I have a small 4 birth caravan, I have 2 children.
We have an awning that came with the caravan one of those canvas type ones which is great on the winter. But takes about 25 mins to put up.
Then we have a Coleman event shelter we tend to use more in the summer that takes about 15 mins to put up.
I am after an awning that can be used in the winter and summer. I would like it to take 10 mins to put up ideally. I would like the option of having a smaller faster to erect section for one night stops but then I would like to be able to Aden on an extension type part for longer stays.
Does such a thing exist!? I can’t find anything that’s perfect!
Most modern awnings fit an awning rail height of about 230 to 240cm so if you still have the older caravan you had last year it would be a good idea to check the rail height before you spend any money.
If the awning rail height is ok have a look at the Kampa Rally awnings, many of them have an optional extension so you could just use the awning for short stays and add on the extension for longer holidays.
I totally agree with Rob with his idea of Kampa Rally Air awnings. They are great, quick to put up and you can choose from 3 different annexes/conservatory. We have the Rally Air Pro 390+, 330, 200 and original annexe and tall annexe. We use the 200 for the last night of our holiday and take the bigger awning down the day before so it's packed away all dry.
Great thanks both I had a look and they do look good. Being air inworry they will puncture? Do I just need to get with the times!? Haha!
Also are they really quick? I think the thing that bugs me the most is having to pack it away and get it out again on the same day! It’s a shame you can just do something to leave them hanging in place on the caravan while you travel to your next destination?
We bought an air awing and didn't find it any easier to put up than our poled one. It was heavier for a start. You still have to pull it through the awning rail, and you still have to peg it down, and it's the pegging I find that takes the time. I can put the poles in our current one together in a couple of minutes, and the awning is twice the size of the air one.
The air pipes are very strong though, and I would think that they are not easy to puncture.
They are really quick to inflate (we use an electric pump, set the correct PSI and it takes a few minutes). Yes it still takes time to peg out but I certainly wouldn't go back to a poled awning. We got caught in an terrible storm last year, 50+ mph winds plus higher gusts and I sat up all night as the storm passed half expecting the awning to have pegs ripped out etc in the morning but it hadn't moved at all. The people a few caravans down from us had their awning damaged, bent poles and damage to their caravan where a pole had struck the side. The air awnings can be heavy as you go up the size scale but we always manage to get it back in the bag, leaving the valves open and rolling it up towards the valve openings helps. The Kampa awning bags are oversized which helps!
If you mean 'store everything' at home, well we store them all in the shed! If you mean when we are away, the bikes go in the tall annexe which has it's own door so they don't have to be wheeled through the main awning, table and chairs in the awning and cupboards/boots/dog beds etc in another annexe. We normally take the Rally 330 with an annexe on either end. If we go for a longer break of over 10 days we take the Rally 390+ and one annexe.
There is also the Bradcot Modul-AiR which has a base awaning then you can add on panels. It’s difference is that it remains one space, not separate rooms.
------------- Started with a motorbike and tent.......my gallery, my life.
We have the Kampa Fiesta Air pro 420, been using it for 2 or 3 years now - I lose track, never had an issue with it and we can put it up with two of us in minutes - I leave the pegging out to him while I go set up the inside then. And we have the bedroom annexe for when the kids are sleeping out. I like that putting it away, when we are tired and ready to just get home, takes minutes. Open valves, slide out and roll.
Agree with other posters in that it's the fettling that takes the time.
I have a full-sized Dorema awning and a 325cm Outdoor Revolution porch awning for short stays and for winter use (easier to dry). Both are poles rather than air.
On both versions, the basic rail-threading and pole erection take very little time, but then the pegging out, followed by the interminable small adjustments the get the awning just-so goes on forever.
A quick awning would be one with no pegs. I suspect air awnings take either the same or almost the same time to erect but then longer to pack away than poles, but the pegs are what take the time.
Before we got our caravan four years ago we tented for over 20 years, the last six in an Outwell Vermont (a big tent) It was much easier than an awning!
------------- Camping Gear expands so as to fill the space available for its transportation.
Thanks all, I’ve had a look through all the suggestions but I think what I want just doesn’t actually exist as it would be difficult to design?
I’d like it to be quite small and more porch like (so about 200cm) for one night stop just for us to sit out in and have dinner etc then I’d like it to go full size more like 350/400? The add ons I’ve seen so far look better for bedrooms rather than living area?
I might just get a small cheap porch awning and accept that we need 3 awnings. A medium sized (300cm) all weather canvas one, a small one 200cm for one night stops and then the XL event shelter when we stay longer than 2/3 days? We do have a canvas one and an event shelter already so it would make it cheaper. But I do try to pack small and light!
Quote: Originally posted by navyeyelash on 28/5/2018
Thanks all, I’ve had a look through all the suggestions but I think what I want just doesn’t actually exist as it would be difficult to design?
I’d like it to be quite small and more porch like (so about 200cm) for one night stop just for us to sit out in and have dinner etc then I’d like it to go full size more like 350/400? The add ons I’ve seen so far look better for bedrooms rather than living area?
I might just get a small cheap porch awning and accept that we need 3 awnings. A medium sized (300cm) all weather canvas one, a small one 200cm for one night stops and then the XL event shelter when we stay longer than 2/3 days? We do have a canvas one and an event shelter already so it would make it cheaper. But I do try to pack small and light!
Did you look at the Bradcot Modul air? You can get a porch awning then add in panels so the living area grows to whatever size you need. Yes you vpcan also add on a bedroom but the main thing is adding on panels.
------------- Started with a motorbike and tent.......my gallery, my life.
I've got a suncamp awning and if it took over ten minutes to put up I'd not bother. It has three poles and takes a few minutes to get set up.
------------- We camped for years. In 2019 we bought an Elddis Avante 454. We like it as it is short (6.9m) and fits in our driveway and has a fixed bed.
We had 127 nights away in the caravan in 2023.
Does it not need pegging out and adjusting John? I find that this is what takes the time. My wife and I can put up the top and the frame of our awning quite quickly too, but the adjusting and pegging out takes ages. Mind you, we could probably have done it much quicker when we were younger. Just getting up and down takes all my time these days.
Quote: Originally posted by Colin21 on 29/5/2018
Does it not need pegging out and adjusting John? I find that this is what takes the time. My wife and I can put up the top and the frame of our awning quite quickly too, but the adjusting and pegging out takes ages. Mind you, we could probably have done it much quicker when we were younger. Just getting up and down takes all my time these days.
It is about 8 pegs so does not take much time, I was quicker when younger but am now 71 so not as agile
------------- We camped for years. In 2019 we bought an Elddis Avante 454. We like it as it is short (6.9m) and fits in our driveway and has a fixed bed.
We had 127 nights away in the caravan in 2023.
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Topic: The perfect awning - does it exist!?
