Awning Wheel covers.

[TerryIvybridge]

Hi all, ok, have a question about how to hang 'em? the wheel cover skirt that is.
When I put up either the main awning or even the porch one, I like to hang a wheel cover to help stop drafts, but also to put shoes etc in. ( I made a multi pocket one). So how do you guys hang it onto to the 'van? Velcro, Studs, or have you devised a different method? I've tried the first two, rather unsuccessfully. now thinking about a short length of awning rail screwed and sealed to above wheel and use a piece of modified skirt. any thoughts folks. Thanks.

 

[WatsonJohnG]

If you have a Bailey you can use the built in channel on the wheel arches like this
Bailey sell covers for £50+ each or you can make some like these by gluing the awning skirt to some piping

 

[ronmoggy]

i use a tape like velcro but a lot better.instead of hooks and eyes it has studs like mushrooms which lock together.you buy it in one metre lenths which costs £8.99.it is so strong it will hold fire extinquishers.it sticks to the awning skirt no problems.i use it to hold my wheel cover and under the skirt channel to hold the skirt tight.i use it for an extra awning light.i use it for a spirit level on the a frame cover.when i part exchanged my van in oct i jusi heated the tape with a hair dryer and just pulled it off,adesive as well.it had been on for 18 months and was a 2008 conqueror.you get the tape online from bonding solutions.

 

[forestgump]

i used clear suckers like the christmas window decos but i have made a solid one out of plastic the same as the adria one they charge £100 it fits the same even got the spray colour right.

 

[forestgump]

are you using the figure8 to the draft skirt,

 

[TerryIvybridge]

Thanks for your reply Ron. I have ordered a length tonight and look forward to trying it out. The marine one is clear in colour and shouldn't detract from the 'vans appearence at all.

 

[TerryIvybridge]

are you using the figure8 to the draft skirt,

Yes. does that last little tidy up to the awning.

 

[Mikey_74]

Could someone please post a picture of an awning draft skirt fitted in a figure of 8 please. Our van is a twin axle and I can't work out how to fit one and make it look tidy, surely it must look better than how I fit them??

 

[WatsonJohnG]

I've already posted it above
The figure 8 just joins the main skirt to the small piece that covers the wheel arch

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/CARAVAN-AWNING-SKIRT-FIGURE-8-CHANNEL-/120580423084?pt=UK_Campervan_Caravan_Accessories

 

[ronmoggy]

Thanks for your reply Ron. I have ordered a length tonight and look forward to trying it out. The marine one is clear in colour and shouldn't detract from the 'vans appearence at all.

i just used the normal one which is white.it did show on the silver sided conqueror but it had other white bits on so didnt look too bad.the new challenger is white so it blends in nicely.i usually clean the areas t ihat i am going to use the tape on with nail polish remover.if this worries you try it on an area out of site.i have never had any problems inside or out.let me know what you think of the tape once you have tried it.my caravan skirt and wheel cover are nice and tight when fitted.

 

[OmOnWeelz]

We've tried various suckers and velcro and flapped the arch cover over the tyres. Our wheel arch surrounds are held on by screws undeneath little plastic covers. I removed the screws and then screwed in long 'lift-a-dot" post / studs that are used for fixing sports car hoods. They screw in to the same holes so the caravan side is not being drilled and they hold the wheel arch on the same as original screws or rivets and the head protrudes a little and takes the lift-a-dot plate that is fitted to the cover. If you fit the plate the right way the cover will stay fixed for years if needed, they pop off in under a second when you pull in the correct direction. As they are designed for car and boat industry ther are also not affected by the weather! PERFECTION

"Lift a Dot" posts come with self tapping screws or threaded end with nuts and they come in different legths, If the head of the wheel arch surround screws is in a shallow recess the lift a dot plate will fit to a longer length 'lift a dot' post

 

[DerekBrad]

That sounds to be pretty good. Where can I buy "lift a dot" fixings?
Regards
Derek

 

[OmOnWeelz]

Do remember that the lift a dot plate on the cover pops over the studs head so it has to clear wheel arch surround slightly. As the edgs on ours sits back from the side or the arch we have no problem with snagging on the stud.
You need a the double height lift a dot stud in most cases if the fixing recess is not to deep and then you need to find either a threaded or self tapper of a length that suits. Not all suppliers stock all the lengths available.
http://www.bresco.com/acatalog/Durable_Dot_and_Lift_TheDdot_Studs-_and_Tenax_Fasteners.html
On our van the style and size Ref: 853P did the job you then need the dot soccket plate and the clynch backing plated
Ref: 608-708AP from the link above.
If you BING or Google 'Lift a Dot' you'll find plenty of suppliers including Ebay shop.
When you fit the 'lift a dot' plate to the cover the plate will only pull off the stud from the side where you put the dot, ie - if you fit the plate with the dot towards that caravan roof the cover can't come loos if the wind blows under the van but yu can just pull the side with the dot downwards and its off with little effort.
To fit the plate make a small hole in the fabric the size of the hole in the clynch plate and use a sharp craft knife and make the smallest of slits for the tabs on the main 'lift a dot' to go through. Push the 4 tabs through the hole from the outside and then fit the clynch plate over the tabs at the rear of the cover and tap them flat

There are cutting tools available but they are quite expensive and a craft knife will do fine for just a few fittings.
Lift a dot's do come with a longer prong / tab for multiple layers of fabric on car hood edges, regular size is fine.

http://www.kayospruce.com/index.asp?selection=category&catref=Fixings and Fasteners&InBox=Lift the Dot&cct=3&TypeSearch=
this company sells single parts.

