We have an awning, but it takes up a load of room in the van in two bags and is awkward to put up and take down.

We (family of three) use it for expanding the amount of room we have in the van, storing kit in (in plastic boxes), sheltering from the elements and keeping the portapotty in for night time passing of water, so it needs to fit flush with the van. Cooking and sleeping is all done in the van.

I really liked the look of the Decathlon Base Seconds but it seems they stopped making them a few years back, and the newer Base XL isn’t anywhere as near as good according to reviews.

What would the STW campervan-owning collective recommend?

We have a drive away awning and the experience is similar to yours. Only put it up once, can’t be bothered again, bit of a waste really. It just adds faff, the minimal faff of the campervan is one of the major wins for me. I also really like the feeling of being able to swing open the door and be outside, rather than opening the door and being in a tent.

A pop up tent to store stuff in could be a good option, our solution to that is just to take less stuff!

Not sure what you are asking? Do you want recommendations for awnings, or alternatives? You already have one but don’t like carrying it or putting it up. How do you think any other awning would differ?

We have a driveaway.  It’s handy for additional seating, storage, booking your pitch when at a site, drying stuff etc.Too much faff if you’re not away for a few nights though.

Vango Kela fwiw

For us the van is about flexibility and low faff. If we are only staying one night then we have a coleman awning which is basically just a roof. Keeps the rain out when the door is open and gives some sheltered sitting and cooking space as the van is very small. Only takes 30 seconds or so to put up. If we are staying for a few nights then I’ll put the tent up. Loads more room. Space to walk around, which is lacking in our small van. And, of course, you can just drive away if going out for the day.

depends what you use your van for.

rare that we park up more than 1 night – its even rare i put the wind out awning out.

can see the benefit of a drive away if you go to a site and pitch up for a week or s but i bought a camper so i could move around more without the job of pitching a tent everywhere i went.

We have a Khyam Motordome Sleeper*.

It’s a doddle to put up and provides plenty of extra room for lounging about, sleeping and storage. It is used for any camp longer than 2 nights.

For 1 or 2 nights in good weather we just use a simple sun canopy to provide a bit of shelter.

*Just had a look on-line and Khyam prices seem to have rocketed since we bought the Sleeper about 5 years ago.

Vango air beam drive away thing here. Only use it if we are staying a few nights in one spot otherwise just use Khyam sun screen thing.

Do you have a roll out Fiamma/Omnistor/ARB style awning? Many of those now have ‘room’ options which allow you to quickly velco/zip sides and front on to. Gives you an attached space but clearly you have to pack all the kit into the van anytime you go anywhere.

As said above it depends on how you use the van.

We have one we use if staying at the same place for more than 3 nights. Really useful. Though we’ve got an Outwell California and I wouldn’t recommend that one. We looked at the roll out room things but decided they defeated the object really. The whole point of a drive away awning is you can drive away and leave stuff behind. So if away for a few days we just travel light, stay in the van and use the roll out awning. But if planting ourselves somewhere for longer we take more stuff and the drive away awning.

Vango Airbeam here – can be pitched in about 10 minutes by one person and bomb-proof in heavy weather. Stowing / drying is more of a problem to tend to only use it for 2 nights+. Whoever designs the stowage bags for these things is kidding themselves – have a 100 litre drybag for rolling it away.

Another Vango Airbeam here.  As said it’s a 10 minute erection – long enough these days – and can be done solo!

great bit of kit if staying for a few days – storage, wind blocker  – we sometime sleep in it in hot weather too.

As said it’s a 10 minute erection – long enough these days – and can be done solo!

giggling like a school boy here….

+1 for the ten-minute erection…

Vango Galli airbeam. Got it as I need to be able to put it up myself and it’s a dawdle. With a bit of practice, can roll it up and stow it in the bag, but don’t bother trying to get the pump and legs in there too. 2017 one was good bit cheaper than this year’s one. Smaller, lighter &easier then the pop-up lamps one we had before. Porch bit between tent and van is long enough to accommodate a panel vans sliding door.

depends what you use your van for.

Fair point.

We tend to camp for a few days in a row and use the van to get around during those days, so an awing is a good way of reserving the pitch. But, because we don’t tend to stay in one place for much longer than a few days I’m after something that’s easy to get up and then pack away afterwards (so to speak). We do have a fairly small van so the extra room is very useful. Van has sliding door side access too.

Because of the size of the van I’m also after something that packs down fairly small for carrying around.

And a 10 minute erection sounds wonderful… 😀

I put up a Singletrack request for a drive away awning. Majority said the kyham. I picked a 2nd hand one up from here.

You just take it out of the bag and click everything into place. To out away you just unclick it. No messing around, it’s all built in.

The only downside is it’s the size of 2 suitcases

I put up a Singletrack request for a drive away awning. Majority said the kyham. I picked a 2nd hand one up from here.

<div>Which one did you get?</div>