Attaching Awning Skirt

[irnbru]

Anyone have any tips or tricks to add an awning skirt to the van for occasional use that doesn’t involve putting a rail channel on the van?

Photos of how you did yours would be great thanks.

 

[Two on Tour]

I used "press studs" when I fitted an awning skirt to the PVC we had.

 

[Phill D]

I have fitted these and made a skirt from lightweight fabric.
This is just one clipped to show you.
The clips are placed along the bottom of the van. You do have to fill and fit a nut at the back.
The other end is just crimped to the fabric.

 

[Boldly]

Think you can get magnetic ones. No good if your van is plastic of course.
Dennis

 

[irnbru]

I have fitted these and made a skirt from lightweight fabric.
This is just one clipped to show you.
The clips are placed along the bottom of the van. You do have to fill and fit a nut at the back.
The other end is just crimped to the fabric.

That looks good Phill D but I was hoping to somehow not have to make holes in the van.

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[TCG]

That looks good Phill D but I was hoping to somehow not have to make holes in the van.

we have press studs. but if you didn't want holes in van you could use limpets

 

[Two on Tour]

I was hoping to somehow not have to make holes in the van.

White self-adhesive velco on the van side and sew on velco on the skirt side ?

 

[irnbru]

Think you can get magnetic ones. No good if your van is plastic of course.
Dennis

That’s the sort of thing I was thinking about. Maybe trying to somehow glue little pieces if metal periodically under the van edge. Attach magnets to the skirt and line up with the metal. Would this even work I wonder My aim is to make the awning area as fly free as possible.

we have press studs. but if you didn't want holes in van you could use limpets

Would these attach to the bottom ok? If so this might be the answer thx

 

[irnbru]

White self-adhesive velco on the van side and sew on velco on the skirt side ?

I did think of that but wonder how long the Velcro would stay attached and be useful going through puddles etc.

 

[TCG]

That’s the sort of thing I was thinking about. Maybe trying to somehow glue little pieces if metal periodically under the van edge. Attach magnets to the skirt and line up with the metal. Would this even work I wonder My aim is to make the awning area as fly free as possible.


Would these attach to the bottom ok? If so this might be the answer thx

our awning uses limpets to attach to MH. dont see any reason why you could not attach skirt using the same

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[Gellyneck]

Sandra, assuming you can access rear of the vans skirt could you just use spring clamps/clips (like big clothes pegs) to hold the material to the skirt?

 

[Gellyneck]

I did think of that but wonder how long the Velcro would stay attached and be useful going through puddles etc.

And would get boggin (Scottish technical term!) and difficult to clean.

 

[Sheddy]

We used these for our 8,5m skirt when we wintered in Spain, they were very effective but must be on a clean flat surface. They stayed in position for months. We bought ours at the Malvern show. Do not buy cheap imitations they do not stick for long.

 

[Phill D]

That looks good Phill D but I was hoping to somehow not have to make holes in the van.

I had guessed that may be the case . But thought it might be useful option

 

[Neilfg]

Perhaps use suction cups, only if you have a flat clean surface.

Not all auctions cups are the same, can recommend these so many fixings and sizes

High quality suction cups that work better for longer

I know others use these Dometic/Kampa fixings.
Amazon product ASIN B01N6XGDPS

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[TOAD on Tour]

Perhaps use suction cups, only if you have a flat clean surface.

Not all auctions cups are the same, can recommend these so many fixings and sizes

High quality suction cups that work better for longer

I know others use these Dometic/Kampa fixings.
Amazon product ASIN B01N6XGDPS

We use the Kampa Dometic suction clamp thingys! Find them rubbish for clamping the air awning to the side of the van as they easily detach in any type of wind etc. But find them fit for purpose for the awning skirt. We also use one of these for the wheel arch, takes seconds to attach to the wheel.

Jaid Designs – Caravan awning draught stoppa

 

[bertiebasset]

When we purchased our van it already had silver studs on the bottom. It came with mesh nets for the awning and a long pvc skirt. I have changed the silver studs for stainless steel ones as they were rusting. Never gave a thought about having them on the bottom and not sure why you would not wish to make holes.
As long as the skirt follows the van when sold I cannot see a problem.
Mine is a plastic bottom section so easily fitted.

 

[adt]

I use suction cups as well, just go round the area they are going to be placed with a wet rag after travelling and they stick perfectly.

 

[John Barrett]

I use these self adhesive pads. These hold my wifi aerial, and would be fine for a draft skirt. I can't remember where I got them from...

 

[DavidG58]

We bought the Thule suction fittings after a few other failed to do the job, you will need holes in the skirt but they work very well

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[pappajohn]

Best bet is suckers......wet and stick.
Lever ones are best, like satnag or screen mounted camera suckers

 

[Two on Tour]

I bought some of these off of Amazon last week and the bulldog clip part grabs like hell, so if you have flat surface they might be worth a punt.

Amazon product ASIN B06WRS71DQ

 

[DDJC]

That’s the sort of thing I was thinking about. Maybe trying to somehow glue little pieces if metal periodically under the van edge. Attach magnets to the skirt and line up with the metal. Would this even work I wonder My aim is to make the awning area as fly free as possible.

I did exactly that.

Bought 4m of white plastic C rail from a tent and marquee manufacturer in Grays Essex, T Spurgeon or something. Plastic C rail seems harder to find than metal, but it is out there.

You also need some white Sikaflex 292i which was more expensive than the C rail. A small piece of 1200-ish grit abrasive paper is needed.

Anyway, the line that I wanted to run a rail from isn't conveniently level. It is broken by panels, the wheel arch and the door.

So you have to measure and cut the right lengths. I needed four sections. They should not join exactly, because there has to be some flex room to run the Kedar cord on the skirt at different heights and levels, especially round the door, where you might have to go underneath the door like I have in the photo.

So once you have cut your separate pieces, you use the abrasive paper to roughen up the back of the C rail pieces. Then you have (sorry!) to carefully rub the bodywork of your bus in a thin straight line for the C rail to stick to. If you do it carefully, nothing will be visible, but Mrs DDJC watched me like a hawk to ensure I didn't damage anything.

Run a 3-4mm bead of Sikaflex on the back of the C Rail, then simply adhere to the bodywork. If you have done your bodywork roughening carefully, you won't need a spirit level or any other markings.

Looks wonky in the picture, but it isn't!

That is it. The Sikaflex dried and they are firmly stuck on. I have tried very hard to pull it off, and nothing, no movement at all. They have now been round Europe and are still as tight as they were when I put them on.

I finished off my draught skirt with a wheel arch cover from Brownhills. The bottom fits onto the draught skirt then sticks to van using limpets.

I confess that this isn't mine!! I haven't got any pictures of mine fitted, but honestly, it does look similar to this.


Takes two or three minutes to fit on, and less to slide off. We tuck the draught skirt under the floor and no bugs or unwanted visitors.

Mrs DDJC has also made up some fantastic mossie nets that are attached to the front C rail of an Omnistor wind out awning. Side panels clip onto the awning tarp using spring loaded grips. Works brilliantly and we had nearly no mossie bites in the Italian lakes, Veneto and Liguria this year. Fresh air, view and no sodding mosquitos!

 

[XxAnthxX]

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