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Glad it all went well with the towing. It is fun putting up the awning first time      

Quote: Originally posted by CandP on 04/5/2009

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It beats a tent!!

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Quote: Originally posted by michael on 05/5/2009

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FUN, I bet there have been more arguments over awnings over the years!! LOL

guaranteed divorce material.lol

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We are finally getting the hang of putting up the awning but it does take practice and at 1st i could never have worked out what poles go where but luckily my lovely dh is really good at working things out.  I now recognise what bit goes where so can help with what comes next but dh is in charge and i follow his lead.  I do think that this has helped us, to have one person in charge when putting up an awning.  We don't get too grumpy putting it up now :)

In the case of awnings i do believe practice makes perfect...

We went to Sherrif Hutton for our 1st weekend too.  Back there again in 4 weeks (love the layour with the play area in the middle).  Your 1st experience sounds very much like ours - a few minor mishaps but loved every minute regardless.

You did get further with the awning tho - we stared at it, shuffled poles around then packed it back up!  The guy at our storage site is giving us a lesson next weekend. 

CandP

So glad you enjoyed your first outing in your van. 

Once you get the hang of everything it only gets better.   If you can photocopy your awning instructions and then get the copies laminated.  You can use them in whatever weather then - we found that useful.  We have an isabella awning so if we can help we will just ask.  

We have just got back from our last outing in this van.  Get our new van next weekend and send the awning away on Monday to be extended.  So we will be just like you at the end of May when we go away again in a new van... have to learn all over again but it is fun.  

Enjoy... take lots of wine... and enjoy more!!!!

Quote: Originally posted by CandP on 09/5/2009

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Thanks for that Karen,

I think we may have sussed what we were doing wrong. We did not lay all the poles out correctly and it looks like its easier if you put the middle in 1st then to the two corner poles.......but we will see.

We will try again at the end of the month!

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Yes - we can vouch for starting with the middle pole.  I usually stand and hold the middle pole - and if it is windy I hang on tightly to the centre strip of canvas too - to stop it blowing over the roof of the van!  Mr U-M then leaves me hanging on to the middle, whilst he goes to each corner in turn.  We have marked our awning rail to show us where the centre rafter pole should go - which is helpful.

That's not to say we don't have any problems with it - we have never yet put it up and kept our smiles in place throughout!!!

Mrs U-M

CandP

"Yes - we can vouch for starting with the middle pole.  I usually stand and hold the middle pole - and if it is windy I hang on tightly to the centre strip of canvas too - to stop it blowing over the roof of the van!  Mr U-M then leaves me hanging on to the middle, whilst he goes to each corner in turn"

That is the same method we use although oh now puts a peg in the centre piece to save me standing there like a lemon.  Also he is a tad short so he needs help sometimes too... lol

We then just put one peg in each corner, put the side panels in and start pegging down.  It seems to work as at that point I have boiled the kettle several times and fed him with tea or beer. By the end he is too sozzled to argue!!!!

Works every time!!!

We had fun our first time putting the awning up, this time we're taking some small stick on white labels then once it's up we are going to stick one on each side of every join and number them, next time it should be as easy as matching number to number.

We also had a job holding our pathfinder awning up whist also zipping it in so this time we are taking a couple of diy hand grips to simply pull the canvas over, clamp near the top, then go and zip up.

Glad you had a great first trip out, keep enjoying the experience!

Neil