Design problem with my van? (1 Viewer)

[Robster100]

I still don’t see it as a design fault if someone has fitted the awning in a silly position, or put on one that doesn’t fit. I suspect the designers of both motorhome and awning expect the awning installer to position a suitably sized awning in a sensible position. If it is a factory fitted one then the fault lies in the specification not the designs.

Well Bürstner designed the van, Bürstner installed the awning as a standard fitment in this position.

That in my book is a design fault By Bürstner, I have no issue with Thule, they cannot mandate how and where the awning is fitted, but someone at Bürstner should have realised this could/would be an issue.

 

[Spriddler]

….so I could set up a contained area for my dogs,

My son has a fence with sticks, all plastic, from Wilkinsons, all for about 20 quid. Higher fence is available.
Very light, easily stored, takes 10 mins to put up, hardly visible (can you see it?). The dog is happy as he can see what's going on.
It must be possible to use with a m/h.

 

[Robster100]

really nice idea, however, my rather excitable little terriers would run straight through that and take the netting and sticks with them!

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[Spriddler]

I doubt very much that terriers would knock it over as it's very substantial. I've stumbled into it a time or two (before they put the bunting along the top) and it had me over but stayed up.
I've learned now not to start on the St Emilion til after they've put the bunting on.

 

[two]

I don't consider it to be a serious design error.
Not everyone has an awning fitted.
Few of those that do add a safari room.

 

[Minxy]

really nice idea, however, my rather excitable little terriers would run straight through that and take the netting and sticks with them!

Our Lily would have already managed to get under it and Tazzy would have jumped over it, good if it works for some dogs though.

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[Robster100]

I don't consider it to be a serious design error.
Not everyone has an awning fitted.
Few of those that do add a safari room.

We obviously agree to disagree!

If the awning was an after fit, I would agree with you, but as it was standard equipment and I have seen many motorhomes with privacy rooms, I do think it is bad design.

If they had fitted a second door to my garage, I would not have an issue at all.

 

[Coolcats]

Easy one to sort, sell the dogs ? or how about get a tent ️ As in hounds for hilleburg

 

[tonyidle]

Hi

Just playing with my my van as I have not yet had a chance to use it, picked it up late february!

Put up the awning today as less windy, just to see how it all works and check it was all okay.

My plan was to purchase, either the full privacy room or the end pieces, so I could set up a contained area for my dogs, probably install some track for my old caravan draft excluder!

However, having set up the awning, and marvelling at its 4.5M length, I suddenly realised that if I installed a privacy room, or rain shield, I would no longer have access to my garage!

I really cannot think of a way around this but thought I would through it out in case anyone has any bright ideas!

Robin

Picture attached to show the problem.

View attachment 374077View attachment 374077

It won't be a problem. Like most people who buy one you'll only use the privacy room once. They are generally heavy and take too much time to put up / take down. Consider instead a decent windbreak that will be more useful on hot days than an enclosed room. You can make the "pen" as big as you want and some versions come with a section to close off the under-van that don't need an awning rail attachment.

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[tonyidle]

We obviously agree to disagree!

If the awning was an after fit, I would agree with you, but as it was standard equipment and I have seen many motorhomes with privacy rooms, I do think it is bad design.

If they had fitted a second door to my garage, I would not have an issue at all.

It's always a problem. An awning that doesn't put the privacy room across a window or an essential locker invariably compromises on length. Relatively few users who have an awning ever use a privacy room and most would prefer a longer awning. I certainly wouldn't expect the converter to consider the possibility of privacy room use when installing the awning. The privacy room is very much an accessory that few will use.

Take a look at the "Top Quality" windbreaks here. I can recommend the Jormax that I've been using for my dogs for the last 5+ years. I needed something opaque so my three dogs weren't fired up by passing people or other dogs:

Best Windbreaks For Camping And Caravans Guide [2023] | Campfire Magazine

Which windbreak should I buy? We've tested lots of camping and beach windbreaks looking for sturdy, affordable and easy to erect. The best windbreak is...

campfiremag.co.uk

As I said in my earlier post you'll find a privacy room inconvenient on warmer days.

 

[Minxy]

As a newbie you may not have the experience that a lot of people have but I don't think it is a design fault at all, not many in the UK use full enclosures and I would imagine those in other countries even less so as your MH is a Burstner they'll design it so it appeals to most buyers which is mainland Europe.

 

[Pausim]

I still don’t see this as a design fault. As far as I can see the awning and van as supplied by the manufacturer work fine. The garage door is not obstructed when the awning is in normal use, it only becomes a problem if you add a non standard accessory bought from another source. You can not expect a manufacturer to alter designs for accessories that most of us do not use.

