Thule Omnistor

[JanBn]

Ok after a fantastic response and helpful advice on what to lay on my awning floor and how best to heat it....which I may add will still be utilised ....we’ve had a bit of a dilemma regarding the decision to buy an Air awning of the size we required and my ability to put said awning up on my own or worse still take it down and pack it when wet and then try to dry it back home, that we have decided to go back to the original plan of getting a cassette awning that I can wind out and erect on my own...we are looking at the Thule Omnistor 6200 with one of their ‘rooms’ to convert it to a covered in space....question:
Does anyone own one or had any experience of the new type Omnistors? If so what would be your advice? Pleeeeeease

 

[otherclive]

Ok after a fantastic response and helpful advice on what to lay on my awning floor and how best to heat it....which I may add will still be utilised ....we’ve had a bit of a dilemma regarding the decision to buy an Air awning of the size we required and my ability to put said awning up on my own or worse still take it down and pack it when wet and then try to dry it back home, that we have decided to go back to the original plan of getting a cassette awning that I can wind out and erect on my own...we are looking at the Thule Omnistor 6200 with one of their ‘rooms’ to convert it to a covered in space....question:
Does anyone own one or had any experience of the new type Omnistors? If so what would be your advice? Pleeeeeease

Thats probably a good decision as even a poled porch awning can be a bit of handful in windy conditions. Air awning are becoming popular but one disadvantage compared to poled swings is they tend to be heavier, and you cant spilt the weight between the poles and the awning. So you the lose the flexibility of distributing the weight around the vehicle and/or caravan.

 

[outdoors]

Hi JanBn,
We had an Omnistor fixed to the roof of our 2008 Ausi spec Geist caravan, a very good piece of kit. Ideal for the summer months and so easy to use, though would advise peg down the feet at all times and possibly utilise a storm strap ( they are very light and do not like wind )
Happy caravanning.

 

[JanBn]

Ahh good to hear thank you...yes was looking at some heavy duty storm straps they had on the website as I was concerned if it was windy... if we have the panorama room fitted as well I suppose that would add extra weight when it’s pegged down as well? :huh: ...think this would definitely be the more sensible option given my circumstances over the air awning...just hadn’t been able to get an opinion from someone who actually had one

Hi JanBn,
We had an Omnistor fixed to the roof of our 2008 Ausi spec Geist caravan, a very good piece of kit. Ideal for the summer months and so easy to use, though would advise peg down the feet at all times and possibly utilise a storm strap ( they are very light and do not like wind )
Happy caravanning.

 

[JanBn]

Thank you for replying..... yes this is what I thought plus with it being on the roof I wouldn’t have the worry of finding
A. Somewhere big enough to store such a bulky item as an air awning
And
B. Having to heft the said bulky item in and out of the caravan if that is where we would put it to transport it :dry:
Thank you for your opinion as it helps to make a more informed choice

Ok after a fantastic response and helpful advice on what to lay on my awning floor and how best to heat it....which I may add will still be utilised ....we’ve had a bit of a dilemma regarding the decision to buy an Air awning of the size we required and my ability to put said awning up on my own or worse still take it down and pack it when wet and then try to dry it back home, that we have decided to go back to the original plan of getting a cassette awning that I can wind out and erect on my own...we are looking at the Thule Omnistor 6200 with one of their ‘rooms’ to convert it to a covered in space....question:
Does anyone own one or had any experience of the new type Omnistors? If so what would be your advice? Pleeeeeease

Thats probably a good decision as even a poled porch awning can be a bit of handful in windy conditions. Air awning are becoming popular but one disadvantage compared to poled swings is they tend to be heavier, and you cant spilt the weight between the poles and the awning. So you the lose the flexibility of distributing the weight around the vehicle and/or caravan.

 

[Buckman]

Ok after a fantastic response and helpful advice on what to lay on my awning floor and how best to heat it....which I may add will still be utilised ....we’ve had a bit of a dilemma regarding the decision to buy an Air awning of the size we required and my ability to put said awning up on my own or worse still take it down and pack it when wet and then try to dry it back home, that we have decided to go back to the original plan of getting a cassette awning that I can wind out and erect on my own...we are looking at the Thule Omnistor 6200 with one of their ‘rooms’ to convert it to a covered in space....question:
Does anyone own one or had any experience of the new type Omnistors? If so what would be your advice? Pleeeeeease

