Full awning - buyers' tips?

[Gilitygirl]

After a rather windy holiday with a small porch awning I'm contemplating buying a bigger/full awning for my little van for longer trips away.

There seems to be a bamboozling number of awnings on the market...just wondering if there is anything I should particularly look for.

I'd prefer one of those larger porch awnings but after my last hol, with wind billowing in from the sides (couldn't get it quite snug enough cos of the uneven ground)it was quite scary at times.

Any recommendations for a reasonably priced awning, relatively easy to put up by one person?

What should I look for in a full awning, for occasional (rather than permanent/year round)use?

Many thanks, in advance

 

[Dustydog]

Hi Beej

How much do you want to spend?

My

 

[Gilitygirl]

Hi Alan,

Not sure how much I want to spend yet - I'm prepared to spend "enough" - ie get an awning fit for purpose (and not a cheapo 'false economy' model) but I also don't want to spend a fortune as the awning will only be used for a couple of weeks a year rather than year-round.

The main criteria are easy to put up and reliable in the wind...

The lighter the better in relative terms - are lightweight poles as good as steel poles?