Design always involves some compromise. For example my van has a locker just inside the habitation door that houses the battery isolator, grey water drain control and drain down valves. I find this arrangement very convenient but I know that another funster with dogs finds it less so. It doesn’t make it bad design, it probably suits most users but clearly not all. When something doesn’t work for my style of use I look for solutions or modify how I do things. I do not expect the designer to have anticipated every possible use or whim, if they did I would be paying the price and weight for all sorts of things I would never need or want.

The priority for many motor-homers is touring and ease of packing up and moving on is probably higher in the design priorities. Hence options for wind out awnings rather than fixed rails for caravan style awnings.

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[robnchris]

I don't consider it to be a serious design error.
Not everyone has an awning fitted.
Few of those that do add a safari room.

So The designer stands back to view his days work, his decision to to fit a Thule 4mtr awning to the side of a 7mtr motorhome.
He's done his home in selecting a Thule he knows all the dimension so he has also designed the housing for it to fit so it has that streamlined look.
He then designs the rest of the side panel, where the windows, outside lockers, water and electric connections plus the habitation door will be.

It's a very poor designer that didn't take into consideration that Thule also manufacture a safari room to fit the awning.

Most awnings come in standard sizes, which one would think plausible that an industry would have least get their heads together to match one product with another.

Could you imagine the car industry operating like this, Dunlop making tyres one size and the car manufacturers making a wheel slightly different?
Of course it a design error and a rather serious one that just shows how poorly put together these motorhomes/caravans really are.

 

[robnchris]

I still don’t see this as a design fault. As far as I can see the awning and van as supplied by the manufacturer work fine. The garage door is not obstructed when the awning is in normal use, it only becomes a problem if you add a non standard accessory bought from another source. You can not expect a manufacturer to alter designs for accessories that most of us do not use.

Design always involves some compromise. For example my van has a locker just inside the habitation door that houses the battery isolator, grey water drain control and drain down valves. I find this arrangement very convenient but I know that another funster with dogs finds it less so. It doesn’t make it bad design, it probably suits most users but clearly not all. When something doesn’t work for my style of use I look for solutions or modify how I do things. I do not expect the designer to have anticipated every possible use or whim, if they did I would be paying the price and weight for all sorts of things I would never need or want.

The priority for many motor-homers is touring and ease of packing up and moving on is probably higher in the design priorities. Hence options for wind out awnings rather than fixed rails for caravan style awnings.

The safari room is made by the same people that make the awning, are you really suggesting that the motorhome designer didn't take this into consideration when he selected his choice of awning.

 

[Coolcats]

It won't be a problem. Like most people who buy one you'll only use the privacy room once. They are generally heavy and take too much time to put up / take down. Consider instead a decent windbreak that will be more useful on hot days than an enclosed room. You can make the "pen" as big as you want and some versions come with a section to close off the under-van that don't need an awning rail attachment.

Words of wisdom Tony and Hot days as you point out, would probably be too hot to leave dogs in. I think privacy rooms are fine if you are staying long term (week ++) but are such a faf.

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[Coolcats]

The safari room is made by the same people that make the awning, are you really suggesting that the motorhome designer didn't take this into consideration when he selected his choice of awning.

Just a thought, if the privacy room was designed for each and every Motorhome on the market it would make them hugely more expensive. I am not dismissing your needs wants and desires but MoHo’s in general are compromises in design and none are perfect.

 

[monzer]

Don’t you have another door to the garage the other side of the van

The thread wasn't even 2 pages long, did you not read it?

 

[Lenny HB]

It most certainly is a design fault same problem with our Autotrail the awaning sides come down over the gas locker at one end and a window and the rear locker at the other.

Maybe on your Autotrail but on most vans you choose the size awning you want and where it's fitted.
When we had ours fitted they held it up on the side of the van and moved it about for us to decide where to fit it.

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[two]

Just a thought:
Maybe you could turn the garage door upside down, so that the hinges are towards the back?

For people starting out, I have recommended they buy second hand and discover what works for them (or not) on something that will lose less value over their first year. Their second choice will suit them much better, but some will require three changes before they have found what they feel is acceptable.

 

[TCG]

The thread wasn't even 2 pages long, did you not read it?

Obviously Not

 

[tonyidle]

It's a very poor designer that didn't take into consideration that Thule also manufacture a safari room to fit the awning.

Maybe the designer thought it through very carefully then decided that a longer awning for probably 90% of his/her customers was more important than a shorter version for the rest?

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[robnchris]

Just a thought, if the privacy room was designed for each and every Motorhome on the market it would make them hugely more expensive. I am not dismissing your needs wants and desires but MoHo’s in general are compromises in design and none are perfect.

