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I've got a T4 Westfalia California lift-top with no gutter and a Khyam awning. Has anyone any experience of the magnetic awning attachment kit that is available?

Lin

Hi. I dont think there is a magnectic one, but you can get a slide one (like a gutter) fitted to the side, and then you just slide the awning on it as normal. There are a few Motorhomes that have this fitted now.

Hope that this is of some help to you.

look at this http://www.campervanaccessories.co.uk/magnetic-drive-away-porch-awning-attachment-p-526.html

we have a new  panel van and have a drive away awning that we used on last van was dreading the idea of fitting a Chanel to the new van looking at this it could be the answer .i will ask around and see if any one  as used it .

When we had our first 'van(a Duetto van conversion),I spent ages trawling the internet and MH dealers looking for decent system to fasten an awning on with...but the options available always seemed a little "Heath Robinson"..and involved pop-riveting bits o' rail onto your vehicle/fiddling about with plastic fig 8 section/throwing straps over the roof etc!.

We were lucky as we had a gutter rail and we ended up having to use the fig 8(..which used to lift off in a breeze! ).

If we still had the vehicle,I think I would bite the bullet and attach a decent awning rail,similar to that use by the caravan manufactures(the sort with the plastic bead insert).

I wouldn't be attaching the type that's available from the likes Towsure etc,in 1mtr lengths! 

I seem to recall Reimo used to sell gutter mouding kits specially designed for VWs(..although I can't see anything on their current site!?  ).

Good luck with the magnetic route..

Thanks for this. I saw some like them in Spain last year but I'm not sure that there's enough of a flat surface for the suckers that would allow the pole to run down the side of the lift top tent. The obvious solution is to get the proper "top rail" fitted but, whereas I could live with the £175, I don't fancy the nearly 400 mile round trip to the nearest dealer I can find. Hence the interest in the magnetic attachment.

Lin

Oops! Sorry - I meant to thank everyone for their sugestions and interest

Lin

We have a gutter on our high top VW bay & used to attach the awning and sun canopy to it (not at the same time though!).

At the start of this year we bought some metre lengths of awning rail and sycoflexed (sp?) it to the roof.  Bought a sun canopy with the beading and it slides in a treat.  We're really pleased with it, only takes a few minutes to set up and packs away in a neat little bag.

Last year we bought a Movelite awning to fit on the rear of our Duetto using the figure 8 on the gutter, but like Pepe with his Duetto experienced it coming off the gutter rail in a slight breeze, it also needed to be higher than the gutter. With a leftover piece of 10mm plastic barge board I made a 7inch high extension to hold the 8 which fits inside the gutter secured by a cord with a short bungee. It works a treat by clearing the open rear doors and has a nice pitch for any rain, is secure and no alterations to van or gutter.

Ernie

There is a picture of the attachment I made for our movelite awning on the rear of our Duetto in the Tent Reviews section. It is held on with bungee cords hooked into the gutter drain holes. It is quick to fit and remove, but to check it out on the road and save putting it inside while travelling I left it on for our recent 268mile trip to Devon. It stayed firm, and the awning was quick and easy to attach.

Ernie

We bought some of these magnetic strips to attach our driveaway awning to our T4 camper, it works fine providing its not windy, anything more than a gentle breeze made the strip and attached figure of 8 slap the top of the van and make the most horrendous noise! it also worked its way off the van too.

This year we bought some awning rail from a caravan breakers and fitted that instead, life is much quieter now :)