Awning Skirts 'In' or 'Out' ?

[JohnnyV]

Hi all - after some more advice........

Should the waterproof skirt on the bottom of the awning fold inwards, or outwards ?

I have seen pictures from Dealers and Manufacturers showing both & have also seen both on site - my mind says logically outward runs off water better, but inward looks neater and would also mean the groundsheet would sit on top.

Is this just a matter of personal preference or are there sound reasons for either option.

Thanks in advance

Jon

 

[RogerP]

Hi Jon

the water run off shouldn't be an issue as majority of the skirt would be inside the awaning and therefore protected from rain etc.

I always turn it inwards and lay the ground sheet over the bottom edge. Only reason for this is I think it gives better protection when its windy.

No science just my logic.

 

[ThePlotter]

Usually the ways the peg rubbers are give you no choice,inside does look neater but in wind the wind blows the awning up like a balloon whereas with the skirt out the wind presses it down forming a seal..We have sewn a skirt on the inside so that we have both,so best of both worlds

 

[Reg]

Has anyone any clever ideas to stop the skirt drooping as it goes across the wheel arch.

Also how do you fill the gap at the top of the arch?

 

[Damian]

Use the Forum Search (in the blue box at the top of the page)

type in awning skirt in Subject, select posts In The Last 6 Months and select Equipment and Accessories and you may be pleasantly surprised.

 

[BillD.]

I think I have replied to this one myself in the past.

I had a wheel arch cover with my awning kit.

It slides on to beading on top of the skirt. Unfortunately there were no fastenings on the van itself. As it was a new van and not wanting to drill through the van walls I drilled just through the plastic wheel arch cover and fixed some press studs.

Does not look as elegant as the 'proper job' but serves the purpose.

Bill Dawes

 

[TD42]

Has anyone any clever ideas to stop the skirt drooping as it goes across the wheel arch.

Also how do you fill the gap at the top of the arch?

what you need is a wheel arch cover,available from most caravan dealers.It consists of a square of plastic material same as the draft skirt,this covers the gap above the skirt,a length of fig.eight plastic beading that slides onto the bead of the skirt & a couple of sucker hooks that sick to the side of the van & hold's the thing in place

 

[colin-yorkshire]

hi jonathan

wether the skirt goes inside or out is decided by the awning manufacturer, look at the btm of the awning where the skirt attaches to it, if the rubbers are on the inside of the joint the skirt goes outside but if the rubbers are on the outside the skirt goes inside, you dont have a choice once the awning has been bought. my preference is for inside as the groundsheet goes over the skirt and stops the little dog from escaping under the skirt.

reg

I use a piece of thin plywood shaped to go inside the wheel arch and in front of the wheel with a short lenght of awning rail fixed to it in the middle.

colin

 

[JohnnyV]

Colin,

Your point makes perfect sense - however my only experience was with my daughters awning last year and this had the option to go either way - actually as a complete beginner (with no instructions) I fitted them on the outside - to be told by someone else that I should have fitted them on the inside ???

Actually it was very windy in N wales and we ended up with rubbers on both sides (but with the Skirt out) - funnily enough our Border Collie did make one excursion under the flap - I had decided that I would see if I could do as you suggest with the groundsheet on top of the skirt.

I have just bought an awning so will need to unwrap it and see where the rubbers are !!!

As we now have Two Border Collies I am hoping that I can tuck the skirts under ! Thanks for the advice.

Jon