I have just ordered a Coleman Classic Awning to use with our Canyon 6 when we go away in July.
Has anyone else bought one of these awnings - if so - how do they attach and are they easy to put up ? I couldn't find any instructions online although I assume it will arrive with written instructions. Does it stand up to strong winds etc ?
I got one of these too last week with my Ridgeline 4 , from what i have read they'll attach to any tent not just Coleman's and appear to be attached using tensioned straps to the rear of the tent then poled and guyed out to the front... the instructions that come with the awning are far from comprehensive and are pictorial rather than written though and a bit of trial and error may be required ...on the upside the awning does appear to be quite big...if i get a chance to try it out again this week i'll let you know how i got on.
Not sure we will get chance to try ours out until we actually go away with it in 3 weeks so should give all the other campers a laugh watching us trying to work it out !!!!
We put ours up at the weekend to try it (b'cos of rubbish pictorial instructions!) and its huge ! The width of awning sits over the length of coleman 6 and is secured with guy ropes & pegged out at the back. The front is poled, ring and pin then has a tension strap. Hope that all makes sense. It certainly creates a lot more usable outdoor space.
I bought one and was a bit disappointed with it. It`s huge, certainly, but it doesn`t have enough guying points and my feeling is it will turn into a giant kite in high winds. There`s so much open unsupported canvas for the wind to catch under. I personally intend to take it down at night and when we`re off site, same as I would a gazebo. Hubby and I (both olde timers at camping) couldn`t get it up in the very moderate breeze that was blowing first time we tried. We had to wait for the flat calm the next day.
However in it`s defence I have to agree it does what it says on the tin...err, blurb. It`s sold as a sun canopy and it looks great for that. It`s not sold as a rain or wind canopy. If you`re buying it with the view to cooking under it and sitting under it in poor weather, you`re going to be disappointed. The canvas can`t be tensioned out to any major degree so the rain will gather in huge puddles on top of it, and it`s only got a HH of 300 so these puddles will quite possibly leak...that is, if the weight doesn`t tip the whole lot on you or your tent.
I`ve chucked it in with the big Vango to use as a sun canopy when we go to France.
I saw these at the start of the season and was sure they must have copied us!! We got a Weschel light weight tarp (2000HH) last year, and a pair of extendable porch poles to go with a spare pair we already had, and can now rig up a versatile canopy which DOES withstand rain. It has 3 guying points down each side (including one that is double guyed) and it can withstand some high winds, though we did take it down when the weather turned very bad.
This Coleman one looks great, but if the HH is only 300mm then it really is just for sunny weather.
I got mine from e-awnings but still not used it although been away twice, a bit worried after reading about how it would probley take of, mind you we do use a gazebo with delta pegs and not had any prolems (touch wood)
Quote: Originally posted by squirty on 28/6/2006
Couldnt you increase the rain resistance by spraying it with waterproofing spray?.
Unfortunately no. This does not improve the HH rating of synthetic fabric, as the waterproofing is a chemically bonded surface on the inside of the fabric- all the spray does is make the water "bead" up on top of the fabric, so it is more likely just to run off.