 

[forestgump]

honest go to pound land and get some crimbo decoationssuckers for windows they are clear with little hocks the worked forme for years .

 

[OmOnWeelz]

I've always heavily waxed our caravans and have never yet found a sucker that stays on the side including the ones with a lever action. The "lift a dot" can also be used for stretching out the skirt and fixing it at either end so that it doesn't move.Using fabric to fabric option it can seal the skirt to the awning or secure straps and awning sides if you fold the top half of walls down on a hot day

 

[DerekBrad]

Hello "OmOnWeelz"....I have wanted to be able to fit a wheel cover when pitched, but didn't fancy glueing velcro to the van. That seems to be a useful reply and would seem to fit the bill. I would require a fixing like yours which seems to be fairly robust. I must inspect the wheel arch covers on my van (in storage) and weigh up the requirements. Did you cut the cover to the outline of the wheel arch and then fix it all the way round, or just at each side? Thanks for the info anyway
Regards
Derek

 

[OmOnWeelz]

Hi Derek
Velcro has draw backs, it looks messy as it collects dirt and in hot weather the glue slowly releases and slides

and as before I've never found suckers that stay in place on our van.
I used 6 'lift a dot' self tapper studs in place the upper fixing points of the double wheel arch surround and shaped the cover to match the surround itself. Under the ends of the skirt rail I have a stud that stops the main langth of skirt from slipping inwards. A friend Tig'd a longer thread to the studs for his van as the original screw fixings were quite long.
We have an added K9 factor

our dogs see the skirt and awning sides as an escape challenge. Apart from keeping the skirt and wheel cover firmly fixed a few lift a dot's also seal the awning area from routes out for our 3 Houndini Escapologists. Once we had 1 dog leash at full stretch out between the skirt and wheel and 1 with leash wrapped around the rear steady where she'd got between the end of the skirt that had slipped inwards and the awning sides.
Chris

 

[DerekBrad]

Thanks for the further info, I just need to check my van now, will *** up tomorrow. Thanks again.
Regards
Derek

 

[WatsonJohnG]

Another way of doing it is to make a plasic or painted wood shape to fit inside the wheel arch with a length of awning channel fixed to it in line with the van lower skirt rail

 

[Heethers]

l have just bought the rubber suckers with hooks on, are you saying if your caravan is well waxed like mine is they don't stay up, whoops bad investment, will have to give it ago at Christmas week.
NigelH

 

[WatsonJohnG]

I use plastic stick on suckers and they are OK
You could always just wipe the area with Meths just before applying the sucker

 

[OmOnWeelz]

With my system I have something that is permanent and is made to last for years and it cost peanuts. It doesn't fail like suckers can and strong wind from under the caravan or our dogs can't dislodge the cover and it looks very neat.
Suckers do come off and you have to make sure you don't lose them or leave them on the ground, I've now also done away with the 8 section between the skirt and the arch cover and had them sewed together, the one piece skirt and cover is now even easier to fit in one piece and looks far neater than with the 8 section.
We now have one part, where we originaly had a 4 part skirt and would also need hooks, bottle of meths and it would still look messy and still end up coming off at some point.
Do the job well cheap neatly and once only and carry one piece and when fitted it can never just come adrift, against carrying betwen 5 and 8 parts with some that you can mislay

About an hour once to fit 'lift a dots' to caravan and cover against flapping about with all the bits every time you arrive and leave a site.
I think I know what works best

and what is quicker and far less hassle

Chris

 

[WatsonJohnG]

If I read you right you are advocating several self tapping screws in the van side

 

[DerekBrad]

Now boys, don't fall out! As I understand it, the wheel cover is fixed using the existing screw holes for the wheel arch cover and no further holes are required.
Which are better? Suckers or Lift the Dots?? There's only one way to find out!! FIGHT! (With apologies to Harry Hill)
Regards to all
Derek

 

[OmOnWeelz]

If I read you right you are advocating several self tapping screws in the van side

You seemed to have missed one of the main points dear Watson, you should have taken more attention of your side kick Holmes for the correct clues

If you'd bothered to read the posts JG you would have seen that I removed the manufacturers original small screws and replaced them with the 'lift a dot' stud that holds the arch cover and the wheel arch suround. I don't think that I or anyone else needs any extra holes in the caravan side and the studs wouldn't work going through thin alluminium into foam if you missed the framework. The fixing points on our van go into wood. But you can screw the studs in to some rivets and they also come with a threaded end for other alternatives.
Chris