Awnings

[faz55]

Having given up caravaning after 35yrs we are now waiting (13mths) for our motorhome… we are wondering what’s the concensus of opinion on static or drive away awnings… we plan to tow a small Fiat 500 and if moving around regularly on a tour probably wouldn’t bother with any awning at all. Grateful for thoughts on this please

 

[David and Sally]

Drive aways are great if you plan on staying somewhere for a few days and sightseeing in your car.
Also good if you don’t take the car and use the Moho for day trips. We used ours a lot.

 

[TOAD on Tour]

We also tow a small car, so when we plan on staying anywhere for a few days, we always use our Dometic air awning, it’s not a drive away awning, so it’s usually nice a taught attached to the wind out awning

 

[Bobby-gg]

Do a search

There's been loads of discussions recently about awnings

For example

Drive away Awnings. How often do you use yours?

I'm considering a drive away awning but am unsure how often I would use it. I will also have to use a campsite to use it. How often do you use yours and why?

www.motorhomefun.co.uk

 

[suavecarve]

We ve gone without on this van. Had van 18 months used very regularly in summer and didn't miss it.
We use Aires mainly and at appropriate places awning would come out because I have a French attitude in France.
Drive away awnings have their place, when you are staying put and have no transport.
Motorhoming is a different beast to caravanning but they all have their uses dependant upon your style of use of your motorhome.
The amount of driveaway awnings that are sold as "used once" should be a good clue. But again could be useful to you.
Beware of slight gusts with normal awning. We prefer to walk over to a tree for our shade nowadays

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[Stealaway]

Having given up caravaning after 35yrs we are now waiting (13mths) for our motorhome… we are wondering what’s the concensus of opinion on static or drive away awnings… we plan to tow a small Fiat 500 and if moving around regularly on a tour probably wouldn’t bother with any awning at all. Grateful for thoughts on this please

If you are planning on trips abroad overnight Aires wont accept awnings.
Motorhomes are much more mobile so tow cars and awnings are not often necessary.

 

[Brains]

Get a wind out awning fitted.

There are loads of 'used once' motorhome static awnings for sale.
Which probably tells you what you need to know.
Buy a second hand one, use it couple of times and then sell it on.

What you will see being used by many UK based motorhomers are pop up Quest awning
They come in two sizes.
6 sides can be joined up with either a 4 or 6 sided one
4 sides only joins to a 6 side.

From your locker to erected can be done in under 5 mins. (actually under 3 mins if you know what you are doing)
They have built in mosquito nets, which means you can sit outside, but protected, in the evening.
They have drop down sides, so like a tent you can shove table, chairs and bikes inside and they are out of sight.
They are fairly waterproof.

 

[WallaceandGromit]

When we decided to go from caravan to motorhome kept our Kamper air pro 400 awning and only bought it 6 months before we changed let the thick end of £1600 go yer right £25 for a drive away kit no contest

 

[Guffy60]

We went from a drive away after trying once, to a pop up similar to the quest. So easy to use, lighter than an awning.
Only downside some sites won’t allow them as they class them as gazebos rather than awnings!

 

[The Wino]

It really depends how you're going to use your motorhome. If you're going to use it like a caravan on sites for quite a few days at a time and want the space go for it you know the drawbacks from your caravanning days. If like us you're likely to move on every day or at the most two and use aires/ wildcamp a lot it's going to be a chocolate teapot! I suspect that as you're taking a towed car you're going down the first route and taking lots of stuff.

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[Basildog]

Never had an awning on any Caravan or Motorhome, have had a wind out sun awning on a couple of different vans but they go away at the slightest hint of a breeze ( saw one wreck a van ) .
To be honest I would have to be somewhere for at least 4 days before getting a chair out , my idea of setting up is applying the handbrake

 

[The Wino]

Never had an awning on any Caravan or Motorhome, have had a wind out sun awning on a couple of different vans but they go away at the slightest hint of a breeze ( saw one wreck a van ) .
To be honest I would have to be somewhere for at least 4 days before getting a chair out , my idea of setting up is applying the handbrake

We're the same with the wind out awning it's out while were briefly sat under once were bored it's away again if we go for a walk. None of that pegging out a claim over a few square metres of grass either.

 

[faz55]

It really depends how you're going to use your motorhome. If you're going to use it like a caravan on sites for quite a few days at a time and want the space go for it you know the drawbacks from your caravanning days. If like us you're likely to move on every day or at the most two and use aires/ wildcamp a lot it's going to be a chocolate teapot! I suspect that as you're taking a towed car you're going down the first route and taking lots of stuff.

We are in our 70’s and just didn’t feel we wanted to completely give up on caravanning hence the MH thought towing a small car would give us less hassle with local villages… hopefully we will get used to taking less stuff

 

[haganap]

to be fair, and please don't be offended. It sounds like you are thinking of giving up caravanning to go caravanning with a motorhome, if that makes sense. With tow cars and Awnings.

Don't get caught in the trap. It's great to have a tow caw if and when needed but don't make it a thing otherwise the joys of truly touring with a motorhome will be gone. Also as said, a wind out awning is great to wind out when pulled up to sit underneath the rain/sun whilst outside without the need to be blowing up and attaching this and that. Unless you plan to be somewhere for more than a few nights? if so then it's great to have the extra space for a little bit of time, especially if you have a dog too.

Much of it will too depend on what type of MH you have, if it's small anyway, you would be amazed how you can use it in small towns and villages. if not, consider some good quality electric bikes to get out and explore.

A common mistake people make is using a MH like a Caravan, which of course it can be, it's personal choice, but for us, no way... sit a little move a lot.

 

[The Wino]

We are in our 70’s and just didn’t feel we wanted to completely give up on caravanning hence the MH thought towing a small car would give us less hassle with local villages… hopefully we will get used to taking less stuff

The thing that would put me off towing a car is the reduced speed limits and the idea of doing a 3 point turn

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[62272]

We A frame tow a Fiat 500, good choice (lol). Awning wise, we started with an inflatable driveaway awning, but soon realised it was too hot on the continent (which is where do most of our touring).

We now just stick to the fitted Fiamia F45s wind out awning, with a sunblocker privacy panels side and rear. The moho stays on the pitch generally for about a week, and we use the car to venture out. Much easier to park in tight little spaces in small villages and cities.

Happy travels

 

[scotzsue]

We have for years carried, and used, a blow up awning, but last year i bought a quest sunhouse (i think) it is brilliant even 5'me can put it up and take it down, extra room for eating, relaxing, and keeping us pout the rain, have even had my whirlygig with washing in it overnight. We do take the blow up away when we take the grand kids as they sleep in there.