Wind blockers versus driveway awning (1 Viewer)

Gaynor369

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Feb 5, 2012
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Hi we have an autotrail tribute with a wind out awning. Having had the van for a year now, we are ready to buy something then increases the outside space.

We saw the wind blockers from Lilly pad at a show and almost bought them as I don't like sitting out in the wind and these seemed a fab idea until I thought about the reality of getting back from a day out, sitting out for an hour or so and would we realistically set these up each time especially as every time we wanted to go out they would need to come down ( I had the same thoughts when considering the front and sides that attach to the wind out awning)

Soooooo

We are now thinking a drive away would be better. We can leave it set up with a few bits and pices inside, great for the new puppy we have to dry off muddy paws and don't have to take up and down if we are heading out.

This is my feeling but wondered what your opinions were on the above two. I have been looking to spend less than £200 on a drive away and have seen a couple one from riversWay leisure 'riviera Mobil 300' that seems to tick the boxes
 

stcyr

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Apr 11, 2011
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I tried to put a pic of ours on here, but it didn't work :Sad:

You can see it in 'albums'.

Really solidly made, and stable.

:thumb:
 

hilldweller

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We got one from Riverway. Works a treat but we've never driven away from it. If you do you've got to be inch perfect when you return.

If you are new to this wait 'till you've more experience, see if you really want to be packing everything away inside to go sightseeing in a vehicle that's on the big side for sightseeing.

In other words, maybe a non-drive away.

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Gaynor369

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Feb 5, 2012
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Bolton
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We got one from Riverway. Works a treat but we've never driven away from it. If you do you've got to be inch perfect when you return.

If you are new to this wait 'till you've more experience, see if you really want to be packing everything away inside to go sightseeing in a vehicle that's on the big side for sightseeing.

In other words, maybe a non-drive away.

We have had a year or so now of figuring that out and we took the stand that we wouldn't have a motorhome and then not use it to go out and about otherwise I guess we would have been better with a touring caravan and a car at our disposal. We are now ready for something outdoors so it's a case of which really. I see what your saying about inch perfect and I guess that's something experience of using it will bring x
 

Janine

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Aug 22, 2007
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We have both -

A large drive-away awning (Outwell) which is our socialising area on rallies and at festivals or if we're staying put for a while. We have no problem driving back up to it - a strategically placed orange tent peg helps.

Wind blockers which we use in the evenings when we are touring and don't want to have to pack the awning away every couple of days or when pitch-space is limited.
 

hilldweller

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We have had a year or so now

Well you fooled me, "Years Motorhoming New".

>> I guess we would have been better with a touring caravan and
>> a car at our disposal

The age old debate. I think a lot of the folk in here who are spending weeks at a time in Spain would be more comfortable in a caravan.

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GJH

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Our first van didn't have an attached awning and we bought a Khyam Motordome Excelsior, which we used quite a lot. Subsequently bought a couple of non-drive away porch awnings. The thing we found with all of them is that they're OK until you have to pack them away wet, especially if you're going on to another destination.

Our current van has an Omnistor awning attached so we bought a set of Windblockers at Peterborough last year. We haven't had much chance to use them yet but found them more convenient when we did.

Each to their own though.
 

hilldweller

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Our current van has an Omnistor awning attached so we bought a set of Windblockers at Peterborough last year.

Warning, there is wind and there is WIND. At Silverstone last year all of a sudden, seemingly out of nowhere a wind got up, soon it was clearly WIND so we decided to do something with the windblockers, which are great in wind.

By the time we got out of the door, it was WIND and lashing rain the the top pole of the windblocker bent into a V. We then had to hang on to the awning for grim death or else it would have been ripped off the van, despite a thick strap over the top and the legs nailed down. 10 minutes and it was all over, bar changing out underwear.

Not an experience we want to repeat.
 

GJH

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Warning, there is wind and there is WIND. At Silverstone last year all of a sudden, seemingly out of nowhere a wind got up, soon it was clearly WIND so we decided to do something with the windblockers, which are great in wind.

By the time we got out of the door, it was WIND and lashing rain the the top pole of the windblocker bent into a V. We then had to hang on to the awning for grim death or else it would have been ripped off the van, despite a thick strap over the top and the legs nailed down. 10 minutes and it was all over, bar changing out underwear.

Not an experience we want to repeat.

I agree Brian, the reason we haven't had much chance to use them yet :roflmto:

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Chris

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Slightly off topic but we have the Omnistor wind out and bought storm straps that actually attach to the awning at the top of each leg.