If you have a Buccaneer caravan be aware that if you have any issues were it is fitted, Elddis will reject any claims which is why we decided to stick with our isabella porch awning. Here si the extract from the email received from Elddis;
We can confirm that legislation states that the width of the van in total can not exceed 8ft 3", therefore any additional fitments that you chose to add to your van must be within these measurements.
However, unfortunately, we can only reiterate that as we have not used or tested the Thule Omnister 6200 or Thule Omnister 9200 we would be unable to comment or recommend either of these products or any alternative permanent side or roof mounted awnings.
If this is something that you do decide to go ahead and have fitted we must advise that this is at your discretion and that any additional fitments that are not standard to your van will invalidate the warranty in the area they are fitted to.
We are sorry we are unable to assist you further on this occasion and we assure you of our best intentions at all times.

 

[Harby]

We've got the Thule Omnistor 1200. It slides into the awning rail (ie not a permanent fixture, we can 'easily' remove it if required) though we haven't taken it off since we bought it last summer. Ours doesn't have a winding mechanism, we have to roll it out and back manually. So it's slightly different to the one you're talking about. But, we've got nothing but praise for it! Dead easy to set up - even manually we're into G&T territory within 10 minutes of starting. We've got the storm straps, which we always, always attach, and we always peg down the legs too. It held out in relatively strong winds (the start of Hurricane Brian) back in October in Normandy without the tent attached underneath. We also bought the Thule Quickfit awning tent as we thought it looked smarter than the boxier Easylink tent. We've only used the Quickfit a couple of times; it's relatively easy to put up and doesn't take too long. From our experience of all things Thule, they're really well made and very good quality. Enjoy!!!

 

[JanBn]

Thank you for your reply, G&T after 10 mins sound like a good enough reason to buy!! :lol:
The storm straps are already on my list of extras to pick up when we go and have it fitted next week and was glad to read you’ve had some experience in windy conditions as a couple of Fiamna owners had put me off a cassette awning for a while, with horror stories of the slightest wind pulling up the poles and impaling them through the roof of their van hmy: . We were also looking at the add on rooms and am thinking of the G3 Residence or the Panorama Room, but will wait and see how easy they are to erect, the company will let me ‘try before I buy’ :cheer:
Thank you again

We've got the Thule Omnistor 1200. It slides into the awning rail (ie not a permanent fixture, we can 'easily' remove it if required) though we haven't taken it off since we bought it last summer. Ours doesn't have a winding mechanism, we have to roll it out and back manually. So it's slightly different to the one you're talking about. But, we've got nothing but praise for it! Dead easy to set up - even manually we're into G&T territory within 10 minutes of starting. We've got the storm straps, which we always, always attach, and we always peg down the legs too. It held out in relatively strong winds (the start of Hurricane Brian) back in October in Normandy without the tent attached underneath. We also bought the Thule Quickfit awning tent as we thought it looked smarter than the boxier Easylink tent. We've only used the Quickfit a couple of times; it's relatively easy to put up and doesn't take too long. From our experience of all things Thule, they're really well made and very good quality. Enjoy!!!

 

[Buckman]

Thank you for your reply, G&T after 10 mins sound like a good enough reason to buy!! :lol:
The storm straps are already on my list of extras to pick up when we go and have it fitted next week and was glad to read you’ve had some experience in windy conditions as a couple of Fiamna owners had put me off a cassette awning for a while, with horror stories of the slightest wind pulling up the poles and impaling them through the roof of their van hmy: . We were also looking at the add on rooms and am thinking of the G3 Residence or the Panorama Room, but will wait and see how easy they are to erect, the company will let me ‘try before I buy’ :cheer:
Thank you again

JanBn what type of caravan do you have as it looks like a Buccaneer in the picture which is why I made the reference to the email received from Elddis?

 

[JanBn]

Hi Buckman
It’s actually ‘related’ it’s a Compass Camino 550, bought it from new end of last May and although we love it, we have had a number of problems with it....which is a shame and not what I expected. We bought new so that we didn’t have problems. The latest one I found out today when I tried to sterilise the water pipes ready to use this coming week and my pump isn’t working wondering if I have a ‘Friday’ afternoon caravan :dry:

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hi Buckman
It’s actually ‘related’ it’s a Compass Camino 550, bought it from new end of last May and although we love it, we have had a number of problems with it....which is a shame and not what I expected. We bought new so that we didn’t have problems. The latest one I found out today when I tried to sterilise the water pipes ready to use this coming week and my pump isn’t working wondering if I have a ‘Friday’ afternoon caravan :dry:

Sadly you are experiencing the reality of UK construction. The manufacturers simply do not engineer consistency into their products, which means you can have one caravan that is much better than the very next one of the production line. Friday caravan? - no - Any day caravan.

