When is an awning not an awning?

[andyelbac]

So a question from a complete newbie. Our motorhome is only a few weeks old (unlike ourselves!) and it's our first motorhome. We have yet to take her out for an overnight stay but we have one in the planning stage for September and have a question regarding awnings. We have a wind out sun canopy attached to the side of our motorhome. If I want to unwind it when pitching up, do I need to book an awning pitch or in this context do awnings refer specifically to the tent structures you can temporarily attach to your motorhome? Basically, am I going to get off to a bad start with the campsite owners if I book a non-awning pitch and then unwind our canopy (awning?).

 

[Miggs]

I only ever book an awning pitch if I intend to use my driveaway awning.
I use my wind out canopy without declaring it. Always have.

 

[TheAleMan]

Stick to your guns and refer to it as a sun canopy.

 

[Two on Tour]

I think that your question is best asked at the time you book your pitch as it is likely that each has a definition of what an awning is on their site.

 

[TerryL]

Booking an awning pitch more than likely means the pitch will have more room than the "standard" 6m separation many sites use, hence the higher cost. Whether or not I roll out the canopy depends very much on circumstances.

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[TheTwoOfUs]

C&MC don't charge more for an awning pitch.

 

[Spriddler]

I never need an awning pitch for my wind-out sun canopy as it doesn't require any more space on a camp site pitch than would a car and caravan.
The larger 'awning' pitches are needed for a car and caravan with a caravan type awning/annexe.

 

[MalcMc]

Always treated mine as a awning and book with, sites that say no awning pitch, can be touchy if sunscreen out, easy option book with

 

[Andacami]

I've only ever booked an awning pitch when wanting to use my inflatable awning/tent. Never booked an extra cost "awning" pitch if I'm only going to use the wind-out canopy.

I assume and appreciate that an awning pitch will be bigger to accommodate said "tent" and may sometimes attract a higher price. But I would not choose to pay more if I was not going to have the awning unless it was the "only" pitch available.

 

[Bailey 15]

Good question Would only book an awning pitch if using one that was not a permanent fixture to the van

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[Solwaybuggier]

C&MC don't charge more for an awning pitch.

Agree. But there are a few CMC sites where the “front row” of pitches are designated as non-awning. (Bunree, Garlieston & Old Hartley spring to mind.)

I’ve always assumed, possibly wrongly, that this was sometimes at least a planning issue - vans with awnings making presumably more of a visual impact than MHs & caravans without awnings in sensitive settings? Certainly at Garlieston the wardens have on occasions asked people to remove drying washing from the boundary fence on the waterfront. So it may be that you could be asked to take down a Fiamma/Omnistor awning on an non-awning pitch?

 

[IRHP]

We have a wind out canopy. We don't always use it but we never book an awning pitch. We have asked about it and been told its not an awning.

 

[Badknee]

Sun shade, not a awning for us.

 

[DavidG58]

Beware of some CAMC sites, they have non awning pitches , same price as full size , we booked one once as not intending using awning . We were allocated a tiny grass pitch on the road side , never again, always now book an awning pitch on CAMC sites even if not using it .

 

[PaulOH]

The replies are correct- googling said attachment brings up a mountain of things like caravan awnings - hugely popular in some areas of the continent and with people who want to book long term on campsites. It's basically extra room. If you have a canopy/shade, then it is that and can be retracted/extended as space allows - I believe it also is outside the definition of 'camping' too. An awning proper is a full room, set up with zips, that provides extra accommodation. and is well within the definition of camping. There is a grey area though, where half walls and flyscreens exist that could muddy the waters!

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[hja]

The best thing is to find out rules when booking. As far as I know cmc sites allow wind out awnings on non awning pitches, but yes they can be small or in corners. The plan available on the site webpage might help.

 

[andyelbac]

Excellent! Great advice from all. Many thanks

 

[LoopyLinda]

So a question from a complete newbie. Our motorhome is only a few weeks old (unlike ourselves!) and it's our first motorhome. We have yet to take her out for an overnight stay but we have one in the planning stage for September and have a question regarding awnings. We have a wind out sun canopy attached to the side of our motorhome. If I want to unwind it when pitching up, do I need to book an awning pitch or in this context do awnings refer specifically to the tent structures you can temporarily attach to your motorhome? Basically, am I going to get off to a bad start with the campsite owners if I book a non-awning pitch and then unwind our canopy (awning?).