They are amazing. We had a hell of a storm in West Wales about 3 years ago which broke loads of awnings but ours didn't move an inch.

Far better in my view than the single strap that goes over the top.:thumb:
 

GJH

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Slightly off topic but we have the Omnistor wind out and bought storm straps that actually attach to the awning at the top of each leg.

They are amazing. We had a hell of a storm in West Wales about 3 years ago which broke loads of awnings but ours didn't move an inch.

Far better in my view than the single strap that goes over the top.:thumb:

We bought some of those at Peterborough show last year. When we looked around they were a comparable price to the over the top straps, designed by Omnistor for the job and no chance of damaging the awning fabric by friction. They work very well.
 

hilldweller

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and no chance of damaging the awning fabric by friction. They work very well.

Just to clarify, when I said "over the top" I really mean "over the top of the frame and under the fabric".

Personally I don't believe anything can cope with real wind. If the wind gets under an awning sized "sail" something is going to give.

Evidence below, this caravan was tied down and it looked to be in a sheltered position:

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hilldweller

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I have a set of windblockers but after watching this advert I may just send them back. That was so poor!!

We've used ours a few times and seen many other people using them, they are well made and work as it says on the tin. The clothesline prop for the sides is marginal but works until a big wind hits and then maybe it's good that something so simple fails rather than the fabric.

And they are light and take up no room. A very big plus over a full awning. A full awning is excellent if you are stopping for many days but a pain to erect and take down.
 
Jun 2, 2010
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I had one front and one end panel, IMO you are paying for the idea, the elastic loops along the bottom are made from cheap knicker elastic, the clothes prop for hanging the side panel on is cheap and doesn't locate very well into the Fiamma, I modified mine with some large grommets I fitted into the awning casing. I also bought the tie down kit, which again was made up with 2 cheap ratchet straps that you find in the pound shops but the idea of sewing pieces of awning strip is good. I think the name "Breeze Blockers" might be more appropriate. However they are lightweight and pack down to next to nothing and they are effective in a breeze.
 
Dec 28, 2011
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Warning, there is wind and there is WIND. At Silverstone last year all of a sudden, seemingly out of nowhere a wind got up, soon it was clearly WIND so we decided to do something with the windblockers, which are great in wind.

By the time we got out of the door, it was WIND and lashing rain the the top pole of the windblocker bent into a V. We then had to hang on to the awning for grim death or else it would have been ripped off the van, despite a thick strap over the top and the legs nailed down. 10 minutes and it was all over, bar changing out underwear.

Not an experience we want to repeat.

At the Moto GP at Silverstone last year the guy next to us parked his motorhome up and erected a gazebo alongside, full of plastic table, chairs, bbq, mats and the usual flags. Two days later,after a storm in the night, all that was left was the bbq, wedged under the back of the MH. The rest was scattered around the site. Never saw the gazebo again.
Turns out he had borrowed the MH from a mate and hadn't a clue really. I had to show him where the towing eye was so that he could be towed out. He had phoned his mate up to ask him where it was, and he didn't know either.

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hilldweller

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At the Moto GP at Silverstone last year

Shows just how bad the weather is getting, we were at the World Superbikes event. So both events suffered serious winds.

We've done 3 years on the trot, time for somewhere else. Well, Valencia in about 2 weeks for a start.

We also did Mallory 1000 bikes, we had to be towed on and only just got towed off when they went for a bigger tractor. Don't know how the van survived it.

No wonder we cross the channel looking, but not always finding, some good weather.
 
Dec 28, 2011
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Shows just how bad the weather is getting

No wonder we cross the channel looking, but not always finding, some good weather.

We were at the Australian Moto GP in 2010 and the weather was horrendous. You were only allowed into the car parks if you had 4 wheel drive and it was freezing. Luckily it brightened up on race day because they were only a gnats off cancelling.
 
Apr 27, 2008
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We have a set of windblockers. The good thing is they weigh next to nothing and can by up and down in a moment. They don't need folding, just shove in a carrier bag.

Elastic is a bit flimsy, we have replaced ours with something more substantial. If you thread a long length of shockcord through all the loops you only need 2 pegs apart from the awning legs.

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hilldweller

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If you thread a long length of shockcord through all the loops you only need 2 pegs apart from the awning legs.

And since shockcord is the detonator for explosives, one touch on the button and you are ready to move off. Great. Holiday goes with a bang.
 

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