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Hi,

I just don't know how you folk do it! Out awning takes us at least two hours from leaving the bag to having the bolon down, and all tidied up.

On a good day, we can take us four hours from arrival at site to actually having all bits and bobs sorted. (Tiffany lamp/bowl of fruit arranged etc)

Mr Ulti-Mate

hello everyone,

my husband and i bought a 2nd-hand bessacarr denaby 450 and went on our first trip last month to the Royal Welsh Agricultural show. The weather was dreadful and after the 4 days we had to be towed out of the farmers field by tractor! but we loved it, and so did our little grandsons. We had an apache awning with the van which was fine, i didnt time how long it took to put up, but it was at least a couple or hours. 

Now we are initiated into camping, we are thinking of buying a porch awning for when hubby and I go on our own for short breaks, as i'm sure a porch awning will be big enough for the needs of just the two of us.

I would deeply appreciate any advice from other members on the pro's and cons' of porch awnings, i fancy the thought of the PDQ type as they remain attached to the rail on the caravan, does anyone on here have any experience of them?  also i am concerned about the slope on our van, does it matter if the top of the awning is a bit lower on the left side? please share your experience of porch awnings with me before i spend out on one.  many thanks, i love reading these forums and have learnt plenty in the short time since i've joined ukcampsite. Mamaa

it's all good fun tho lol :-)

Does the time to erect include realising that your second hand porch awning didn't come with the pads that go against the caravan and having to drive from Buxton to Glossop caravans to buy some? If so we should win the booby prize as it took us 22 hours to put it up the first time! 

Had to abandon on the Friday night and didn't get it up until Saturday!

Carrie

Quote: Originally posted by Jafa on 11/8/2007

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Hi Mamaa

Welcome to UKCS forums! Having coped with the weather that has been thrown at us and still enjoyed it, then the best is yet to come. The reason I started this thread was for a similar reason; we wanted something that was quick to erect and a small porch awning seemed the ideal solution. My suggestion would be to do a search (see button at the top of the page) for porch awnings and you will get a list of other postings where their merits (or otherwise) have been discussed. There were some recent postings about PDQ awnings so I would read those before buying - it seems some like it, others do not. Porch awnings, being smaller than regular awnings, only fit part of the length of the van and you need to make sure that where you choose to put it fits okay, i.e. it doesn't cover a door, window or cover for water, toilet, etc. I can't comment on the shape of the van as ours is level, but I'm sure someone will be along who can guide you with this.

As I said in an earlier posting, we've only just got our lightweight porch awning (we already have a heavier, more traditional type) and my findings so far are that it is alot quicker and easier to put up with only 3 flexible poles, takes up alot less space and if it does get wet it will take no time at all to dry out. I'm quite sure they're not as durable as the heavier ones and so won't last as long, but still it serves a useful purpose I feel.

Good luck with your search and post away with any further questions.

Jane

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Hi Jane, many thanks for a lovely welcome to UKCS.

We eventually bought a sunncamp ultima 260 porch awning and are very pleased with, (although the skirt that came with it is a joke, it is 2ft short of the inside of the porch and doesnt sit right).  However, we went to the wonderful lee valley camp-site in Edmonton with our son and his girlfriend who were flat-hunting in london ready to start university there, and we had a great time, the awning was plenty big enough, and very light, so hubby was happy too. Many thanks again.  Jane xxx

...about 2hrs for us from out of the bag to all tidy and ready to use with groundsheet down, spare fridge filled up with beer and comfy chairs in place....

Dave

I really hate putting the awning up, hubby swearing and shouting, kids escape as soon as he get it out of the box