Do people use awnings?

Jez

May 21, 2014
7
0
0
Visit site
Hi,we are new to caravaning.we have bought a bailey Pegasus 624 twin axle I wanted a large van so we need not bother with a awning but my wife insisted we got a porch awning. Do people use awnings/porch awnings? I feel they are going to be a pain to put up and awkward to dry once wet,how do you guys dry them? Look forward to hearing your comments.
 
Jul 9, 2013
196
0
0
Visit site
I don't usually use the awning for a short stay of a couple of nights, I seem to spend more time putting it up and down than using it. For longer stays I do use it - it's good to have somewhere to leave wet coats and shoes that isn't in the 'van, the bikes have somewhere to live under cover overnight and most importantly (for me), if you open the caravan door when it's chucking down with rain, the rain doesn't blow inside the 'van. Obviously it still blows in when you open the awning, but at least there's a buffer zone between the sparkling clean inside of the caravan, and the great but soggy outdoors.

I use Towsure's budget 240 awning, my last one survived 5 years before it failed, which I think for the price is fair enough. When it failed it was only a couple of points in the canvas which ripped, the poles and things are all fine and have gone in the spares bin, and there's enough left in good condition to make a generator shelter when I get round to it.

Our lad sometimes brings a friend with us in the caravan, and they're just reaching the age where they won't want to sleep in the 'van with us - when that happens I'll get one of the bedrooms that fits insde the awning, and make more use of it that way. Might have to upgrade to the 360 size then!
 

JTQ

May 7, 2005
3,280
1,110
20,935
Visit site
With a large caravan a full awning IMO becomes just too much hassle for week ends. However, we find our large porch Magnum is very useful and the hassle tolerable.
I tend to take it down late in the evening preceding our departure if things are dry, or even if only with a hint of damp as then I can drape it out in our house extension for a few hours to flash off.
If faced with it being sodden it gets bundled in sections into dustbin liners and into the boot, then hung in the garage at home.
The reality is that getting it down wet and sodden does not happen often in the scale of things.

We frequently after taking it down in an evening replace it with our sheet canopy, an Isabella "Shadow", so the door area is protected from rain and dew and forms a nice setting to take breakfasts should we wake to sunshine. If the Shadow is wet it is minimal hassle, it goes in a bin liner and then at home simply gets run in the awning rail to drape down and dry out.
We really do like our bit of canvas as a siting out and eating area.
 
Dec 2, 2009
125
0
0
Visit site
We take our dogs with us when we go away in the caravan. Having somewhere to towel them dry when they come back wet from a walk is a must for us. It's also useful to feed them in the awning when it's wet outside.

We use a cheap (£140) 390 porch awning. I can have it up & pegged out in just over 30 minutes, which I think isn't too bad. If it's wet when we pack up I stuff it in a large bin liner then hang it over a couple of ropes I have strung up in the double garage at home. I rearrange it a couple of times a day so that every part gets exposed to the air. It's never taken more than 3 days to dry out, & is normally dry in 2.

Jim
 
Feb 6, 2009
339
7
18,685
Visit site
Hi Jez,
Yes we use our awning (a full size version) all the time apart from a single overnight stay.
Some folks seem to make a big issue about putting up and taking down an awning, but its not difficult and its not time consuming... (if possible its best to do a "trial run" at putting it up and taking it down, at home in the garden, or friends garden, but a good tip is to make sure you are alone for this trial run.... no "helpers" or partner on hand, who may quickly tend to confuse the whole thing beyond redemption!

My existing awning is coming up for 18 years old now ( it was 10 years old when I got it!, but it was very clean and didn't look as though it had seen a great deal of use) and we use it now for all our times away, and it's invaluable, and in effect almost doubles the size of our caravan's usable space. It is a simple design and I can put it up solo in less than 40 minutes (and that includes pegging it out and tensioning so its all smart and dandy!) I'm a pensioner and not in the best of health so a younger fitter chap (especially a taller person!) should be able to do it in a lot less time.

Taking it down is a lot quicker, only about 10 minutes or so and its then straight in its bag (one bag for the awning and another for the poles, and then both are put straight into the car.

I always try and take it down and bag it in the dry, its not always possible of course, but sometimes I take it down the evening before our day of departure, if its a dry afternoon/evening, or the following day's weather forecast is not good.

If its wet, then its no big deal, but it needs taking out of its bag and thorough drying as soon as you get home.... Fortunately I have a garage so with the car on the drive I can tie a rope or two from side to side across the garage and spread the wet awning over to dry naturally.... one day plus the following overnight is usually sufficient to dry it during the summer, but it does take longer in the winter...

To sum up, yes an awning (either full size of a porch type) is a blessing and something we would not want to be without..... but, I do recommend you consider getting a simple one, so much easier to put up, do a dry run at home and mark with permanent marker which poles go where....and which poles join together and where.....(by the time the "permanent markers have worn off to become illegible you will have become accustomed to how to do it quickly and efficiently...) and finally the most important thing.... unless severely disabled make sure you do it all solo, until it becomes totally familiar then other folks/partners can join in and now it will happen even quicker!
Good luck
Regards
paws
 
Jun 24, 2005
704
1
18,885
Visit site
I agree with "Paws". We have a T/A with a full awning and always put it up if the stay is more than 1 night. It takes us about 30 minutes to put up which, in my opinion, isn't excessive for all the advantages it brings. As Paws said, have a practice first. If the poles are not sprung together, I use various coloursof insulating tape to mark which poles join up. Also mark the awning, where it fits into the awning rail, to show which end is fed in first.
 
Jun 20, 2008
250
0
0
Visit site
Hi it depends on how long the stay

For a weekend we use an Isabella Door canopy to keep the wind & rain off if the wheather turns.

For short breaks a magnum porch awning or for our main 2 week holiday the full awning.

Mind you I find it takes just as long putting up the porch as it does the main awning on our t/a

As for drying, if it rains when we leave site, we take the awning home rolled up. over the next day or so, spread it out indoors and dry panel by panel then refold & rebag it all ready for next time

cheers
John
 
Jun 20, 2005
17,263
3,486
50,935
Visit site
We have a ta Wyoming with two muddy springer spaniels. Our Izzy magnum. Is an essential piece of kit.
We have the full size 1090 Izzy Capri Lux. Hardly used it. 6 time's in years. Takes a lot of effort and two hours to erect and peg.
The Magnum is 30 mins.
The Capri is for sale.
 

Mel

Mar 17, 2007
5,338
1,280
25,935
Visit site
Porch awning: long weekend just me and him.
Full awning, week or more especially if take dog and/or grandchildren.
no awning; short weekend.

I like the space the full awning offers and the more often you put it up the easier it gets.
mel
 

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts