Roadtrip Awning Options (help me spend money)

[roadtripper]

Right, I need some help spending some money...

Those of you who've seen my threads may know my setup but we have a Caravelle with a rear kitchen pod mostly used for roadtrip adventures and hoping around AirBnB type places. We don't really camp but occasionally I do overnight at the odd event I help with.

We don't have swivels up front so it's less convenient to have anything that prevents the front doors opening.

Currently I have an awning rail in the roof bar channel passenger side and a Debus Sun Canopy that we've used a few times:

If we do camp the way the bench in a Caravelle makes into a bed with the mid seats it's the full width of the van and doesn't leave much space, especially without swivels, changing for bed is a bit challenging.

So what do I want an awning for?

Well we do two main things:

Pull up in car park or layby and pop the tailgate up to break out the stove and brew up and picnic in and around the van with a side door open. Something to keep a bit of wind and drizzle out would be great.

Stop over at an event I'm helping at, possibly with one of the YoungUns soon, and be able to sleep in the van and do some basic cooking (coffee, instant porridge, soup, sausage butty) around the back in the kitchen pod.

What I don't need is a big camping awning, MrsRT and I did a lot of re-enactment before the YoungUns arrived so we have 2 (medium and large) modern tents and a massive 20foot twin pole 15th century Burgundian marquee and a box trailer - so if we ever want to camp 4 up we'll just trailer camp.

Whatever we have it needs to be as compact as possible as we have very limited storage, if I need to hook the trailer up I may as well bring one of the tents we already own...

What do I have already and why am I pondering something else?

Well for the ad-hoc brew up and picnic MrsRT has made us these ripstop nylon wind and drizzle triangles that really stop weather blowing into the van.

They're ace and we've tried to make a stubby magnetic version of the side door to give a bit of drizzle protection but it's not worked well.

I also have the sun canopy above. It works well for events where MrsRT is selling her crafts or running a kids art and craft stall but when I've done event camping even with the front half rigged down as a "wall" it doesn't really give enough privacy to change for bed.

So what have I looked at so far?

Even before the Debus sun canopy I did look into having one of the Fiamma F40 Van awnings. I don't want a side mounted awning as I don't want brackets bonded to the van. I do like the idea we could pull it out just a bit to cover the side door on brew up stops. What I don't like is that currently the van is quite unremarkable and looks like an executive taxi, which can be handy. Also I often park in places with close to 2m barriers. It's also by far the most expensive option, nice as it is. MrsRT also thinks it will make us look like a plumbers van with a pipe box and isn't keen.

I've looked at tailgate tents like the Reimo. I sort of like the concept but with the electric tailgate we have to be careful not making it auto close (though I have now fitted a cut out switch) but mostly it's the fact most of them you can't close the tailgate. I'd not want to leave the van like that camping and it wouldn't really be worth rigging for brew up stops. It also doesn't really help giving somewhere to change unless I took a ladder to climb over the kitchen pod!

I've been looking at the Debus AIR canopy as that looks useful as a minimalist side awning with the zip in sides and front. I like that it looks simple to keep the front door available during the day but would give a bit of privacy to change at night. What I don't like is the AIR aspect, I don't really see the point as it is more bulky and you end up with a massive air pump to stash somewhere. If they did a fibreglass pole version that would probably be my choice.

The other thought is a simple as possible side awning. I don't intend using anything drive away (again I'd use a tent I already own) but the Kampa Trip Poled Awning looks like a good deal. I'm a bit concerned it might not be easy to make sure it clears the front door during the day, but I think it would probably pack up with less clutter than the Debus AIR.

Conclusions

So right now my feeling is to grab the Kampa Trip and probably fit a rail to the drivers side to give us options, in fact we could rig the awning one side and the canopy the other.

Any options I haven't thought of?

Is the expense and height hassle of a Fiamma F40 Van worth it and I should look at that again?

Why do people like AIR versions, isn't the bulk of the packed canvas and the massive air pump and annoyance or am I missing something?

 

[JumpShip]

Love the tailgate triangles and I love the idea of making something similar for the slider but I too have tried and failed at this .
I think we're gonna be going for a f40 for the convience factor .

 

[EAN]

There are always compromises. We’ve just purchased a poled Cayman Cuda F/G (not arrived yet, so can’t vouch for it) to replace our Khyam sun canopy with sides and front which got damaged beyond repair on our last trip. It met most of our requirements but we couldn’t find anything that was laid out how we wanted with regards doors and windows.
I get why you don’t want air; we have a Vango air awning for longer trips and there is no denying that it is bulky.
Have you thought about using just a separate poled utility tent / kitchen tent to use for changing to go along side your existing setup?
@Ayjay also made up side panels to go with his Debus sun canopy for privacy. Would that work?

 

[Vinyl1210]

Hi RT. I feel your pain as the awning choice is a bit bewildering. Here’s my input FWIW. I have a T6.1 that I converted from Panel Van to ‘Adventure, Day Van come Site Van’. Like you I don’t do any real ‘proper camping’ but need to survive on site or the odd overnight on my way to my far away boutique B&B. . Anyhow I ended up with this from ‘Tent and Trail’ ( they’re based in Stockbridge not too far from you).

Large Side Awning (2.5m x 2.5m) | Tent & Trail

Large 2.5m x 2.5m roll-out side awning for vehicles. 100% waterproof, UV and mould resistant. Quick setup for instant shelter, go camping in style & comfort. FREE UK MAINLAND DELIVERY.

tentandtrail.com

It is available with sides which I’ve got too. However downside (for you maybe) I guess is you need some sort of roof rack ( can be a simple aero bar set up) to affix. Reading your post Mrs RT may not like it as it might look like a plumbers van ) but I certainly think it’s more discreet. Goes out in seconds and the sides take up no room at all inside the van and everything else is obviously stored outside.

