We have changed to a bigger caravan and tried selling the old awning - zilch. So thinking of having it altered to a sun canopy. Has anyone had that done? Successful?
Why don't you give TVS (tent valeting services) a call in Bolton. They do alterations and repairs to tents, awnings and TTs but it won't be cheap I shouldn't imagine, they added fly nets to my Cabanon tent and did an excellent job.
Greetings again Alan,
Jim mentioned turning your awning into a 'Combi'
If it's what I think it is, (and this may be difficult to explain and even harder to understand. LOL)
Your new 'van, whilst being longer will, no doubt be the same height near enough as your old 'van.
To create a combi you put the old awning on the new van and take it to the rear of the awning rail as if you were putting it on as normal.
When the awning reaches the floor at the rear of the van (as it would when you were just about to peg it out) get on a step ladder and put a mark on the awning rail insert half way between the roof (horizontal)and the rear wall (vertical).
Now take off the awning from the van.
If you now break the reinforcing inside the awning rail insert by using a pair of pliers on it you can now insert the awning rail insert where that break is and slide it along as you normally would.
When the front of the awning is in the right position to be pegged out, you will find that the rear of the awning now reaches the ground straight down from that portion from where the break is.
You now have, in effect a long porch awning and your original poles will still fit.
You will have to buy (I suppose) another pole that will fit and connect to your rearmost roof pole. The new pole would go from that pole, adjacent to the side wall of the van and go down to the ground as you will have seen on most porch awnings.
If there is anything you don't understand, please ask. As said it can be difficult to explain.
------------- How come when some people visit the fountain of knowledge, they only gargle!!!
I had a quote to change a full awning into a combi - uses awning rail one end and has a pole like a porch awning the other end. From memory it was about £100 including the pole and alteration to the awning to make it 'drop' correctly. Seemed like a good idea at the time but finished up buying another awning off ebay that was the correct size. Might still get it done though as I don't always need the full awning and a porch can be a bit small. I have always used Brian Park for my alterations and repairs on awnings and tents, good quality workmanship and fair prices.
------------- 'A sure cure for sea-sickness is to sit under a tree'
Not too keen on committing GBH on a new van (if I have understood rightly.)
I was thinking more of a sun canopy, just using the roof and poles, with the option of putting the side windows on as a wind-break.
We've got a porch awning .... one of those cheap lean-to efforts, which we bought when we decided that the full awning was too much faff and just too much space for our needs.
Thinking now that I should measure the length of the flat bit of the van roof, and see how it compared to the awning roof.
You haven't got it (neither have I if it comes to that since as I was the one describing it.)
You don't touch the van.
The "awning rail insert" as I described it is that part of the awning that goes into the rail. Its that piece of material that feels as if there's a length of clothes line inside it. Thats the part that you break with the pliers. Not the material, just the reinforcement cord inside it.
------------- How come when some people visit the fountain of knowledge, they only gargle!!!
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Topic: Converting awning to sun canopy
