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23/11/2024 at 10:18am
Location: London
Outfit: Lunar Cosmos 524
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As said, only you can decide on it's worth to you!
I'd suggest it rather depends on the use you put it too. For me, I use mine to dry the dog off and clean mucky paws before letting her in the van, and take off and store my wet and mucky outdoor gear rather than transfer all the wet and muck into the van, so consider it of great value.
If I didn't have the dog, and/or the weather wasn't bad, there are times I wouldn't bother with the awning, especially for a short stay. I've certainly used my van without putting up the awning, did so for long w/e this past June.
In fairer times it's a nice sitting out, dinning, and social space too, but this time of year TBH it's too damned cold! - and no one will love you for heating it, least of all the site if they find out (usually banned under T&Cs)!
Practical aspect to using an awning in cold weather is that the windows can crack/split when erecting/packing as the usually PVC material goes quite brittle in the cold, and the inevitable creases and folds become particularly vulnerable! Most manufacturers advise against use in cold weather for this reason.
Then of course, the perennial problem of packing it up wet and having to dry it out at home for storage! Used mine at beginning of this month, and whilst the weather was dry, sunny and relatively warm on the pack up day, which dried the outside nicely, the inside was quite damp from condensation! I had to do quite a lot of mopping up to dry it, then leave all the doors open for hours before I deemed it sufficiently dry to pack for longer term storage. IMHO drying awnings at home (not attached to the van) is a right PITA!!!!!
IMHO, awning use, needs some thought, not just 'use because you always use'! There are Pros and Cons, relating to time of year, use, and duration of stay.
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24/11/2024 at 11:21am
Location: London
Outfit: Lunar Cosmos 524
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A question not asked so far - what kind of awning, how quick and easy to erect/take down? The type with lots of poles can be quite an effort.
I've got two porch awnings, a large heavy 3.3m Kampa airbeam one, and a smaller single poled 2.6m lightweight Sunncamp one.
The large Kampa is a great awning, but not particularly quick or especially easy to erect or take down, and an absolute PITA to dry at home as really not got anywhere big enough to do so! I don't subscribe to the airbeam 'too heavy/can't fit/can't cope' argument, I can do mine on my own, but there is a lot of it and it does takes time and effort.
The small Sunncamp is so easy to erect and take down, with it's single hooped pole, probably only 15-20 minutes if you only peg the circa 10 essential points, not the countless tags on mudflaps as well, and I can dry it on the clothes line at home (weather permitting!).
I did buy the Sunncamp after the Kampa and specifically for shorter stays, wouldn't dream of putting up the Kampa for less than a week's use! The Sunncamp on the other hand, especially if weather is fine is so quick and simple, it's worth putting up for just a w/e if you need the space.
So the 'do you or don't you' debate is influenced by what type of awning.
My Sunncamp has withstood a battering time and time again, in conditions that the manufacturers I'm sure would not recommend, but it does seem to be a robust design that sheds wind and rain far better than many awnings. I've used it in November in the Lake District through a couple of named storms, and it doesn't seem to have suffered at all.
So, back to do you or don't you, for me, drying out the awning after use for storage is very influential on my decision, balanced against the benefit of keeping as much wet and muck out of my van as possible by the opportunity to dry up and clean up (both me and the dog!) before entering van. On balance, if I was not planning too much outdoor activity with the dog in bad weather, I'd not bother with the awning for just a w/e.
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24/11/2024 at 12:58pm
Location: East Herts
Outfit: 1992 Elddis Wisp 450CT + X Trail
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Quote: Originally posted by Monty15 on 24/11/2024
A question not asked so far - what kind of awning, how quick and easy to erect/take down? The type with lots of poles can be quite an effort.
The large Kampa is a great awning, but not particularly quick or especially easy to erect or take down, and an absolute PITA to dry at home as really not got anywhere big enough to do so! I don't subscribe to the airbeam 'too heavy/can't fit/can't cope' argument, I can do mine on my own, but there is a lot of it and it does takes time and effort.
Our poled awning is by far the easiest to put up and take down, but it is very time consuming. The reason it is easy is because the "canvas" part comes in 5 sections which can each be put up independently. Once the roof is up I can do it all on my own. The air awning we had, even though it was much smaller, was all in one, and we struggled to put it up even with two of us. My back and neck problems don't let me lift anything much above shoulder height and my wife has back problems too. With the poled awning the heaviest thing I have to lift above shoulder height is a metal pole.
We also would have problems drying anything out at home, we simply don't have the space. We could probably get away with one piece of the poled-awning at a time, but the air awning would be impossible.
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Best Regards,
Colin
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Topic: Awnings in winter
via mobile 23/11/2024 at 9:17am
