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Hello, I am new to this site, so apologies if what I am about to ask has been asked before...

We have a Fiamma F45i and are thinking of buying a privacy room for it. What we would like to know before doing so is how long it takes to put up and take down/put away.

So far we have not spent more than 24 hours on a camp site without moving our 'van (sight seeing/shopping etc...). Would be better off with the privacy room or with windbreaks and tent (for storing chairs/table etc...), given that we already have the awning.

Your opinions will be valuable. Thank you

Some people love them and find them no problem to put up at all.

Personally I think they take up a large amount of storage space,we send for one and returned it as it was huge and the instructions were very flimsy!

I suppose it depends how much you need the additional space it will offer.

When the sun shines I want to be outside in it not hiding in an awning!

I am sure someone will come along and give you all the benefits of having one and tell you how easy they are to put up!

I would think about how you would use it and is it going to be easily stored away on board.

Val

Another for the plus side of the privacy rooms/full awning.

I'm disabled, and with the exception of the two top clips either side, which involves standing on a step to clip on (depending on how tall you are) - which I am not stable enough to do; I can put our privacy room on single handed in 30 mins. 

Initially I was a bit wary of what I was doing but I went on the Fiamma or Omnistor website and it showed how it went together.  I believe they are simpler now, done with zips. 

Ours is in a few basic steps:

Wind out awning and bring down leg supports.

Slide side support rails into top of each side piece and clip into place (if you have trouble reaching, put back in first and lower front legs so you can reach)

Slide front panel into track.

Join corners with supplied tracking pieces.

Put in rear poles to trap 'spongy' wind break edge of back panels against van.

Slide in van skirt & curtains if using (I leave my curtains on the windows and fold them up with it). 

Peg down edges.

Have a cuppa & relax.

I don't find it takes up much room at all, and is all stored under one seat, including the poles.  It certainly gives a very solid, windproof, rainproof fit and we have frequently put up pup tents or inner tents inside it for extra sleeping. (That way you don't pay extra to have a pup tent on the pitch outside).

I can't be bothered with all the faffing about of lining up drive away awnings, and personally feel that the privacy room is much more solid and certainly much bigger than any of the drive away awnings that I have seen, all of which have looked pretty flimsy and the join to the van is not as good.

Each to their own, and I would say go and ask a few people on camp sites who have either a drive away awning or a privacy room and get their opinions and ask them to show you - most people are happy to show others their vans and accessories. We have had a number of people comment on our privacy room - often saying they had heard they were a pain, but after seeing me put it up on my own, it was quite evident to them that it was not as difficult as they had been led to believe.

Hope this helps.

Sara

We have a Fiamma Zip.

It is easy to erect, Similar to the Clip instructions above. About 30 mins from arriving on site to sitting down with a cuppa.

We have to carry a small set of steps as both hubby and I are a bit short.

Tend to only use the awning when staying for a couple of days, as no point if moving on straight away.

Have also invested in an awning floor covering.... our best buy yet.... I can walk about barefoot in the awning to get the dog out early morning.

we have a fiamma awning but no privacy room. we did consider getting one as we do tend to stay on site most of the time, however ours would have to be a big one and with the space and weight it takes up it would not suit us as we have lots of hobbies and stuff to carry around. also the awning rail is quite low and we worked out that if we had privacy/safari room sides on it we either wouldn't be able to open the door or would have big gaps round the bottom.

 we invested in a large khyam quick erect gazebo. it sits between our van and whoever is with us, its big enough for us all we can still take the van out if we need to, it takes 5 minutes to put up and take down and its also handy for home and other places if need be.

my suggestion before you buy is to wind out your awning and put it on its legs, make sure you can open the door and then measure from where the awning is fixed down to the floor, then check the safari room length. i have seen so many buy one and then find it doesn't fit correctly

hannah

Thanks for replies, plenty of food for thought. So far, we haven't kept our 'van 'parked' for more than 24 hours at a time, so don't think the privacy would suit.

Virginnia