For several years we put up a porch awning and kept a table with two chairs in there. It's also useful to have somewhere to put wet boots and coats (and wetsuits).
Over time, we found we spent less & less time in the porch, so after losing it to stormy winds last year, we decided to go Awning-free.
We had an extended holiday earlier this year which was very successful, but then it hardly ever rained - which is the one time that at awning really comes in handy.
My question is, what do other people do if they don't have an awning?
What items of kit do they take along to deal with wet weather when getting into & out of a caravan in wet weather?
I hate the idea of dripping coats & boots cluttering up the doorway.
Telescopic caravan shower pole for drippy stuff, shower base for shoes, wellies upside down on a tent peg outside the door.
Wet dog is another matter.
------------- Yesterday is already a dream and tomorrow is only a vision, but today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness and every tomorrow a vision of hope.
MH rather than caravan but same issues. Chairs & wee table go underneath at night, drippy coats go into the washroom over the shower, wet shoes get left on the rubber mat inside the door. Wet dog gets a rubdown with a tea towel.
Caravan user, probably struggle without an awning tbh, anything over two nights and the porch goes up…….But the wet wife always gets a rubdown with a towel before she is allowed in the van! 👍
Caravan user with two porch awnings to choose from, big HD air beam awning with annex, and more recently acquired smaller lightweight 'single' poled awning.
The answer to your question "..what do other people do if they don't have an awning?" is in my case, SUFFER!
Only tried doing without awning a few times mostly through rather enforced circumstances, namely too damned windy to put up on one site, and far too wet to stand any chance of getting big air awning down dry on another occasion (I've no where to dry it at home), then there have been the short stays where it didn't seem worth the effort with air awning.
TBH it was a slightly miserable time without convenience of an awning and I really missed it, no where out of the elements to clean up the dog (Shaggy coated Border Collie!) before letting in caravan, and it's undoubtedly the best place to let wet/muddy outdoor gear, coats, boots, rucksack etc. and wet dog towels, harness, leads etc. dry off without 'disabling' the onboard shower (which I tend to use in preference to site showers). It also tends to get used as a bit of a 'shed' for stuff I don't especially want/need in the van. When I've been off grid, the overflow/beer camping fridge gets used on gas in the awning.
My 'solution' to the big air awning drying problem was to buy a lightweight smaller pole awing that I can at least throw over the washing line at home if I'm forced to take it down wet (yes I have to choose which awning to use based on weather forecasts!). It's also so quick and easy to erect and take down, it's not too much trouble to use for only a couple of days.
Tended to use the awning to entertain guests as a bit more room than inside van, and it's a nice airy atmosphere, and with curtains and roof liner mine seems comfortable in all but the chillest weather (no I do not believe in the wasteful practice of trying to heat an awning!).
TBF, my awnings are well used to fullest extent, big one even been the 'catering hall' for the buffet table at rally events, so I really hate being without one or other of them, and find the collection of festering wet gear inside the van if no awning pretty intolerable.
An awning is essential for us as we need somewhere to keep our bikes. I know it would be possible to have a cover to fit over them and leave them outside, but that seems too much trouble. Also with an awning, I can charge the batteries without the need to take up valuable space in our small caravan.
When it is a bit breezy, we can still sit in the awning rather than inside the van.
We use an air porch awning which is easy to erect/dismantle and small enough to dry in the garden at home if necessary.
Many thanks for the replies - and some good ideas.
To date, we haven't made too much use of the shower for wet stuff, mainly because we always used to keep bedding in there during the daytime.
However we no longer do that.
(Note to Self: Must find something I can use to hang heavy wet drippy clothes in the shower.)
Quote: Originally posted by SamP on 07/9/2022
(Note to Self: Must find something I can use to hang heavy wet drippy clothes in the shower.)
Our MH came with one of those expanding drying lines like some hotels have - a bar with 5 lines comes out of a cassette & it hooks on the opposite wall. TBF, it’s our towels that dry there but I’ve read a review of our MH model that was about a winter ski trip to Europe & the ski clothes (can’t spell salopettes) dried on the lines overnight. But they’re light.
Heavy wet jacket (dog walking) just gets draped over the loo.
We have a blow up awning but only use it for longer holidays with the family. Our toilet area is very compact with a small separate shower. Usually we hang wet clothes in the shower and shoes on mat inside door. We have a storage bag for shoes in the bottom of the shower but could use there. We use one of those folding sock driers for hanging wet towels on.
------------- Jean
Sometimes a little rain must fall before you reach a rainbow.
The work will wait while you show the child the rainbow, but the rainbow won't wait while you finish the work.
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Topic: Caravanning without an Awning
via mobile 05/9/2022 at 8:26am
