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Well we have just bought our 1st caravan and really looking forward to using it, the van came with loads off extras and two awnings however it did not come with a groundsheet, so can anyone please give us some advice, tips or info on what type of groundsheet to go for? we bought a breathable groundsheet for our trailer tent but found the water, insects and damp  came through,  any ideas would be appreciated.

cheers tarry

Quote: Originally posted by Jax365 on 19/12/2010

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I don't bother with a groundsheet at all! I find that the grass is all I need for a carpet. I do however carry a small tarp just in case the ground is wet or slippery underfoot. Last spring and summer I never used it at all.

I find I can clean up most spills easily, any crumbs left for the birds on going, water spills just soak straight in and gone. I only sit and eat in the awning though.

I used to always use an awning, until I realised I was forever having to clean/sweep/wipe....

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no groundsheet for us either    had one in our early days   no groundsheet has never bothered us  breathables let water in  but also out    non breathable keep the water in    dry weather  dry feet no matter what is opn the ground   saves weight and saves bother

try living without one for a while and if you ok  you have the answer  

they'll be telling you next you need a telly too!!'

I got some breathable groundsheet which is about the size of a large hearth rug. I only use it in the high traffic areas, ie in and out of the extension of my tent (or your awning) and that is enough to stop the ground getting churned up. Campsites don't like you using a solid groundsheet as it damages the grass.

You only need to keep the wildlife out of your sleeping area, I expect you'd be sleeping in the caravan. If you intend to get someone to sleep in the awning you can pick up a awning 3 person inner which you string up inside the awning. I got one off ebay for less than a tenner.

We have a Carpetina carpet (recommended by the CC.) For cleaning you just run the hose pipe over it and leave it to dry. Whilst that works quite well it does still leave a stain from the mud, so you always have to lay it the same way with the stained side down so you don't see it. The carpet comes in fixed sizes. Weight for a full awning is 3.9Kg and comes in a plastic zipped bag so storage and packing is easy. 

Down side is that you can catch your feet (dogs claws) on it so that it drags across the floor and you have to keep replacing it. On hardstanding the stones still irritate the feet so we bought a softex breathable matting carpet. On the plus side at Strid Wood once it bucketed down and all the sites water seemed to flow under our awning but never came above the carpetina. That got wet but seemed to keep the water underneath. It soon dried out as well so we were not walking on a wet carpet. Not had any mud come through

The Softex comes on a roll in the shop so you can order as much a length as you want. This works really well on a hardstanding, so you can walk along it in socks without stones causing problems. It looks so much better inside the awning than the carpetina (which is looking sad after just a couple of seasons and you can't stick it in the washing machine to clean it properly). For cleaning I just lay the softex down in our courtyard and scrub it and it looks like new and does not stain (not yet anyway). Classy looking product. Weight for a porch awning piece is 5.6Kg and we carry it in the car rolled up. Doesn't really take up much room in the boot as everything else can pile on top of it.

We do take a small door mat with us for just inside the awning for cleaning the boots (and dog) rather than drag the mud over the carpet. We like to stroll around the awning in stocking feet rather than be putting boots on and off so we like to use a carpet.

Phil

Hi, thanks for the replies and info much appreciated.

tarry