Porch or canopy?

[nineteen4ever]

Hi all. Recently been away for a week, just the 2 of us, put the (full) awning up and by the end of 8 days we had only used it once to sit in and have breakfast as the weather wasn't brilliant. It seemed a lot of hassle to put up for only little use. Before now we have been away with friends and then it was great because we socialised in there rather than in the van (and the weather was better!).

I prefer to have something rather than nothing as it's handy to keep the chairs out of any inclement weather plus other things.

So... am now thinking of a porch awning or 'canopy', the kind that use the full awning rail, like an awning but lightweight and no 'large side' wall.

Any recommendations?

Or I could even buy a Gazebo, one of those quick erect ones.

Many thanks, Gary.

 

[ThePlotter]

Like yourself I got fed up with the hassle of a full awning I have a 'new Trio Mexico in the loft used for two night only.I have now for some time used a Eurovent canopy easy to put up in 10 mins on my own,light and comes out 8feet so good cover and removable clip on side and cost around

 

[GeorgeB]

Gary,

For my sins I have all three!!!! and use them thus;

Short weekend, 1 or 2 nights, Canopy

Long weekend, 3 or 4 nights, porch awning

1 week or more, full awning.

I always take the canopy as its so light,& its easy to errect plus I have the added advantage on the main holiday to use the canopy on the overnight stops on the way down to the south of France & on the way back, plus if the pitch is big enough to errect the canopy on the Offside of the van we have additional shade & it helps to keep the van cooler.

 

[AlanAberdeen]

I've got a porch awning ang d its handy for keeping the chairs and kids bikes in when we are away for a weekend.

But I've seen a few people using a canopy.

When you are travelling is the canopy stored inside the caravan or does it need to be stored on the awning rail?

Thanks

 

[GeorgeB]

Alan,

My canopy is the good old fashioned type that you take off & put on, doesn't take more than 5 mins to errect or take down.

4 metres long by 2.5 metres deep, 3 poles that split it two plus guy lines, whole kit & caboodle weighs about 5kg (12lbs) & lives in the back of the car

 

[ThePlotter]

Pretty much the same with mine I have it down to a fine art now.The poles are taped to show how much they need to be extended these laid on the ground mean I can put in the pegs even before putting on the canvas and as a result its a one man job.

 

[Mel]

We have just used our Techlite 1 porch awning for the first time. Even we managed to put it up in quick time. If you get the end stops you can leave it attached to the van rolled up in its bag when travelling. Only one pole so really easy. Big enough for 3 chairs and a table with room to spare.

Wouldn't recommend a gazebo unless very substantial. Tried that when we had a motorhome, moved about too much in just a stiff breeze. (Ended up taking it down at 2 am before it flew off. Husband of course fast asleep throughout)

melonie

 

[nineteen4ever]

Hi all, thanks for your replies. Still don't know what to get but another question...

Porch awnings, fixed pole type or bendy pole type (like dome tents), which is best?

Don't really want to spend a great deal,

 

[MikeJE]

A bendy pole tent stays reasonably still in wind so long as it is zipped up. Our bendy pole awning flapped violently in the wind until I zipped the side panel in on the windward side. Even so it still quivered like a jelly and, being worried about what might happen if we were off site and a breeze sprang up, I took it down.

 

[cooky1]

I think the awnings that use the bendy poles are much easier and quicker to put up than the fixed pole type. They are also easier to erect on your own, and are lighter to transport.

Graeme.

 

[Pat_374304630]

Hi,

We bought a Dorema magnum 260.Very light and easy to put up.Only 3 fibreglass poles.Cost

 

[thehoods]

We have just used our Techlite 1 porch awning for the first time. Even we managed to put it up in quick time. If you get the end stops you can leave it attached to the van rolled up in its bag when travelling. Only one pole so really easy. Big enough for 3 chairs and a table with room to spare.

Wouldn't recommend a gazebo unless very substantial. Tried that when we had a motorhome, moved about too much in just a stiff breeze. (Ended up taking it down at 2 am before it flew off. Husband of course fast asleep throughout)

melonie

Hi Mel.

We have also got the Techlite 1. Do you manage to roll it up ok with it left on the side of the caravan? My wife is vertically challenged and finds it difficult to reach up and hold it all in place while I fasten the holding straps. The last time we used it we took it off and rolled it up on the ground, it much easier and quicker to do.

Phil.

 

[Mel]

Hi Mel.

We have also got the Techlite 1. Do you manage to roll it up ok with it left on the side of the caravan? My wife is vertically challenged and finds it difficult to reach up and hold it all in place while I fasten the holding straps. The last time we used it we took it off and rolled it up on the ground, it much easier and quicker to do.

Phil.

No way. Also seriously vertically challenged and so rolling up on the van far too hard. Also have no intention of towing with it attached as it it so easy to get on and off the rail. Like you we rolled it up on the ground.

mel

 

[Dustydog]

Hi Gary

We find the same. We love the full Izzy but for shorter breaks our cheap Suncamp porch awning does the job. Takes me less than 15 minutes by myself and it actually looks good. Got it in a sale three years ago for

 

[Dorothy3]

Hi,

We bought a sunncamp 260 porch awning at the start of this season and its great, its been in snow storms and high winds[managed to fix storm strap] and apart from flapping a bit its been brilliant. We also have a bradcot porch awning which we have had for about 3 years and have had no end of bother with it. It takes twice as long to put up as the Sunncamp and had scatched the van on several occasions in very light winds, the seam where it fits to the awning rail has come away and had to be stitched. My son also has two Bradcot awnings a large one he puts up on his twin wheeler and on the one occasion he had it up it scatched his van and his porch awning has also come away at the seams so the cheapie Sunncamp at

 

[nineteen4ever]

Hi all, thanks for all of your replies.

I've been seriously thinking of getting the sunncamp 260, it looks good and your replies have been great.

Just been speaking to a lady on site who has one ( I work away and they stayed for a long weekend ) and she says they're brilliant!

Robin, thanks for the post, it could well be the one we choose!

By the way, at

 

[empee]

We've used a Vango fibreglass poled dome tent for a couple of years and have now just ordered our first 'van so being accustomed to some 'shake' and 'wobble' of fabric and fibreglass poles we'll definitely be going that route. (Sunncamp 390 tunnel) Not only for the ease and speed of putting it up but also the size and weight of the stowed package - have you ever noticed when you look at awnings at shows they never show the packaged awning alongside the erected one!

Martin

 

[Chaps]

Martin makes a very good point about the size of the packed awning. We can't afford a full awning yet having blown our budget on the caravan so we've got the Sunncamp 260 to tide us over. The bag is just like a large kit bag and is easy to move around when having a stopover. We've bought the sleeping annexe too in case the kids want to sleep outside at some point. Both of us can manage to put it up and take it down alone if necessary which is great.

We used it for a week in Anglesey and it stayed up in extremely high winds although it did flap against the side of the caravan a bit when it was really stormy. Almost took it down for this reason but bought some earplugs and managed to sleep ok after that!

We've added some eyelets to the skirt around the bottom though as our caravan is quite high and we couldn't get a good seal at the bottom with just the rubber ladder thingies. This has stopped it flapping and has made it very sturdy although it now takes a little longer to peg out.

Don't think it'll last for years and years but if it does us 2 or 3 seasons we'll be happy. Might not even bother with a full awning as we're finding the 260 perfectly adequate for now.

 

[Dustydog]

Gary

Try Swindon Caravans. They do great deals on the Suncamps or similar.

Cheers

Alan