you get extensions to give extra space if needed.
Which makes would you recommend and any information or helpful tips would be appreciated.
can i suggest that you look up conway cardinal, you will find it so much easier to erect and put the awning on, its basically the same folding camper as the pennine you have been looking at, but this has a hard roof, which you simply wind up and then pull out the beds like a huge drawer. but if your wanting the awning putting up all you do is on arrival on site you start a few inches of winding then thread the awning into the channel put the canvas on the roof and wind it all up, put the poles in position and then pull the canvas over. i used to have one and took my 3 kids with me without my husband to help many many times, the kids didnt bother helping as they where too excited to see their friends
I don't think you'll get an awning that seals up the way your air tent does, as I assume that is fully sewn in. There are some that zip or velcro in, but I'm not sure how common that is. They tend to be more like the framed caravan awnings with a separate groundsheet. Trigano Camptrail, or their older Trekky might work in that respect, as it is partially sewn in.
However, as well as the awning to consider there is the weight of the unit, you have to move and level your trailer tent before you pitch it, and they can be quite heavy, especially if you need to get them up a levelling ramp. If you go to folding camper, folding caravan, or even a small caravan, you have the option of a motor mover, and some of your home comforts will be on board, so less set up. The folding campers only take their own awnings because they zip on, and again you might find them a bit much solo. I don't know about the tiny caravans (look at the Freedom vans) and folding caravans, but if they take a standard awning you could look at an air awning which would be easier to pitch.
In terms of unit, the Pennine Fiesta might work for you; not wider than the car, fairly roomy inside despite the small trailer, onboard toilet, and minimal set up. However you'd be compromising on the awning, which you'd probably find heavy to set up, and isn't going to be bug free. You could maybe consider a quick erect dayroom to use alongside your unit as an easier pitch though, or it might be possible to get a lighter awning adapted to fit. I'm sure someone on here will know!
Have a look at Riva Dandy Dart. The trailer body is 6 feet long and 4 feet wide and weighs about 300kg. It opens to give 2 double beds one of which converts very simply into a settee.
The newer dark blue ones can come with an acrylic awning which is fairly light to put up and is sealed to the camper. There are 4 wall sections which zip in and out to reduce the weight of the roof section which zips onto the dandy.
Inside is very caravan like with 2 burner cooker and grille and a sink with running cold water. No toilet but you can use a porta potti which can be placed inside the camper at night.
The covering is PVC impregnated onto insulation so roof and side walls are insulated. Very warm in winter and very cool in summer. Can be packed away when wet and left wet until you next use it. Very convenient.
Video of erecting one here although it shows the Designer version with inside table and seats making the body 6 feet wide but the principle is all the same.
Quote: Originally posted by JANEVANS02 on 19/8/2024
.....
I would only want one which had a sealed awning because I hate bugs and spiders and would like one with fly screens on doors and windows if possible.
Not sure that you will find awnings with sealed in ground sheets, that's not the way they generally work. The attachment to the 'vehicle' usually has gaps galore, so a sealed groundsheet has little purpose, unlike with a tent, where you truly can isolate from the outside world! Think the few awnings I've seen with sealed groundsheets have been 'drive away' ones for camper vans, where with the vehicle removed, the wall is zipped into place and the awning becomes virtually a tent.
Secondly, many campsites INSIST on only breathable awning flooring, and even then, some demand they are lifted every few days to air the grass! IF you could find a sealed in groundsheet, you may exclude yourself from many campsites, at least technically! - I've seen threats of after vacating pitch fines in T and Cs if grass left damaged/discoloured! - wouldn't know if hollow words or not, as would avoid sites with such T and Cs in first place!
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: Trailer Tent And Awning Sizes
via mobile 19/8/2024 at 12:13am
