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hi sazzy, i have recently bought a new van and the awning i had for my old luner clubman may fit your van i was going to put it on ebay but i never seem to get round to it, i also have a porch awning ( never used it ) got all the insructions for both,in good nick too if you are near to me ( farnbourgh hants ) you could come and have a look,or i have some photo's somewhere i could email too you, not looking for much mabye £100  for both of them, just want them out off my garage.let me know on here or email me george.irvine at ntlworld.com 

cheers

munchter

I think in your situation you would find an awning useful. Whether you need to rush out and buy one immediately is another matter. I would see how your first trip away goes. Have a look at NR Awings they offer excellent value and are well made. Our boys are grown up now so we make do with a Caravanstor casette awning. As it sits in the awning rail we put it up when we want to.

David  

I would suggest you go to the £ shop they do lots of useful things you may need. I bought our awning from ebay, it's not bad and has zip out sides and that was £25 so there are bargains to be had.  As for tow bars, I haven't bought a new one yet. I have searched local papers, ebay, even put my own wanted ads and I have paid about £35-£50 and hubby has always fitted them, does take a while but well worth the saving, it's just a thought.

I am a family of 5, if you just take the bear minimum with you, you could do it.  Not ideal I must admit but I wouldn't let it stop you going away.  It depends how roomy you feel your caravan is, but you will soon find out when you use it.  When we took our last caravan away I liked it at first it wasn't until we went away in it we realised it was just far too small in the width, it was so narrow the kids couldn't even get around the table to eat without crawling under the table.  We sold it after that.  Once you go away you will soon find out what you need and don't need. I wish you luck

To be honest we wouldn't be without one. We don't bother with it if its just for a couple of day, but a week or more its an absolute bonus. With 2 young kids we take a tv/dvd palyer in case its raining or can't get out. Also one of those fairly light patio chairs which we put up in the awning. The kids can paint and draw out there then leaving more room in the caravan. Also, if a couple of friends visit there's extra sleeping space (kids think its great).

Shop around for your towbar etc, they vary in price greatly I found. Try Ebay for an awning, some great bargains (I paid £150 for a 4yrs old Trio which now costs £850 new). Remember however to measure your caravan properley in order to get the right size. Get a peice of string or similar (preferably non stretch) and run it round the awning channal making sure each end then just touches the ground and thats your measurement in cms. Have a good trip. It takes a period of time to build up your kit but its worth it in the end.

We had an awning when the children were young (now 26 and 23!). It was fine when it was up, but I always loathed the business of putting it up and taking it down, drying it before it went mouldy etc, etc. Now that we are on our own we really enjoy touring at home and abroad, and it's so much easier to pitch and to move off without an awning. We did buy a cheap (£85) basic Dorema sun canopy which we can put up and take down in minutes, and it's wonderful in hot weather. It's also pretty waterproof, and we can dry it off by directing warm air into the washroom.

It all depends what you are comfortable with. I wouldn't rush out and spend a lot of money on an awning until you've done a few trips. The comment about pup tents was a good one; we used one once the children were old enough. It gave them a feeling of independence, and of course they put it it up themselves.
Best of luck
Graham

Quote: Originally posted by graham48 on 02/4/2006

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It was fine when it was up, but I always loathed the business of putting it up and taking it down, drying it before it went mouldy etc, etc. Now

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