Bag awnings

[mjt]

I have just purchased a Royal Windsor 390 'lightweight' awning (the sort that rolls up into a bag and is carried on the side of the van). I have not used it yet but have practiced on the driveway on tarmac. I have two problems. (1) the roll on the side of the van seems enormous. Has anybody any experience of towing with one attached? Does it flap? (2)It seems impossible to get the inner edge close enough to the van. The supplier says that when I can peg it out properly it will be alright - I have my doubts. Any ideas?

Thanks, I look forward to any comments.

 

[RayS]

Don't know this particular awning but have used a caravanstore for some years. When rolled up, it can hit the side of the van in high winds. I put a pad of foam rubber right up against the bottom of the bag in the middle - attached to the van side with double sided sticky pads. The pad is about 8" x 4" but not critical. The caravanstore has a zipped bag so has to go down to the same size each time. I guess it does flap when towing but I can't see it and so far - 5 years - it has come to no harm.

Not sure quite what you are calling the "inner edge" the caravanstore fits into the awning rail, so the inner edge is by definition against the side of the 'van.

I use an awning tie down strap as well (see current postings about these) and it has survived very stong winds on UK and Spanish sites with no problems.

Hope this helps, but keep posting if you need more gen.

 

[RayS]

Hi mjt, some of my earlier posting is not going to help you much, now that i havee googled your awning. Advice about padding under bag still holds but I don't see how you can use a tie down strap on your type of awning.

Looking it at, and at a couple on the site I'm currently on in Spain I would be inclined to make some more guy ropes and double up all round, using long pegs and some shock absorbing rubbers in the lines.

Hopefully others with direct experience of these awnings will post their experiences, and i hope I'm being unduly pessemistic but this does not look too good in stong winds to me.

 

[mjt]

Hi mjt, some of my earlier posting is not going to help you much, now that i havee googled your awning. Advice about padding under bag still holds but I don't see how you can use a tie down strap on your type of awning.

Looking it at, and at a couple on the site I'm currently on in Spain I would be inclined to make some more guy ropes and double up all round, using long pegs and some shock absorbing rubbers in the lines.

Hopefully others with direct experience of these awnings will post their experiences, and i hope I'm being unduly pessemistic but this does not look too good in stong winds to me.

Thanks for this Ray S. To clarify the 'inner edge' I am referring to the vertical drop where the awning meets the van when it is erected. I have about a foot gap at the bottom between the awning and the van. Putting more curvature on the poles has the effect of raising the end wall off the ground too much. It almost seems that the poles are too long. So far as strong winds are concerned it is well endowed with guys including a webbing strap at each end. Also it has 2 poles running the length of it inside. One worrying point though is that there isn't a pole or padding on the vertical where the awning (should!) meet the van. This could be a problem.

 

[dixie1]

Hi mjt... In response to your questions re the bag awnings, ours wasnt a royal windsor but was of a similar design. We towed with no problems with the bag attached, it was only when we came to put the thing up,we encountered the problems. It totally refused to lie close to the side of the van no matter how much we tried to shape the poles. A slight bit of wind and the straps that were used to secure it when rolled up flapped all night on the roof of the caravan, and rolling it back up was hard work you needed 2 people to roll it up tightly together in order for it go back into the bag,and zip it up. otherwise you ended up with the big bulge in the middle and unable to secure it for travelling. after a few choice words and two unsuccessful holidays with it we left it in a skip in wales . Sorry to put the dampner on it yours may be better.!!

 

[mjt]

Hi mjt... In response to your questions re the bag awnings, ours wasnt a royal windsor but was of a similar design. We towed with no problems with the bag attached, it was only when we came to put the thing up,we encountered the problems. It totally refused to lie close to the side of the van no matter how much we tried to shape the poles. A slight bit of wind and the straps that were used to secure it when rolled up flapped all night on the roof of the caravan, and rolling it back up was hard work you needed 2 people to roll it up tightly together in order for it go back into the bag,and zip it up. otherwise you ended up with the big bulge in the middle and unable to secure it for travelling. after a few choice words and two unsuccessful holidays with it we left it in a skip in wales . Sorry to put the dampner on it yours may be better.!!

Thanks Carmen. I have a feelig mine may suffer the same fate!

 

[Annabel_374360105]

Hi mjt... In response to your questions re the bag awnings, ours wasnt a royal windsor but was of a similar design. We towed with no problems with the bag attached, it was only when we came to put the thing up,we encountered the problems. It totally refused to lie close to the side of the van no matter how much we tried to shape the poles. A slight bit of wind and the straps that were used to secure it when rolled up flapped all night on the roof of the caravan, and rolling it back up was hard work you needed 2 people to roll it up tightly together in order for it go back into the bag,and zip it up. otherwise you ended up with the big bulge in the middle and unable to secure it for travelling. after a few choice words and two unsuccessful holidays with it we left it in a skip in wales . Sorry to put the dampner on it yours may be better.!!

Hi, we have an awning similar to yours and yes, we have travelled with it without any problems - but I must admit we did do the long part of the journey with it under the bed and then put it on the van when we got there (that way it stayed dry). We only travelled between sites with it on the van and then took it off to travel home again. We also had a few problems with getting the inner edge close to the van - one end is perfect the other has a small gap, which I think is just because of the way the land might not be completely level, but it's never been a big problem.

Like Carmen says our main problem was rolling it tight enough to get it back into the bag - I had to buy a step as I'm not exactly 7' tall. But again it's just as easy to take it off and roll it up on the floor if its dry and then it stays dry and you don't have to do it when you get home.

Apart from that it's a great awning for extra space and is really easy to put up.

Hope this helps.