The reports we see suggest you are more likely to have a caravan with faults than a perfect one.

Virtually all caravans are sold through dealers, and that means you have no contract of sale with teh manufacturer so if anything is not as described, of becomes faulty then it is the sellers responsibility as laid down in the Consumer Rights Act 2015. This applies to every single thing you buy as an end user, from a tea spoon to a Rolls Royce, new or second hand. Googe the "Consumer Rights Act" for more informatoin

Its this disconnection between the Customer and The Manufacturer which allows the manufacturers to get away with such poor consistence, though I suppose you could say they are consistently poor!

On the basis that you didn't ask to buy a faulty product, then you should tell your seller about every single, even the most insignificant of failures you have and remind of their duty under the CRA.

 

[MichaelE]

Ok after a fantastic response and helpful advice on what to lay on my awning floor and how best to heat it....which I may add will still be utilised ....we’ve had a bit of a dilemma regarding the decision to buy an Air awning of the size we required and my ability to put said awning up on my own or worse still take it down and pack it when wet and then try to dry it back home, that we have decided to go back to the original plan of getting a cassette awning that I can wind out and erect on my own...we are looking at the Thule Omnistor 6200 with one of their ‘rooms’ to convert it to a covered in space....question:
Does anyone own one or had any experience of the new type Omnistors? If so what would be your advice? Pleeeeeease

If you have a Buccaneer caravan be aware that if you have any issues were it is fitted, Elddis will reject any claims which is why we decided to stick with our isabella porch awning. Here si the extract from the email received from Elddis;
We can confirm that legislation states that the width of the van in total can not exceed 8ft 3", therefore any additional fitments that you chose to add to your van must be within these measurements.
However, unfortunately, we can only reiterate that as we have not used or tested the Thule Omnister 6200 or Thule Omnister 9200 we would be unable to comment or recommend either of these products or any alternative permanent side or roof mounted awnings.
If this is something that you do decide to go ahead and have fitted we must advise that this is at your discretion and that any additional fitments that are not standard to your van will invalidate the warranty in the area they are fitted to.
We are sorry we are unable to assist you further on this occasion and we assure you of our best intentions at all times.

I think you will find that you would get the same response you will get from all the manufactures,A friend had a simliar response from Coachman saying they dont test any awning or canopies and its down to you if you fit them.

 

[JanBn]

Hi Michael
I think you are both right, the manufacturers don’t need much of an excuse to absolve themselves and I realise that it’s ultimately a choice we have to make, but given our circumstances and the difference it will make to our enjoyment of the caravan, I think I have to just accept this is the case
But on a positive note at least it means I won’t be battling for 1.5-2hrs with a wayward Event tent, that does not want to sit right or have its fiberglass rods inserted!! :lol: :lol: :lol: that has been both exhausting and frustrating :woohoo:

Ok after a fantastic response and helpful advice on what to lay on my awning floor and how best to heat it....which I may add will still be utilised ....we’ve had a bit of a dilemma regarding the decision to buy an Air awning of the size we required and my ability to put said awning up on my own or worse still take it down and pack it when wet and then try to dry it back home, that we have decided to go back to the original plan of getting a cassette awning that I can wind out and erect on my own...we are looking at the Thule Omnistor 6200 with one of their ‘rooms’ to convert it to a covered in space....question:
Does anyone own one or had any experience of the new type Omnistors? If so what would be your advice? Pleeeeeease

If you have a Buccaneer caravan be aware that if you have any issues were it is fitted, Elddis will reject any claims which is why we decided to stick with our isabella porch awning. Here si the extract from the email received from Elddis;
We can confirm that legislation states that the width of the van in total can not exceed 8ft 3", therefore any additional fitments that you chose to add to your van must be within these measurements.
However, unfortunately, we can only reiterate that as we have not used or tested the Thule Omnister 6200 or Thule Omnister 9200 we would be unable to comment or recommend either of these products or any alternative permanent side or roof mounted awnings.
If this is something that you do decide to go ahead and have fitted we must advise that this is at your discretion and that any additional fitments that are not standard to your van will invalidate the warranty in the area they are fitted to.
We are sorry we are unable to assist you further on this occasion and we assure you of our best intentions at all times.