We recently stayed on a CAMC site. I asked them the question as we had booked a non awning pitch. They said as long as we didn't attach any sides or have a mat down then it's not classed as an awning and would be fine.

 

[weebill]

We only have the sunshade out during the day so it’s definitely not an awning (weather permitting)

Bill

 

[frenchie 79]

So a question from a complete newbie. Our motorhome is only a few weeks old (unlike ourselves!) and it's our first motorhome. We have yet to take her out for an overnight stay but we have one in the planning stage for September and have a question regarding awnings. We have a wind out sun canopy attached to the side of our motorhome. If I want to unwind it when pitching up, do I need to book an awning pitch or in this context do awnings refer specifically to the tent structures you can temporarily attach to your motorhome? Basically, am I going to get off to a bad start with the campsite owners if I book a non-awning pitch and then unwind our canopy (awning?).

So a question from a complete newbie. Our motorhome is only a few weeks old (unlike ourselves!) and it's our first motorhome. We have yet to take her out for an overnight stay but we have one in the planning stage for September and have a question regarding awnings. We have a wind out sun canopy attached to the side of our motorhome. If I want to unwind it when pitching up, do I need to book an awning pitch or in this context do awnings refer specifically to the tent structures you can temporarily attach to your motorhome? Basically, am I going to get off to a bad start with the campsite owners if I book a non-awning pitch and then unwind our canopy (awning?).

Check if there is a difference in price.Normally it’s the same price so just opt for Awning then you’ve got the option to put one up or not.Also the pitch is bigger.

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[A S R]

I have always assumed that the non awning pitches on the Loch front at Bunree were so the views don’t get blocked for the rest of the campers on site.

 

[JohnH17]

Confused the hell out of me when we first got the mhome! Trouble is I know what an awning is ("sheet of canvas etc as shelter against sun or rain, esp on ship's deck") - and that's what I've got - a wind-out one. It doesn't seem to be a canopy ("covering over throne, bed, person; rooflike projection over niche etc"). I guess the trouble is what started as an awning, turned into an awning with sides as windbreaks, then turned into a standalone tent. Trouble is, we already use 'tent' for people who haven't got a mhome etc so that won't do - but can't the combined brains of mhome fun come up with a better name than standalone tent to avoid the confusion for newbies? Spriddler has a good one - 'annex' (supplementary building, esp. for extra accommodation)? ... right, had my morning whinge ... I'll shut up before they come and take me away ...

 

[Lofty1]

When it's Awfternoon

 

[Katie'n'Debbie]

I phoned the Camping and Caravan Club yesterday to book my 1st site as there were problems with the website, I asked them about my wind out sun shade/awning on my new van and was told it was classed as an awning and if I wanted to use it I had to book an awning pitch.

 

[gpat]

Excellent! Great advice from all. Many thanks

My advice would be to not worry about such things and just go out and enjoy

What's the worse that could happen

FTR though - We have a wind out awning, never booked a pitch for it

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[Brains]

I refer to it as a
"wind out canopy awning (not normally used)"
on my booking form

 

[AnnieB]

I phoned the Camping and Caravan Club yesterday to book my 1st site as there were problems with the website, I asked them about my wind out sun shade/awning on my new van and was told it was classed as an awning and if I wanted to use it I had to book an awning pitch.

Different approach to that taken by the Caravan and Motorhome Club. They different between an awning and a canopy (wind out). You can wind out a canopy on a non-awning pitch as lone as there is space to do so and you don’t break their fire regs, but they do ask you to wind it in at night which we always do anyway.

 

[Verteuil Man]

I think it depends on the site how the spacing rules are interpreted. I have been on a small private site where the owner concluded that the sun canopy was not an awning. Historically this goes back to a question asked by CC (as they were then) of the Fire Brigade for advice on spacings after there had been a fire in a motorhome (caused they say by the owners daughter putting a hot cooking burner into a cupboard). Once the question was asked, despite the answer, that answer would become national guidance. This meant the alternative pitches on old Club sites had to be turned into no awning pitches. Below is the guidance that CAMC Cheshire Centre issue toall their Rally Officers on spacings.