Surely it's not the privacy/safari room that causes the problem it's the length of the awning and designers that build them into the sides of a motorhome roof/side panel then decide where the doors, lockers and windows go.
If you were fitting guttering to your house you would at least step back and measure first where the down pipe would run, you certainly wouldn't take the chance that it wouldn't be above a door or window.
These are supposed to be professionals for christ's sake.

 

[robnchris]

Maybe the designer thought it through very carefully then decided that a longer awning for probably 90% of his/her customers was more important than a shorter version for the rest?

Or maybe he didn't think about it all and didn't care what size it was or where the ends of the awning would fall, do these people not have any meetings with the manufacturers of the products they buy from.

IF you were fitting a curtain pole over a window at home surely the first thing you would do is get a tape measure out.

 

[two]

I suppose they could offer a smaller door as an option. Maybe they did, but no one ordered it.

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[Coolcats]

Surely it's not the privacy/safari room that causes the problem it's the length of the awning and designers that build them into the sides of a motorhome roof/side panel then decide where the doors, lockers and windows go.
If you were fitting guttering to your house you would at least step back and measure first where the down pipe would run, you certainly wouldn't take the chance that it wouldn't be above a door or window.
These are supposed to be professionals for christ's sake.

Some people wish to have a full length Awning, others such as your self maybe not, and there lays the issue in that everything is a compromise with MoHo's, maybe you could sell the Awning you have and have a shorter one installed I wish you well in finding a solution you will be happy with.

 

[Pausim]

I have just taken a look at a picture of the side of my motorhome, which by choice does not have an awning. With garage, 4 windows, 1 door, 2 underfloor lockers and a fridge vent it leaves absolutely nowhere for a privacy room to either start or stop that would not obstruct something. I consider it to be exceptionally well designed and would have bought something else if it did not suit my needs. I would consider it crass design to have left out any of these useful and regularly used elements, just on the off chance that someone might want to buy an optional privacy room for an optional awning.

 

[Robster100]

Awning was not optional, standard build!

5M awning would have solved all my problems, or maybe 3.5M but what was fitted as standard was 4.5M

anyway, let’s not get carried away, we are all entitled to our own opinions and I have in fact had many funny (thank you) and helpful (THANK YOU) suggestions.

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[robnchris]

Some people wish to have a full length Awning, others such as your self maybe not, and there lays the issue in that everything is a compromise with MoHo's, maybe you could sell the Awning you have and have a shorter one installed I wish you well in finding a solution you will be happy with.

I give up do any of you read a post before commenting on it.

You don't have the option of choosing the length of the awning when buying a motorhome were the wind out canopy is an integral part of the design, it's inbuilt you just have to look at the side of these models to see what I mean.

I'll grant you that if you are having an aftermarket wind out fitted to your motorhome then the designer is not part of the equation as he had no part in what size awning is to be fitted.

So my point going back to my first post is when an awning is included in the original design of the motorhome it should at least be fitted were it won't cause the side of a privacy room to come across a door, window or locker.
After all the same company they bought the awning from also make the privacy room.

 

[Coolcats]

I give up do any of you read a post before commenting on it.

You don't have the option of choosing the length of the awning when buying a motorhome were the wind out canopy is an integral part of the design, it's inbuilt you just have to look at the side of these models to see what I mean.

I'll grant you that if you are having an aftermarket wind out fitted to your motorhome then the designer is not part of the equation as he had no part in what size awning is to be fitted.

So my point going back to my first post is when an awning is included in the original design of the motorhome it should at least be fitted were it won't cause the side of a privacy room to come across a door, window or locker.
After all the same company they bought the awning from also make the privacy room.

I did read it which is why I suggested selling the one you have and purchasing a shorter one, I guess you could suggest product improvement or choices to the manufacturer for other’s who find the same design constraints. Wish you well in finding a solution.

 

[tonyidle]

Or maybe he didn't think about it all and didn't care what size it was or where the ends of the awning would fall, do these people not have any meetings with the manufacturers of the products they buy from.

IF you were fitting a curtain pole over a window at home surely the first thing you would do is get a tape measure out.

It isn't a curtain pole and as fitted will do the job it is intended to do. Using a privacy room is an option taken up by very few owners so the converter has catered for the majority. If your needs, one of your must-haves, is a privacy room that doesn't cover the garage door, then you specify that when ordering the motorhome or you look very closely at brochure pictures. Others may find it more important that it doesn't split a window or leave the toilet access door out in the cold. Access to the garage when the awning and its apparently essential accessory is deployed may not appear on their needs list at all. What the OP has got is probably the longest awning that could be fitted to the van: it can't be moved rearward leaving only the option of a shorter awning - not something most owners would want.

Anyway my 4M Thule is too short - wanna swap?

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