Attached or driveaway awning - pros and cons

[Snoozie]

I have been vacillating for ages between buying a pull-out awning, or a driveaway one. Can't afford both at the moment.

I can think of a couple of pros and cons for either but would love to hear other members' opinions, experience and recommendations for either type of awning.

First of all, most bongo-ing will be just me and my dog, so no need for extra space really.

My first thoughts were to get a pull out awning which I thought I would use most, especially for just one night stops, just for a bit of shelter if it's raining and I want the side door open, plus the dog could be outside the van without getting under my feet, but could stay dry. I understand that some makes may be easier than others to wind back in (I think Muz told me that at Nantcol) - I will only have one pair of hands, but I have forgotten which make is easier and which is trickier.

Con - if I want to stay on a site for more than one night and want to go off for the day, I am going to lose my camping spot. One simple way around that I suppose is to carry my 2-second pop-up tent which folds to a flat disc so could probably fit in the AFT when down.

If I was to get a drive away awning it wouldn't need to be a big one just for me and perhaps an occasional friend. Most of all I would want one that's quick and easy to put up without any wrestling or tea/beer breaks needed.

Any tips or recommendations for easy to use pull-out awnings and /or a smallish drive-away awning?

Thanks

[Muzorewa]

In almost 7 years we've used our driveaway three times, and one of them was to try it out. Pull-out every time for us

[Snoozie]

Muz - That's the way I'm leaning, and as I said I could take my quick pop-up tent to mark a good spot on a campsite

I think it was you that told me that some pull out awnings were easier to wind back in with one pair of hands than others. Was it Omnistor that you thought was easier than Fiamma ???

[Muzorewa]

I think they're more or less the same. Spring-return ones (like ours) aren't difficult on your own and are cheaper than wind-out ones.

[Snoozie]

Good tip, thanks - I didn't realise there were different types in terms of getting them out and in. I'll look for a spring-return one.

[Kelvyn]

The image is a bit large.... but, our van came with a driveaway awning - we tried to put it up once in the Lakes, decided it wasn't for us, so bought a £20 eurohike tarp.

http://kelvynskee.com/wp-content/upload ... G_6926.jpg

[karena]

sadly there are campsites out there that wont allow you to use an unattached awning/tent -they are classed as two units and the regs say units have to be a certain distance apart i.e two pitches = double the price.

I have a driveaway khyam for longer stays (not cheap but available 2nd hand on ebay etc) and for me because i,m a short person now on my own dependant on it being at meets now (willing hands) but others here (blobber) manages his alone no problem.
The alternative i have and now use more is a ripstop tarp on a figure of 8 http://www.funkyleisure.co.uk/vw-camper ... s-88-c.asp I wont tell its for vw.s if you dont -but it fits the bongo -on sites that allow tent/bongo combination you can then use the popup under the tarp for extra storage (and windbreak.) Its simple enough to take up and down when leaving the site just slide off and take poles down. if you cant use the tent, you could always then peg it over your pitch area to mark the territory -though its never been an issue for me.

[Snoozie]

Thank you Kelvyn and Karena - your posts have got me re-thinking! A tarp (and I like the prices - so much cheaper than a Fiamma cage awning) or sun canopy might be quite OK for me. If it's really pithing down and blowing a hooley I would be inside the van anyway! I have only been searching for awnings and didn't think to search for sun canopy or tarp.

I'm not sure what 'on a figure of 8' means I suppose it is something like how you tie a washing line over 2 hooks, but can't make the mental leap to my bongo roof (can't go and look because it's in the repair garage!). Do I need to attach some sort of rail or clips to the bongo?

I thought something like this (Approx £65) might also be good because it has sides for extra shelter, but I'm not sure how it would fit to the roof



This one says suitable for a caravan 235-250cm high, which is higher than a Bongo, but perhaps the bottom of the skirt could just sit on the grass. I'll keep looking, perhaps I can find something like this but not so tall, otherwise I'll probably go for a tarp or canopy.

I appreciate your ideas and input - thanks.

[al & chris]

We got a fiamma wind out awning. Think it is the best addition to bongo we have. So easy to use use it all the time. Expensive but brilliant.

[mikeonb4c]

We got a fiamma wind out awning. Think it is the best addition to bongo we have. So easy to use use it all the time. Expensive but brilliant.

I'd love one, but even 2nd hand, it's £400 almost by the time you pay fuel to collect and buy the extortionately priced brackets. And how do I create a sheltered private enclosure with it unless I fork out more on buying or making walls for it. But they are great I agree.

Trish and I splashed out on a khyam motordome and I'm very impressed with it. For minimal set-up time you have a fully connected weatherproof enclosure with full privacy and plenty of zippable insect mesh protected ventilation. You could probably put it up in the time it takes to find the winding handle, unwind the fiamma, peg the storm straps. The biggest time eater is unloading and packing away the stuff you tend to put in to an awning. Get strict with that and you're getting somewhere

[KMH]

My Bongo came with a porch type awning similar to the one in the picture. Because it is too high for the bongo it is messy and fiddly; I couldn't get it to sit properly and very quickly lost patience with it (and I'm used to putting tents up on my own). I still like the porch idea, but wouldn't consider one of the wrong height. I've just bought a khyam driveaway sleeper for longer trips, the dog will be sleeping in the bedroom pod, I'll be in the bongo. It took me half an hour to put it up on my own (but not peg it out) the first time, so will be quicker with practice.
A figure of 8 strip is a plastic strip that slides onto the edge of the tarp/awning, and then sits on the gutter rail of the bongo - very easy to do.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/figure-channel- ... B0026XQUG2

[KMH]

Kelvyn, does your eurohike tarp take a figure of 8? Milletts have them for £20 just now, and it looks a great set up for one or two nights.

[Snoozie]

Thanks for the info about what a figure of 8 is, KMH.

£20 for the Millets / Eurohike tarp seems like a good plan for me too, at least until I finally decide what I really want (which might take a while!!).

I take your point about not getting a porch that's too tall and I had discounted that idea since yesterday. You can get an almost identical one for a camper - not the same make but looks the same (I'll look it up in a minute) but for some reason it is £139, more than twice the price of the taller one (£65).

Your doggie must be good. If I put mine in a tent and stayed in the Bongo, somehow she would find her way out of it

[Snoozie]

Here it is

The Sunncamp taller one was £65, but this similar Outdoor Revolution one for campervan height 180cm-220cm is £125 from Leisure Outlet (11% off, RRP £140).

http://www.leisureoutlet.com/caravans-a ... rettyPhoto

Must say I quite like the look of this, if it is not too difficult to attach. It says 'with twin beading to attach to either your awning channel or wind-out awning'. I can't wait to get my Bongo back from the garage (Tuesday I hope) to see if I have an awning channel.

An attached Fiamma or similar would be great but as Mikeonb4c said, it would cost a packet with side panels too, probably about £500+ I would think.

[Diplomat]

See my comment re toilet tents

http://igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/forum/view ... 74#p633795


We use the flysheet only from a fairly large ridge tent.

It can be zipped up and left on site. It doesn't collect water on its roof like some awnings do and doesn't tend to blow away in strong winds either. Not a perfect mate to the van but good enough. Park close to it at night and further away in daytime with the front flap raised.


Frank