Hi,
Now I've got a little boy, space is a bit of an issue so we want an awning to shove everything in and maybe for me to sleep in (6ft3)
I've never bothered with one before as it felt like camping and kind of defeated the whole point of the campervans quick set up.
I don't want to spend a fortune on one as its just an addition to the van. It needs to be tall for me to stand up in and it needs to be quick and easy to put up. It needs to pack down fairly compactly so it doesn't get in the way when we are traveling.
And if anyone has one that fits the bill they want to sell I am based in West Yorkshire.
Thanks
Following with interest.
Unlike usual STW tradition I WONT recommend what I've got. I've got an Outwell California. I wanted a large tent style awning for long trips were we were basing ourselves at one location for at least a few days at a time. As a tent its very good and the usual Outwell quality, but the drive away awning bit is massively flawed. The biggest problem is the angle the porch section of the awning, which I attach to the van roll out awning via one of those slots, which pools water if it rains and there is no easy way to raise the middle part of the porch to enable water to run off. If I know it is going to rain I usually detach it from the van and peg it out tight to the ground to prevent pooling.
So i'm sure there are better solutions out there. I'm going to suffer the California a bit longer as I've got it now and as long as it doesn't rain it's fine, but if I knew what I know now I would get something different.
I'll share my experience of the Kyhamm Motordome sleeper..
It's a good spacious awning, easy enough to put up/fold down. Reasonably compact.
It's an external pole type thing not air but I really can't see how air would be much quicker to put up or take down.
We're a family of 5 and the kids sleep in the awning and we sleep in the van. Works well for us
Very happy with it for the price we paid, bought second hand, and if I can sell the van then the awning will be for sale.
I can put some photos up later.
Friend Has an Outdoor Revolution Cayman I was very impressed by. Worth a look
When we had our T5 we used a Kayham Motordome. Took about 5 min to erect, maybe another 10 min of pegging extra guys in if it was windy.
I've had a folding spider leg style one before (can't remember the make but like a Kyham motordome thing) it was good but didn't have any bedrooms. You can buy pop up inner tents which would have been ideal when I had it but it got sold a long time ago. It was quick to pitch and solid when guyed out mind.
We have a just kampers 8 berth one now for when we are somewhere for 3+ days. Its a massive, 5 pole tunnel style with 4 bedrooms (so kids have their own and a store room) takes about 20 mins to pitch, and is solid when guyed out and left on its own. I got it on gumtree, it was used once so in mint nick for £100
When we are just travelling about we stick the kids in a little 3 man tent I've had for about 15 years so owes me nothing. I pitch so the door is under the Fiamma awning which works really well for us as its so easy/quick to put up and put down and by parking in the right direction of the wind keeps the rain out of the tent. Good but you don't get the privacy/storage/bedrooms of the big one.
I have a Kyham motor dome too. Quick erect spider legs type. It's been stored in the loft for a couple of years now unused, so would be for sale...if your still interested let me know.
Obviously I would need to erect it first to check it over, but it was good when last put away.
Would be happy to do that, once this mega wind / snow dies down.
Regards.
a Vaude came with our T4.
Horrible thing. Pain in the arse to erect and weighed a ton. Got rid ASAP.
Instead we use a large Quechua pop up tent. Much more versatile. v easy to put up and down (5mins)
Like this (not mine), and unfortunately they dont make this model anymore, but they have others.
Dave 3 FC message sent
What about a canopy thing that has sides to make it a 'tent'? That should allow you to stand and should be quickish to setup...unwind canopy and put legs out, attach sides and you are sorted.
No idea if such a thing exists but it must do...
We had an outwell Daytona. Never seemed to be able to get it up and looking right. The canvas just didn’t seem to fit the frame very well, you always had gaps somewhere. Plus a right faff to put up, defeats the object of having a van as you say. Would not recommend. And it was not cheap. Don’t bother with it now, we thought we would need it but we don’t, even for long trips, but then there are only 2 of us. Used 1 season been in the garage ever since and when I get round to it is going on eBay.
My van has a side awning on the van that winds out and you drop the feet. You can also buy sides for it (which are really expensive) but you can't drive away from it and leave all your crap set up which is what I'm after.
We use a Decathlon Quechua pop up shelter. Like the one in the picture above. Bloody brilliant, and really does take seconds to put. If we are camping for a week then we take a tent as well.
In my mind one of the massive benefits of a camper van is convenience therefore speed of butting up a awning is key. .