I bought a Navigator Combi awning together with a fixing kit bit it doesn't seem to fit what I have on the side of my camper van. I have two possibilities on the side of the van:
1. The rain gutter that runs around the van just above the doors.
2. A smaller attachment above the gutter which is an aluminium rail that is like a small pipe (diametr approx. 1cm) with the top half cut off leaving the bottom half - like a roof gutter on a house.
The awning has two possibilities:
1. A piping that runs along the side of the awning that can slide into a plastic sleeve which should then fix to the camper van. This plastic sleeve doesn't fit either of the rails on the side of my van.
2. A sleeve through which a pole can inserted. This can then be attached to the van but I don't know what fixings to use for this.
The best way and easiest is to put the pole through the sleeve where it attaches to the van. Lay the covered pole into the rain gutter on the side of your van. There is a proper clip thing (whcih Im trying to remember the name. I will put a link on here for you as soon as I find one). The clip is like two small bits of falt metal with a butterfly fixings on them. They go over the pole and rain gutter then you tighten them up using the butterly nut. You could also use something like crocodile clips or some clothes pegs. Although the clips with the butterfly nuts are the best thing, they do take a bit longer to do up and then undo when you drive away if it a driveaway awning. I'll look for the name of them and then post you the link. Hope this has helped you so far.
This is a link to the type of clamps to use on the pole and gutter. One part goes on top of the pole (which is sitting in the gutter) then the bottom part goes under the bottom of the gutter (with the pole in it) so it is now clamping the pole to the gutter. You then twist the butterfly nut to tighten the clamps which will hold the pole tight in the rain gutter. There is also a figure of 8 contraption which I have never used but I think it slides onto your gutter and holds the awning somehow, you will see them on ebay too and they are known as figure of 8 i think.
Although there are proper things to attach an awning to rain gutters you really can just improvise. We started off with the clamps but we have used stong plastic crocodile clips and we have used pegs too but whatever you use needs to be fairly hardy.
Anyway, hope this has helped you. Please get back to me if I can be of further help.
Tracey
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the figure of 8 is what i would call a h section . the piping slides in one side then just clip /push the other side of the h on to the gutter . these systems have been around for years . they do only just work, some put extra straps on and throw them over the van and peg down on the other side of van. but they can mark the roof.
Thank you so much Tracey - that is really helpful. Thank you for taking the time to answer and go to the trouble of finding the clips on ebay for me - I will definitely buy some and see how I get on.
Thank you vwalan. I have tried the figure of 8 plastic sleeves but, you are right, they don't seem to work very well - they blow off when the tent billows up in the wind!
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------------- Think this year is to follow old meet friends for 2014.
If you cant do someone a good turn,don`t do them a bad one,its nice to be nice you know,and little things mean much more later in life.
Pete.
...we never had a great deal of success with the fig of 8..we did try the "thow over" straps,which worked well but could sometimes get snagged under roof vents,tv aerial when trying to pull them off...
We did eventually end up fitting proper awning rail channel..
It always struck me(and still does)just how Hit and miss/Heath Robinson fixing an awning to a van can be,considering the price of the vehicles that we are hanging them off..?!
hi,i did used to run a vw garage and have had vw campers just about all my life . i gave in with an awning and just used a tent. parked very close to itand found it much easier. . mind did have a roll out sun awning a few times just to help fill the gap. now have a bongo but live without an awning.
also found every time we used an awning it rained . then you are either stuck where you are or travel on with a big wet awning to lump around .
Good luck with using the clamps jon. Ive never tried the figure of 8 method becuase it looks like to me that a gust of wind will take it!! Good luck with your clamps when you get them. Hubbies just said that bulldog clips would probably cut the mustard too, just another idea.
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Topic: Fixing my awning to my 1988 Transporter
