In the event that you have to fetch a wet awning home, what do you put it in or where do you put it for the journey so that it doesn't leave a wet patch in the van/car? The shower would be the obvious place but we wouldn't want to tow with that much weight at the back of the van. Can you get waterproof awning bags that would stop any damp spreading out?
Thankfully I've never had to bring home my large heavy (3.3m) air awning soaking wet! I've taken it down early in the dry if prospect of having to pack it seriously wet on last day! Guess I've been lucky and that plan has always worked!
But I have taken down my much lighter and smaller (2.6m) poled awning in torrential rain (there never was an opportunity to take it down dry for duration of my stay!). It got stuffed in a bin bag and placed in rear shower. I was cautious towing at first to get a feel of what that unfamiliar weight at the back of the van would do to handling, but I had compensated by placing a similar weight further forward than I would normally do to keep noseweight correct, it was fine, but then probably only 8-10Kg in weight (a lot of that being water!), as all the other associated stuff, poles, draft skirt, pegs etc. were not with it.
I bought the smaller lighter poled awning specifically for times when the large air awning would be a problem if wet! For me, it's not just the transport, it's not having anywhere at home to dry a soaking wet awning of that size! A merely damp awning can dry off in spare room. The small lightweight flysheet will hang over the clothes line, assuming weather at home is cooperative!
We usually manage to come home with a dry or nearly dry awning, but are due to be away for 5 nights next week and the forecast is for rain (light to heavy) every day. We can manage without an awning for a couple of days, but with the 2 dogs and the poor weather it will be much easier if we have the awning up. It is a poled porch awning, but an Isabella Magnum, so pretty heavy.
, I have had 2 Pennine folding campers and now a gobur folding caravan and have never had to dry them at home yet, may be just lucky, I do however keep an eye on the weather forecast nearer the time of coming home, if it is forecasting rain I will take down the awning, had one wet pack up with our pennine pullman and had to erect the camper when I got home to allow the canvas to dry out, we had already taken down the awning so that wasn’t wet, the marchers do a cracking job of getting rid of the water and the microfibre towels finish the drying process a peach
Quote: Originally posted by kpnuts81 on 21/7/2023
I carry a karcher window cleaner and microfibre cloth and get the moisture off before packing away
Not going to help much packing up in the pouring rain, which seems to be my fate on many a trip! ..... and got the distinct impression bofs wanted to use his awning up to the end of his potentially very wet stay, drying off at your convenience not looking like an option!
Sounds like a viable solution to condensation though. .... but still not dry enough for storage.
You can buy survival bags in camping shops. These are huge, orange and relatively heavy duty. We always carry one when we camp with our large polycotton tent. We then use this to put the tent in if it is wet. Sometimes even just a heavy dew will make it wet enough to warrant the bag being used. We then just put it in on top and manage to keep everything dry.
As Monty says, this trip there's little to no chance of getting the awning down dry as the forecast is for rain every day of our stay. As we leave on Tuesday, I think for this trip a big bin bag or survival bag is the way to go. Thank you all for your ideas/comments so far.
I’m pretty much in the same boat as we are going away for five nights with the family tent on Wednesday and they do give rain most days.
My tent I use on the bike drys out easy in our out building but our six berth Zempire Evo TXL will be a different beast.
Great idea about the Karcher though by kpnuts81 .
I have looked at three different weather apps and all are different for next week in South Devon so will use eyeball one but certainly not looking forward to taking it down in the wet.
With our Isabella Magnum, if it is raining, I take out the front and side panels, dry them lightly with some kitchen paper and then drape them over chairs under the roof to dry. These dry really quickly once wiped with kitchen paper as most of them is window and mud skirt. These can then be packed away dry. This just leaves the roof! I have never had to take it down in the rain but have had to take it down wet. I take out the poles and allow the roof to hang down from the awning rail, giving it a good shake to get as much water off as possible. If it is not too wet, I again give it a gentle dry with some kitchen paper and fold up and pack as usual but take it out to air once back home. We bought 2 separate storage bags, one for the roof section and one for the front and sides so they can be packed away separately. If it was soaking wet, I would probably put it in a wheelie bin liner to get it home.
To be honest, it is such a faff packing away wet that we keep an eye on the forecast and find a window of dry weather in the days leading up to going home and take it down slightly early if necessary. I watched a poor couple taking theirs down in the pouring rain this morning and they just shoved it loose in their boot having repacked everything else on the back seat.
I hope you have a good break, despite the poor forecast! We are currently looking out the caravan window at where Skiddaw should be but all we can see is cloud and rain and mist!
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: Transporting a wet awning.
via mobile 21/7/2023 at 10:32am
