Drive Away Awnings????

KidsKamping

Guest
We recently bought a drive away awning as needed some extra space in the non too clement weather, space to get out of wet clothes etc. Unfortunately on our first trip since having the awning the weather was just too windy to put it up, though we did try!! We can not figure out how the get the sides flush with the edge of the van like in the promo pictures. (We bought a more pricey one Dorema Challanger as the quality of the fabric seemed more robust than cheaper models) Is this just their artistic licence or is there a trick to it? We are looking to try it out again at a friends house with more space and we may well sus it out but thought I'd ask in case anyone has any tips. Thanks
 
put up awning do not peg it down attach to side of van then pull it away from van so it is taught then peg it down
 
Hi - Thank you, we'll try it. It was so windy on our first attempt that our main aim was to peg it down - then after an hour or so of it not looking right, take it down again as quickly as possible. I'm thinking a nice calm day would be to our advantage to get the hang of it. Thanks again.

Sorry - just realised should have perhaps posted this on the 'Motorhome Knowledge' forum!!!
 
oldish hippy said:
put up awning do not peg it down attach to side of van then pull it away from van so it is taught then peg it down
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I have a Starblazer and on a few occasions i use a drive away awning if im in a place longer than a week as i think that the effort involved in putting it up is not worth the trouble. My awning fits like a shirt on a wheelbarrow.
 
rockape said:
I have a Starblazer and on a few occasions i use a drive away awning if im in a place longer than a week as i think that the effort involved in putting it up is not worth the trouble. My awning fits like a shirt on a wheelbarrow.
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Not an analogy I've come across before but my shirt was a bit too baggy for my wheelbarrow!!! It did seem to be quite a bit more trouble than what the salesman advised - "about 10 mins to put it up"! Thought was just our inexperience that hampered us but maybe not eh! Thanks for your reply.
 
Are awnings actually used all that much?

Although not a drive-away awning, Sully came with a Fiamma F45 wind out thingy on it when I bought him.

The seller had a 'Safari Room' unused that was available for an extra £200. However, I thought about it and figured that I'd probably not want to be in one place long enough to be bothered with the hassle of assembling one, and that I'd end up toting it around and never using it - so I declined to buy it.

Now - I've not had the chance to try the van out yet (beyond driving it around and tinkering), so I'm hoping my decision was the right one.

So I guess my question is... is do the good folks on here actually use a full awning all that much? And if they do, what's the minimum length of stay that it is felt its worth the bother of putting one up?

(I just realised that this might qualify as highjacking this thread somewhat :)newhere:) so humble apologies if I've mucked up the etiquette!)
 
KidsKamping said:
Not an analogy I've come across before but my shirt was a bit too baggy for my wheelbarrow!!! It did seem to be quite a bit more trouble than what the salesman advised - "about 10 mins to put it up"! Thought was just our inexperience that hampered us but maybe not eh! Thanks for your reply.
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He was probably right in erecting it in 10 mins ,its getting it to look right as well which takes the complete weekend. Like me you will probably have to live with it. Good luck.
 
GRWXJR said:
Although not a drive-away awning, Sully came with a Fiamma F45 wind out thingy on it when I bought him.

The seller had a 'Safari Room' unused that was available for an extra £200. However, I thought about it and figured that I'd probably not want to be in one place long enough to be bothered with the hassle of assembling one, and that I'd end up toting it around and never using it - so I declined to buy it.

Now - I've not had the chance to try the van out yet (beyond driving it around and tinkering), so I'm hoping my decision was the right one.

So I guess my question is... is do the good folks on here actually use a full awning all that much? And if they do, what's the minimum length of stay that it is felt its worth the bother of putting one up?

(I just realised that this might qualify as highjacking this thread somewhat :)newhere:) so humble apologies if I've mucked up the etiquette!)
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To us with small children it seemed a no brainer - we try to use the van as much as possible so try not to make the weather too much of an issue. We want to be in the dry to get changed and have some-where out of the van to hang wet and damp stuff, keep the shoes etc. It also seemed good just to have as an extra room when needed - we don't feel we need it when travelling abroad or when the forecast is good as the van only gets used for sleeping in, the front panel comes off so could still be used just to sit outside and keep the wind off (this was our thinking anyway) The idea of a drive away seemed fab and really hoping when we get the hang of it, it will live up to our expectations!!!
 
rockape said:
He was probably right in erecting it in 10 mins ,its getting it to look right as well which takes the complete weekend. Like me you will probably have to live with it. Good luck.
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Te He - excellent, thank you.:lol-053:
 
well if away for a long time in one spot then migh use mine but it is good for keep the rain noise down when it rain hard park the van in the awning
 
drive away s!

