We have a Lunar Clubman 4 berth. We are getting older and finding putting the awning up more difficult and looking to buy a canopy.
We have been researching the portable ones, which seem to be easy enough but has anyone had a permanent one fixed to their caravan rail and if so approximate price. Thanks in advance.
We had a Quest Awning in a Bag which was carried attached to the awning rail.
Got rid as we found it banged against the side of the van when travelling. It was also a Herculean effort to get it rolled up and back in it's bag when packing up.
We now use a Sunncamp sun canopy. Very easy to erect and dismantle.
If I was looking for 1 to attach to the van I'd be looking for something like you see on motorhomes that wind out using a nice long handle.
We had a Thule roll out one that went in the awning rail, very good. This was solid against the side of the van due to it's weight, no banging here.
It was mainly used for our France trip then taken back off the van. It did become a bit of a struggle for us in the end, so we had a Thule wind out awning installed on the roof. Now that was a game changer.
------------- XVI yes?
As well is two words!
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Remember, if you buy something you bought it, not brought it.
Funnily enough while we were in Cornwall in July, we were only saying how much easier the Thule Omnistor would be for us if we were only going away for short stays, (I'm still reminding my hubby how he'd promised me we WOULD be using our new caravan more??). We've decided we will invest in one before next year though after seeing a couple with their young family using one for a whole week and how easy the rolling out, securing and packing away was?? We currently use a Kampa Rallye Pro Air 390 which we do like as it's so roomy, but as my hubby's recently had part of a lung removed, he gets a little short of breath these days.
Having assisted a few 'neighbours' on camp sites over the years (I tend to carry more tools than most people it seems!) when the wind has got the better of their roll out awnings (on MHs) and damaged the frame, and having a friend with one on their MH who's suffered winder problems which delayed their departing site (you certainly can't travel unless properly stowed!), I'm more than a little sceptical about them! No doubt they are great, quick and easy to deploy and retract when all is well, but they do seem a tad fragile! Friends NEVER leave theirs deployed if going out for fear that the wind may get up and damage it in their absence, and have on more than one occasion got up in the night to retract it because of concerns about the strength of the increasing wind! Legs and tie down straps only seem to go so far in protecting them.
I've a Kampa Air Pro Rally 360 porch awning, so am well away of the effort to fit and remove a largish porch awning to a caravan, and as I have to do it on my own, I don't regard it as a trivial effort! But I also have a slightly smaller Sunncamp Swift Deluxe 330 poled awning (with hindsight, I'd have probably have bought the next size up, had I realized how easy it was to erect and pack up), for short stays and quick erection etc.
The Sunncamp is also available as a canopy without the walls, but I see little benefit to that when you can open all 3 doors of the awning to achieve nearly the same effect, but also close them to make a completely weatherproof space. The Sunncamp is very light, has a single hooped pole in 3 sections of fibre pole across roof, and steel telescopic poles on either side. I reckon it's 15-20 mins to erect and/or take down on my own. It's also available as an Airbeam version, with a single hooped airbeam in place of the pole - personally, I don't see a lot of benefit to the airbeam as the single pole is so easy to use, and airbeams always bring risk of leaks/bursts, and it's noticeably more expensive, and heavier!
Had I been aware (not sure it was on the market when I bought my Kampa) of it at the time I was looking for an awning, I doubt I'd have bought the Kampa! Had it 6 or 7 years now, and TBH, it's the only awning I use these days, can't be asked to fight the heavy Kampa for the minimal benefit it brings of only a bit more space!
The Sunncamp is well worth a look IMHO and may satisfy your needs at a fraction of the cost of a pull/role out awning.
I have been caravanning for years and have had various awnings, poled, air and canopies all fitted in the awning rail. But I find the biggest problem these days is pegging them down, as most sites have gone to hard standings. So I don't bother anymore; only the two of us and the dog, but I would go for the one with the fewest pegs!!
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Quote: Originally posted by ANDY-R on 29/8/2026
I have been caravanning for years and have had various awnings, poled, air and canopies all fitted in the awning rail. But I find the biggest problem these days is pegging them down, as most sites have gone to hard standings. So I don't bother anymore; only the two of us and the dog, but I would go for the one with the fewest pegs!!
As far as awning pegs go, I've gone 'brutalist' these days with no exceptions, HD rock pegs and a hefty club hammer, or on looser ground where better retention required, screw in type rock pegs with a battery power drill, with either if hidden underground obstacles, a pre-drilled hole with a masonry drill bit tends to sort things!
Another trick that can help, is soak the place where the peg is going with water to soften the soil - I carry a watering can in the van anyway, normally to fill the toilet flush tank. One site I used a few times, had soil like concrete, no underground obstacles, just the most incredibly hard mud! - soaking with water was the solution - both for insertion AND extraction!
I long ago gave up on namby pamby 'wire' or 'folded sheet metal' pegs that collapse on merely touching earth, just assume brute force and ignorance is required! - has to be said I do a fair bit of peg straightening after many a trip, even the HD rock pegs have their work cut out!
A bit of 'soil' is NOT going to beat me! ……. but I haven't resorted to the dynamite yet!
I don't necessarily peg every point unless particularly windy weather expected, usually get away with just the critical stabilising ones, not bothered by a bit of draft under the mud flaps.
It may be false economy to choose an awning with fewer pegging points, or indeed not using all those provided - in windy conditions an awning needs all the pegs it can get!
Quote: Originally posted by RogerL on 29/8/2026
It may be false economy to choose an awning with fewer pegging points, or indeed not using all those provided - in windy conditions an awning needs all the pegs it can get!
Quite a lot of pegging points on my awnings are not adding to stability or wind resistance, they're merely there to keep mudflaps down and drafts out. My awnings have survived unharmed in winds far in excess of what they should still be in use in according to manufacturers limitations (sometimes it's more dangerous to persons, awning and caravan to attempt to take down an awning in unexpected winds, than to risk damage leaving it up!), because all the critical structural and bracing points are well pegged. Never been inclined to leave an awning virtually 'free standing', always 'structurally' pegged properly.
Ah the beauty of being able to check the weather forecast before going out or popping to bed.
------------- XVI yes?
As well is two words!
How does a sage know everything about everything? or does he? or does he just think he does?
Remember, if you buy something you bought it, not brought it.
We have given up with awnings altogether now as there's only the two of us and we rarely stay around the caravan much once we have got up and had breakfast. We are off out exploring. We mainly use the caravan to sleep in so why do we need an awning? In our early caravanning days we never even owned one and I don't remember seeing many others with them back then. In those days there were 5 of us and two dogs, but we managed so we certainly can now.
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Topic: Canopy for touring caravan
via mobile 31/7/2026 at 8:04pm
