Small driveaway awning needed.... (1 Viewer)

[Touchwood]

When we bought our Compass Avantgarde iincluded was a safari room which fits onto the Fiamma roll-out awning. We've had one go at erecting it but it is a bit of a faff, and as we will rarely be staying more than one or two nights and don't need anything like as much space as it affords I was thinking of buying something smaller and easier to erect/dismantle.

I don't actually need a "driveaway" awning as we're not likely to actually drive away and leave it erected, but I'm guessing that most other types of awning are designed to connect directly to a rollout awning as the safari room does - a driveaway presumably doesn't and will therefore be more akin to what I'm looking for.

Can anyone advise on this? I've found this which looks as though it might be what I'm looking for.

 

[Janine]

We had a small drive-away awning with lightweight carbon-fibre poles which shredded in the strong winds we had at the beginning of last year.

Upgraded to an Outwell awning with steel poles. Proper job :thumb:

 

[GJH]

We bought a Khyam Motordome Excelsior for use with our Autoquest when we first had it because we were staying for several days at events. That used Figure 8 strips which came with it to attach to a J rail already on the van. It could be used without attachment, though, because the rear zipped up completely.

We subsequently used two different porch awnings attached, initially, using the Figure 8 strips and subsequently straight to the van after I fitted an Link Removed.

In the end, though, we stopped using any of them as they were too much of a faff on, especially for only a day or two.

Number one son is going to have the Khyam and maybe the others when he gets his Bedford CF on the road in a few weeks.

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[Touchwood]

Thanks Graham - the info on figure-of-eight fixings and awning rail kits is the sort of info I needed.

So even the smaller, simpler awnings are "too much of a faff" for one or two nights? Maybe we'd be better not bothering......

 

[Janine]

It might be worth buying one second-hand to see if it suits you. You'd get your money back if you decide to sell it again.

We use ours for the shortest trips away because we like the extra space.

 

[paulmold]

Ask yourself if its really an awning you need or maybe just a utility tent to store chairs etc if going off site. You can see the one we use in my avatar but we only take that for breaks of two weeks, for less we use a simple dome tent to chuck things in for storage.

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[Touchwood]

Ask yourself if its really an awning you need or maybe just a utility tent to store chairs etc if going off site. You can see the one we use in my avatar but we only take that for breaks of two weeks, for less we use a simple dome tent to chuck things in for storage.

Thanks Paul; one pf the principal uses would be so we could leave muddy boots etc. outside and towel down dogs after wet walks before entering the 'van - so an awning would be preferable to a separate tent.

 

[DESCO]

Would give serious thought before buying.

We came from caravanning prior to motorhomes and thought an awning essential, how wrong were we, bought a drive-away awning and never used it, sold after first year. Don't know how you camp but we are never in one place long enough, as we travel with two dogs it would be handy at times, but not enough to make us buy another.

 

[JohnH]

When we bought our Compass Avantgarde iincluded was a safari room which fits onto the Fiamma roll-out awning. We've had one go at erecting it but it is a bit of a faff, and as we will rarely be staying more than one or two nights and don't need anything like as much space as it affords I was thinking of buying something smaller and easier to erect/dismantle.

I don't actually need a "driveaway" awning as we're not likely to actually drive away and leave it erected, but I'm guessing that most other types of awning are designed to connect directly to a rollout awning as the safari room does - a driveaway presumably doesn't and will therefore be more akin to what I'm looking for.

Can anyone advise on this? I've found this which looks as though it might be what I'm looking for.

We had the older version of the awning that you describe. We sold it after one year for the same money we paid for it and bought a slightly larger version. We spent a couple of months in Spain at the start of the year and it was invaluable. It connected to the van awning via a fabric strip which a figure of eight connected the fabric to the awning. It takes only five minutes to leave the site and about 10 to line up the van to reconnect the awning. Would not use for a couple of days but any more and we use it.
John

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[GJH]

In the end, though, we stopped using any of them as they were too much of a faff on, especially for only a day or two.

It might be worth buying one second-hand to see if it suits you. You'd get your money back if you decide to sell it again.

We use ours for the shortest trips away because we like the extra space.

As my post and Janine's show, Mike, it's very much an individual choice. Just because we found an awning a faff on doesn't mean that you won't find one useful as Janine does, especially with dogs - which we don't have.

 

[Touchwood]

I'm thinking the way forward is to use the safari room we have a couple of times - that will determine its usefulness (or otherwise) and it sounds as though even a smaller one would still be a faff anyway.

Many thanks to all for clarifying my thinking.

 

[TweetiePie]

Hi, We just use a "pop up gazebo, great for storing and sitting, we can use it at home to.
Gotta go cup of tea ready !!!

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[GJH]

Hi, We just use a "pop up gazebo, great for storing and sitting, we can use it at home to.
Gotta go cup of tea ready !!!

Gazebos need to be firmly anchored - as we found

When we first bought our Autoquest we already had a pop-up gazebo. Took it with us on our first long trip and whilst we were out one day the wind caught it and damaged it beyond repair. Luckily the guy on the next pitch saw what happened and managed to ground it before it damaged anybody's van.

 

[Scout]

after three seasons, werve just bought a day tent, very simular to the one in O/P but not attaxched to M/h cheaper and larger 3mX3m fits along side the motorhome stores suff inside when offsite..

didnt need one befor, but now take the grandkids its probibly going to usefull, if not it was cheap

 

[aba]

if its just for muddy boots and dog towels maybe all you need is one of those larger plastic boxes with a fasten-able lid.

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[chatter]

practice makes perfect with an awning room they do give good space but if the weather is very windy they are not ideal
The one you show I have and it stood up to the gales we had at the northern show the other year, I didnt have it attached to the van so it was able to bend any which way (Jim OGL had to borrow some very big market trader pegs and a very big hammer to keep hold of the party tent that year and one or two others had fun and games with their awnings). They can also by using the figure of 8 strips be attached to the fiamma awning rail no problems

 

[TweetiePie]

Gazebos need to be firmly anchored - as we found

When we first bought our Autoquest we already had a pop-up gazebo. Took it with us on our first long trip and whilst we were out one day the wind caught it and damaged it beyond repair. Luckily the guy on the next pitch saw what happened and managed to ground it before it damaged anybody's van.

Good point GJH, always secure ours, but others might not.......
ours is shown in one of the meets photos, but SHMBO has just bought a "RED" one to match the van bigger too

 

[cudleydudley]

awning

is this what you want ?its in first class condition, cost £400.00 when new, has steel poles, have no idea cost to send by post or carrier,

NR chalet freestanding m/home awning.
it stands about 6’6 high x 8’6 wide
7’deep colour is burgundy and silver grey. The awning is still in new
condition, we “put it up, to check everything =
it still smells “new” [we don’t smoke] there are no marks on it at all,

rubber bands unperished, with “put up instructions” inc colour tapes at
joins to make life “easyer” plus bags to pack poles/cover, pegs
for a sum of £85.00 collected, i live near jun 25 on the m25 postcode en8
im all packed up for w/end away leaving fri morn home sunday night.
will sort out photos if your interested.

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[Peter JohnsCross MH]

Cudleydudley's offer sounds good:thumb:

Peter