Message Forums

Hi everyone - Can you help.

I own a VW T4 Westfalia camper with an elevating roof.  I want to fit an awning to it, but the Fiamma F45i looks a bit bulky on the van.

I am interested in the Fiamma caravanstore (the one in a bag) which I understand fits to a Brandrup or Reimo top rail. 

My concern is that as it hangs down by 14cm, it will interfere with the sliding and passenger door.

Has anyone got any experience of this?

Can the bag fold up and over into the rain gutter?

Any help would be appreciated.

 I hope this works,I fitted one to my last campervan a Mazda Bongo in the photo you will see that the bag is low, what I did to lift it was to put 15mm pipe insulation cut lenth ways and fitted it under the bag. Hope this helps.

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j156/harleyjohn/picsgifs207.jpg

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j156/harleyjohn/picsgifs205-1.jpg

John.

Thanks for the responses.

johnhub, I have looked at the F45 and I agree with you. On a high top it looks great, but on the pop top you have to use Fiamma mounting brackets which move it away from the body and makes it look a bit bulky.  If my van was a high top I would fit the F45 straight away.

harleyjohn, thanks for the photos and advice.  Looking at your photos, the Brandrup rail is even lower then the rail you fitted to your bongo, so it would hang even lower on the VW.

As we want something that will fit on the side of the van without having to store bits inside, I think we will have to consider the F45.

Got the Caravanstor on my VW T25 pop-top, yes it does hang down and foul the sliding door when rolled up and bagged for transport. I have a piece of J rail fitted inside the rain gutter, which the awning bag slides into, as per a caravan awning rail fitment. Need to be a bit careful when the awning is up so the sliding door doesn`t snag the awning, I make sure that the extra roof rafter is tensioned so the awning is tight and not baggy.

I transport the awning off it`s rail, I strap it to my roof rails that are fitted to the pop-top fibreglass roof, then just slide it into place in the J rail when setting up on site.

Quote: Originally posted by AndyVines on 20/6/2007

---

Another option is to go with the F45 but paint it the same colour as your van, wont' look so prominent then.

---

No never done it, just seen it done in one of the magazines and it was suprising how it just made the awning blend in. Suppose with the size of it you could just get some rattle cans from Halfords or you local auto place.

The awnings bodies and casing are I presume ally, so the paint on them should just need a little rubbing down to get your new colour to key to it, try not to rub down to much as bare ally usually needs some sort of etch primer.