I think you will find that you would get the same response you will get from all the manufactures,A friend had a simliar response from Coachman saying they dont test any awning or canopies and its down to you if you fit them.

 

[Buckman]

Hi Buckman
It’s actually ‘related’ it’s a Compass Camino 550, bought it from new end of last May and although we love it, we have had a number of problems with it....which is a shame and not what I expected. We bought new so that we didn’t have problems. The latest one I found out today when I tried to sterilise the water pipes ready to use this coming week and my pump isn’t working wondering if I have a ‘Friday’ afternoon caravan :dry:

Made by Elddis so I think the warning I gave about the Thule is applicable. Best is to contact Elddis customer service and ask the question. You will have problems with every new caravan so Elddis is not an exception. The pump is under warranty anyway, but being a Whale pump they are normally very reliable. Silly question, but are you sure that it is plugged in fully and that the 12v is on?

 

[Bob_5041432]

Hi JanBn,

If it helps, we have had a Omnistor 6200 for 2 years now. We have been so pleased with it that we have got rid of our full awning and use it exclusively instead. We have the Panorama panels but often just use the windout roof. We also have a side rain panel that takes very little time to fit and can be swapped from side to side. We used the awning for 4 months last year travelling through Scandanavia, Baltic States and Italy and for 2 months the year before in Italy.

I bought 2 foot pads from PeggyPeg which are easy to fit and better for pegging down the legs and I always use the storm straps if we are keeping it wound out overnight. It survived one of Venice's classic thunderstorms without a problem. If we are staying on a site for any length of time, I put the side support poles (that come with the Panorama panels) in even if we are not using the panels. This makes the whole structure rigid and strong. Together with the motor mover, it is one of the best accessories that we have ever bought.

Bob

 

[Whale]

Hi Jan,

I can see you have a couple of questions regarding your Whale products. Please contact our Customer Support Team who will be happy to advise you.

Tel: 08452172933
Email:info@whalepumps.com

Best wishes
Hayley

 

[JanBn]

hi bob
thank you so much for your reply, sorry for late reply as i am recovering from a double arm op and have been unable to type

but an up date on the Thule is that just before my op we took the plunge and had the 6200 fitted to our caravan and like you we bought the panorama room, which, although we have not been able to go away with yet I did put up whilst on my drive and found the whole set up process a doddle

Like you, after putting up the awning in windy conditions on my drive, my husband and I decided that the two side support poles were a great option to use each time, for as you said added strength

I will look for those 'Foot Pads" from Peggy Pegs you mentioned as they sound a good extra security.

thank you again as your reply gave me reassurance we made the right choice B)

Hi JanBn,

If it helps, we have had a Omnistor 6200 for 2 years now. We have been so pleased with it that we have got rid of our full awning and use it exclusively instead. We have the Panorama panels but often just use the windout roof. We also have a side rain panel that takes very little time to fit and can be swapped from side to side. We used the awning for 4 months last year travelling through Scandanavia, Baltic States and Italy and for 2 months the year before in Italy.

I bought 2 foot pads from PeggyPeg which are easy to fit and better for pegging down the legs and I always use the storm straps if we are keeping it wound out overnight. It survived one of Venice's classic thunderstorms without a problem. If we are staying on a site for any length of time, I put the side support poles (that come with the Panorama panels) in even if we are not using the panels. This makes the whole structure rigid and strong. Together with the motor mover, it is one of the best accessories that we have ever bought.

Bob

 

[Bob_5041432]

Hi JanBn,

No problem - sorry to hear about your operation and hope your recovery is not too painful. If you look at the PeggyPeg brochure/website, they also have some slides that go into the groves in the front and side rails which, when combined with their loops or crocodile clips, are great for either hanging washing up on coat hangers (when you go away for the period that we do, once in a while when we hit a site with a decent washing machine, we look like the proverbial chinese laundry [an expression only and no insult meant to Chinese laundries!]) or hanging towels up to provide a bit of shade when the sun is 'in your face'! I have no allegiance to Peggy Peg at all, this is just what we found during a 4 month tour through Europe last year. (Actually, it was my wife who spotted their potential at the NEC show last year).

Bob

 

[JanBn]

:lol: :lol: :lol: I’m sure no one will take offence, my Chinese friend actually found it hilarious :lol:
After your last post I went straight onto their website and as you mentioned found a whole host of other items that look very ingenious, the hanging slides being one of them and the storm strap anchors, being another B)

I noticed they sold a ‘starter’ bag with the foot anchors you mentioned and a variety of pegs and aluminium pegs along with a ‘tightening’ type tool. Do you think I will need a variety of pegs or did you find a certain peg was suitable for all types of ground, gravel, grass etc :dry:
Thanks for your help.