Buy a tent ,cheaper, better constructed &a dam site easier to put up!!:lol-049::lol-049::lol-049::beer::cool:
 
KidsKamping said:
To us with small children it seemed a no brainer - we try to use the van as much as possible so try not to make the weather too much of an issue. We want to be in the dry to get changed and have some-where out of the van to hang wet and damp stuff, keep the shoes etc. It also seemed good just to have as an extra room when needed - we don't feel we need it when travelling abroad or when the forecast is good as the van only gets used for sleeping in, the front panel comes off so could still be used just to sit outside and keep the wind off (this was our thinking anyway) The idea of a drive away seemed fab and really hoping when we get the hang of it, it will live up to our expectations!!!
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We are also looking for a driveway awning for the same reasons - kids, weather, wet, storage etc. had looked at the cheaper ones too, not convinced. Would be very interested to hear (and see if you can post pics) how you get on!
Good luck!
 
I have had a Harrison drive away awning for about 20years ,I even had an extension added to it(I checked I did'nt need planning permission) I have used it on a Nissan half converted van ,aVW LT35 conversion and even used it on a small tourer I once had,I really think that if you have kids you should stick it up if your there longer than 2 days,its somewhere for them to play from under your feet if the weather is ropey.Mine are all grown up now but I still take it you can then dump all the deckchairs ,wind breaks and all the stuff you dont want in the van during the day,its also useful if you go out for the day and your on a site that does'nt have marked out pitches new arrivals can see your plot.
Mine always looks like 2 little boys trying to fight there way out of a pillowcase whereas the French manage to get there's as tight as a drum.
The only problem I have with mine is its old technology with steel!!yes steel poles and canvas not polywhatsitsname so it bulky and heavy,but I have had it that long I can put it up with the minimuim of help in 15mins,then as a previous poster said I then spend the rest of the holiday trying to get it as good as the French
 
I bought one, ( a drive away awning), from a couple who had used it only half a dozen times. It is a Moto Villa and I bought it originally to use with a Teranno before I bought my campervan. I got it out of the bag one day to pre assemble but got as far as the frame which took about 15 minutes to learn what went where, but I quickly discovered it was really a two person job to put up. It's also quite bulky to carry along with the groundsheet (approx 8' x 6').

I would only use it if I was going to be static on a site somewhere for at least a week, i.e. drive straight there put it up, take it down and drive straight home.

So far after two years of owning it I have never used it.
 
As we only ever wildcamp the drive away awning that came with the van sits in the spare room and ive never used the wind out one.
 
Drive Away Awning

We got one last year but when we left it in a car park for the day it had gone when we got back - just no respect is there!
 
What's a drive away awning got to do with a wild camping forum?

Surely they can only be used on campsites.
 
well if we away aat a meet at a pub and it peeing down the n usefull to sit in and have a natter and the smokers and non smoker havent got to worry about getting smoked out as they can sit near the door and it keep the draught out
 
We bought one when we first got our van because we had to take six(4 adults,2 teens) of us to France for a family wedding and it was a little cramped in the five berth van. It made it possible for us and gave us somewhere to sit in the evening but we have never used it since because it is really a bit to big, and the kids rarely come on holidays with us any more.

We also have a safari room which we use at music festivals and we find that much more useful its somewhere to take the muddy boots off and hang the wet waterproofs. I could probably put the safari room up on my own in about half an hour, but as others have said I wouldnt use it when wilding, I dont think Ive ever even put the awning out when wilding.
 
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spigot said:
What's a drive away awning got to do with a wild camping forum?

Surely they can only be used on campsites.
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no one would only use it on a camp site,if you have children or grandchildren and if you take them away for the odd long weekend being in a very quiet and beautiful area does'nt always do it for them,so I mix my life with quiet away from the bustling crowd places with the odd weekend at a lively commercial site where the grand kids can join in with lots of other kids and learn an early lesson in life about mixing with and playing with kids from all over the place,it gets them out of there comfort zone, and I enjoy both
 
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