Just looking for some foam mats for the awning floor and wondered if anyone uses these from Halfords? If so, are they any good. Some reviews saying they are too soft and damage easily.
no we use the interlocking ones from aldi they make so much difference esp when on hardstanding that you can walk bare foot in the awning, somet wouldnt do if we didnt have them
Halfords are only a retailer, so I doubt if their version differs much from most others on the market, which brings me to the point, these mats are self skinned foam, with a very soft thin skin, I would expect them to get punctured by sharp stones, twigs etc. when laid directly on rough ground (not their intended purpose), not necessarily enough to penetrate right through in every case, but enough to damage the skin. Used often enough they will start to acquire enough 'nicks' that join up into bigger cuts to reduce their effectiveness. Of course, how quickly depends on the surfaces they are laid on!
I've got the Aldi/Lidl ones, which I used as a bedroom 'carpet/insulation' in a tent, and very good they are too for that, but had the protection of both a footprint and groundsheet under them.
As to my caravan awning, I use a woven breathable carpet/groundsheet (again a 'cheap' Aldi/Lidl one), and in most cases that provides enough comfort to go barefoot, you can get quite thick woven groundsheets that would provide better comfort if needed.
You may not be able to use your foam mats on all sites, many insist on ONLY breathable groundsheets (even on hard standings - was on one a couple of weeks back!). Woven/breathable ones also have the advantage that any water that gets in (I've had veritable rivers run through my awning in heavy rain!) simply drains through and away, but an impenetrable mat may acquire puddles (a not uncommon comment from people who've used tarps as floor covering!).
Then there is storage/transporting. Foam mats are quite bulky in relation to the area they cover compared to say a woven carpet/groundsheet.
If the woven groundsheet gets dirty, it's an easy enough job to hose it, pressure wash it, or scrub it with a yard brush, mines still in good condition after 6 years use.
Foam mats will do the job in a manner, question is, are they the best solution? IMHO I'd go with woven breathable carpet/groundsheet as the best solution.
I use the aldi mats for hardcore type hard standings, the stones don't bother them and its more comfortable for standing on, otherwise its a breathable groundsheet unless the grass is nice.
Another vote for Aldi's interlocking foam mats, the ones with holes that I used when I was tenter, in the kitchen area under the canopy outside my tents and a couple leading up to the entrance.
DK
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Topic: Awning Floor Mats
via mobile 13/7/2024 at 8:35am