Hi JanBn,

No problem - sorry to hear about your operation and hope your recovery is not too painful. If you look at the PeggyPeg brochure/website, they also have some slides that go into the groves in the front and side rails which, when combined with their loops or crocodile clips, are great for either hanging washing up on coat hangers (when you go away for the period that we do, once in a while when we hit a site with a decent washing machine, we look like the proverbial chinese laundry [an expression only and no insult meant to Chinese laundries!]) or hanging towels up to provide a bit of shade when the sun is 'in your face'! I have no allegiance to Peggy Peg at all, this is just what we found during a 4 month tour through Europe last year. (Actually, it was my wife who spotted their potential at the NEC show last year).

Bob

 

[Anseo]

Hi Jan,

Unfortunately there is no single design of peg that suits all ground conditions.

Hard ground then these are good, 10" in length:
http://www.halfords.com/camping-leisure/camping/camping-accessories/halfords-groundhog-tent-pegs-8-pack-new

If you want shorter pegs ( 8" length ) then these are quite good:
http://www.halfords.com/camping-leisure/camping/camping-cooking-equipment/olpro-glow-in-the-dark-peg--x-20

For soft ground I have found these very good:
http://www.halfords.com/camping-leisure/camping/camping-accessories/halfords-steel-v-tent-pegs-10-pack-new

It is usually best to carry a selection of pegs.

I have to continue this in another post as I am getting a "too many links" message.

 

[Anseo]

continued

A problem with good ground anchors is putting them in and getting them out again.

A claw hammer (no rubber or wooden mallets) is versatile :
https://www.toolstation.com/shop/p42537?searchstr=claw%20hammer

For more driving power then a 2.5lb club hammer is good:
https://www.toolstation.com/shop/p29546?searchstr=club%20hammer

You can use the claw hammer to extract the pegs, but sometimes anchors in hard ground can prove to be difficult to remove, a short pry-bar makes life a lot easier:
https://www.toolstation.com/shop/p69096

If you are not very strong then a longer lever might be better (ugly but effective :huh: ):
https://www.toolstation.com/shop/p49625?table=no

You are now carrying a lot of ironmongery and of course the added weight.

Short of going to Titanium products (expensive) I do not know of lighter weight solutions.

 

[otherclive]

For most applications on hard standing or grass I’ve found the twisted rock pegs fine for the awning. However once in Pembroke we were on a pitch which was mainly sand. During the night’s high winds we spent most of it holding down the awning. Even with the storm straps the pegs lacked grip. So the next day we went out and bought 8 marquee pegs like those shown on the link below. But as Anseo says you end up with some heavy ironwork. So now it’s a mix of twisted rock pegs, grp pegs (grass) two storm straps and two marquee pegs. Any extra is provided by additional guy lines taken to grass and using grp pegs.
It’s one of the things that you get a feel for as you visit sites and experience different weather conditions. I just use a claw hammer for knocking pegs in and removal. Rubber mallets are not very useful.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B06W2MZKDY/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1520025283&sr=8-4&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=marquee pegs&dpPl=1&dpID=21Ye31df4wL&ref=plSrch

 

[Bob_5041432]

Hi JanBn,

A lot of good advice there from the others.

We use the large V-shaped pegs that come with the Thule tie-down straps, 4 ordinary standard metal pegs with a hocks on the end for each leg base and 6" or 8" nails with a cross piece at the top if we put the Panorama panels in. I tend to carry an assortment of pegs gathered over the years putting them in with a rubber hammer and, if necessary, pulling them out with a pair of pliers. Not very sophisticated I am afraid!

Bob

 

[JanBn]

Thank you Anseo, Otherclive and Bob,
I will look at the links you have supplied and I’m sure with all that advice my awning should be going nowhere :lol: :lol: ..... now all that’s needed is to change the Caravan and the car for a larger MTPLM :silly:

Ps. Checked out the links you all kindly sent, I will be ordering some of the items mentioned, including the long lever claw, though I think if I’m ever stopped by police I’ll be arrested for ‘going armed and equipped’!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Andysh]

Hi There,

I have just purchased a Thule omnistor 1200,tried it for the first time last week
but couldn't get the poles to tension that attach to the caravan
What height do you suggest for the main poles,any advice would be much appreciated
Kind Regards