Or you could go for something like this.

Van Awning One

Van Awning One is us unpacking all we've learnt at STITCHES + STEEL selling thousands of awnings over a half-decade, applying that learning into one, very simple, innovative product is what the VA1 is all about. Size; Van awning one is just the right size. You can fit four people under it with...

stitchesandsteel.com

Easy to put up. Awning rail can be bolted to van using roof rack mounting bolts so dead easy to attach to van too. Also rolls up in a smallish bag (think small camping chair) so again storage not an issue, but maybe doesn’t have the sides you’re after.

As it goes I have a brand new one of these I bought I’ve never used (bloke impulse -‘ooohhh I’ve bought a T6.1 to convert. I MUST buy something right now to start my conversion journey. What can I get?) before I really researched and fitted my safari style awning. Also have a black rail (unused too).

I never got round to fitting it (too busy with converting) then came across Tent and Trail which for me gazumped the S&S hence my current choice.

I really like my current awning. (Used it yesterday) and so easy to put out and fantastic engineering for the money.

I think my conclusion (which on reflection may not help you arrive anywhere nearer your chosen article ) is you will have to compromise on some aspect(s) but, in all seriousness, buy the bit of kit, which for you, you will use it for ‘MOST of the time’.

Also to be helpful, I’m based in Andover, so again not far from you. If you want to pop up anytime and look at my fitted awning first hand, as a fellow T6F member you’re more than welcome. (I’ll even brew up!) an we can rig it on the drive. Just PM me.

You can also look at the S&S awning. (I’m selling it too with the rail so maybe something you’d be interested in trying out as if not for you you’d always sell it again for same money and cheaper than buying new and then not using it. (Like I did ).

Anyhow hope that helps or helps you think. As I say offer of a gander and brew is definitely there and good luck as I know it’s choices choices.

Cheers. Rob

 

[JumpShip]

How sturdy is your roll out ?

 

[roadtripper]

It has to be said the plumbers van aspect was just MrsRT winding me up I suspect.

I have seen how @Ayjay has rigged his awning. I've thought of that but the times I've had mine up it's been quite sail like in the wind and I'm not sure they'd work all the time. Great privacy for sitting by the van, not so sure for the changing for bed aspect.

I really like the F40 technically, if I went for a traditional roll out awning it's the one I'd use. I guess I could also demount it, but it's advantage would rely be for those ad-hoc brew up stops. If I decided to give up on the 2m height thing I really like what @T6Paul has done on his Caravelle with chunky roof rack awning and solar panel and would probably do the same.

@Vinyl1210 appreciate the offer a look see in the flesh. The shorter S&S sail is certainly interesting, I might have gone for that instead of the Debus if I'd waited a bit longer.

It still feels like there is a solution to the "always there quick brew stop stubby side porch" so I'm going to keep experimenting (and exploiting MrsRT sewing skill) - I want to try a ripstop rectangle with a kador strip sewn down the middle. That can then slide into my roof gutter awning rail leaving half sticking out and half braces on the roof. Then use some fibreglass rods or sailing battens as some ribs and a sucker/magnet to hold the tail down on the roof. Should pack up into a thin roll to tuck down the back of the kitchen pod. But that's another thread...

 

[Ayjay]

As @roadtripper said, I've made up some sidewalls for my Debus and I think it works well. We've had the awning on its own up in severel quite horrible storms and it's stoodup to everything (as, indeed, has the Kiravans Railsail that we also use as the mood takes us)- on one such occasion when camping at Caen, the bloke in a Mercedes campervan a few pitches up from us left his Fiamma wound out in the storm and wind picked it up and threw the whole lot over to the other side of his van doing quite a lot of damage in the process. I suspect that was mainly due to incompetence in not pinning the thing down properly but it certainly put me off ever wanting one.
As to the sidewalls, I deployed them last year in Italy when we caught the back end of a storm which caused widespread flooding across Lombardia and Emilia Romano and. again, all was fine but there was a bit of flapping going on but not enough to disturb sleep - I suspect using 30cm rebar pegs helped to hold it all down.

 

[Linoleum Bonypart]

My mrs has the plumbers van prob …. Shame I like Fiamma

 

[roadtripper]

suspect using 30cm rebar pegs helped to hold it all down.

Yeah we have some of those for the 15th century tent. It has two half cart wheel supports at each end so fully rigged for wind it has 7 pole guys each end, two main guys and about 24 loops at the bottom of the canvas. Carrying that lot and the 4lb lump hammer is not camping light. Most of the time we don't rig separate pegs for the pole guys and just tie the guys to the corresponding loops below them.

This is at a friend's party, we have more hangings and wooden kit for 15th century (and less orange safety cones!)



And yes, it has occurred to me it looks a bit like a drive away with the front awning, but the weight of canvas it's made from would likely rip the awning rail right off the roof of the Caravelle...

 

[Drive Wayne]

Yeah we have some of those for the 15th century tent. It has two half cart wheel supports at each end so fully rigged for wind it has 7 pole guys each end, two main guys and about 24 loops at the bottom of the canvas. Carrying that lot and the 4lb lump hammer is not camping light. Most of the time we don't rig separate pegs for the pole guys and just tie the guys to the corresponding loops below them.

This is at a friend's party, we have more hangings and wooden kit for 15th century (and less orange safety cones!)

View attachment 283868

And yes, it has occurred to me it looks a bit like a drive away with the front awning, but the weight of canvas it's made from would likely rip the awning rail right of the roof of the Caravelle...

With careful pole and guy alignment you could just drive the Caravelle under the flap!