Caravan awning

golivers travels · Guru

Caravan awning

Cruising Cruze · Guru

G'day Paul

Don't know if you saw ours at Wuruma Dam
I had on side up for the wind
ours is like shade cloth but still hold the wind out

complete set bis around $2300

Cheers John

have a look here http://www.suparvaustralia.com.au/category_s/77.htm

-- Edited by Cruising Cruze on Saturday 25th of May 2013 05:00:16 PM

Cupie · Guru

Roll out awnings are almost exclusively vinyl.

Annex walls can be either vinyl, canvas or shade cloth. (Though I have seen some light weight ones on Kimberley Campers .. Japara or similar maybe)

I have had all vinyl since I got my van 14 years ago & its still going well.

Ours has zip up doors in both ends of the side wall plus large mesh windows covering around 80% of all walls, side, front & rear, all with zip up covers. A fantastic option. Covers down for cold or wet weather & up for hot, or windy weather. Stops the wind & a bit of sun but the area remains relatively cool & you still enjoy the view but in private.

If you are really into reducing weight then the shade cloth ones are a great option ... except maybe in strong rain/wind or cold.

If it were my choice I would go for the vinyl with mesh window sections.

-- Edited by Cupie on Saturday 25th of May 2013 05:54:02 PM

my van · Guru

I am thinking of buying walls for the roll out awning ( a 13 ft caravan , awning is about 10 ft long )

what to buy vinyl , or other

I see a lot of vinyl ones about then other campers use a different type.

Some people have a door in the end of the awning , others have a door way in the long side .

I beleive the vinyl is expensive.

Olley46 · Guru

my van wrote:

I am thinking of buying walls for the roll out awning ( a 13 ft caravan , awning is about 10 ft long )
what to buy vinyl , or other
I see a lot of vinyl ones about then other campers use a different type.
Some people have a door in the end of the awning , others have a door way in the long side .
I beleive the vinyl is expensive.

Hi Paul

I have a complete vinyl annex on my 21ft Westport ,I have had both canvas now the vinyl,the idea is to travel as light as possible, give the vinyl a miss it is to heavy,but I must say the vinyl will outlast any canvas annex you can roll vinyl up wet and it won't hert it, canvas will go mouldy and hard to remove,vinyl would be more expensive but last longer,take your pick.

Lance C

my van · Guru

Cupie wrote:
Roll out awnings are almost exclusively vinyl.
Annex walls can be either vinyl, canvas or shade cloth. (Though I have seen some light weight ones on Kimberley Campers .. Japara or similar maybe)

I have had all vinyl since I got my van 14 years ago & its still going well.
Ours has zip up doors in both ends of the side wall plus large mesh windows covering around 80% of all walls, side, front & rear, all with zip up covers. A fantastic option. Covers down for cold or wet weather & up for hot, or windy weather. Stops the wind & a bit of sun but the area remains relatively cool & you still enjoy the view but in private.
If you are really into reducing weight then the shade cloth ones are a great option ... except maybe in strong rain/wind or cold.
If it were my choice I would go for the vinyl with mesh window sections.

-- Edited by Cupie on Saturday 25th of May 2013 05:54:02 PM

Thank you . The idea of keeping out the cold , wind and above all mosquitoes, would be great

My roll out awning is only about 10 ft front to back

Maybe a door at front and back

with a large window in the long side is what I am thinking at the moment.

about $ 1500

Sheba · Guru

http://www.suparvaustralia.com.au/category_s/77.htm

ShortNorth · Senior Member

Cupie wrote:
.............................If you are really into reducing weight then the shade cloth ones are a great option ... except maybe in strong rain/wind or cold..................

We have an Aliner - we got the awning with the van, but decided to make our own annexe. Actually we have two annexes - one in 70% shademesh and one in light canvas. Each section is fully interchangeable, so we can mix and match any combination of shade or solid walls.

We usually have solid walls at the drawbar end and shademesh walls at the back end. This was good until we encountered significant wind and rain at one camp and the wind blew rain right through the annexe area.

So, when we got home we looked for an answer - my wife came up with a very workable solution. She bought a couple of cheap plain plastic shower curtains - cut them to fit each shademesh wall, and fitted sew-on Velcro strips about 100mm long about 300mm apart all around the sides of each wall. The shower curtains were slightly longer than the shademesh, so when in place the bottom of the curtain just sticks out under the shademesh to direct the water outside.

Well ! we're very impressed, this system weathered a substantial storm on the beachfront at Kingscliff with very little water getting into the annexe. It only takes a minute or two to fit the 'internal raincoats' to the annexe and to take them down when the storm has passed. They are also light to carry and easy to store in the van.

Cupie · Guru

mike54 wrote:
Yes....The sound that is certain to turn heads.Another caravaner has proceeded to use their van to rearrange an awning or two in the main street of those old towns with deep angled gutters.I've had many people over the years come in for repairs not knowing how they exactly damaged their van - leaving a poor shop owner with a wrecked awning.I saw a classic example in Charters Towers of a rig exiting a park in the main street only to take out part of an awning.The driver was oblivious to the damaged caused to van and awning.Shop owner was yelling to no avail as caravan went on its merry way.

Yes I can relate to this comment. Have done a bit of this sort of thing myself over the years.

On exiting a CP on the Mornington Peninsular, I took a LH turn too early & wiped off the center pole of the awning! The CP operator had put in a pole to protect his exit gate from damage. It did the job well!

Then was the time that I almost wiped out the shade roof over the fuel pumps at Camooweal. Not the awning this time, it was the other side that I jammed against the roof braces. Had to get SWMBO to lean against the structure to allow me to exit the servo without tearing the place down.

Had another incident when the bloody rear awning bracket wiped off a tap on the building wall on the side of the CP exit lane, again at Camooweal. Water everywhere! They have since changed the exit route. Maybe I wasn't the only one.

I suppose that I could include on the list, the damage to the RH rear edge of the van that I caught on a branch of the dividing hedge at a Portland? CP. Turned L too early that time!

Better stop at that least you get the impression that I am a rotten driver. SWMBO reckons that I need improvement.

But I am very aware of the van tipping towards the overhead awnings in the towns with those tapered gutters. I am wary of them in some of those through roads with the power poles close to the gutter like heading south on Adelaide's A13. I always stay in the center lane on that road. So I haven't yet fallen fowl of that one.

-- Edited by Cupie on Sunday 26th of May 2013 09:36:53 AM

my van · Guru

I have been reading the post people have sent in and some good thinking

has been derived from these messages , Giving me more thoughts and ideas .

Thanking you for the comments

The idea of having a door at front and back .......good

the idea of very large windows is also a good idea , I do hope they keep the insects out ok.

Some camping places are shocking for bites

I am assumeing that these awning sides are easy to put up ,

I will most likely have to manage it while relying on a walking stick or M/scooter

to get my useless body about. Standing is ok just walking is sometimes difficult.

Sometimes I am a little unsure if I will be able to get these walls up by myself,

I will take a bit of time.to get them up them up .

So I am thinking od getting one wall ( first, an end ) at a time , if this is easie enough to handle I will get another , then another.

my van · Guru

Cupie wrote:
mike54 wrote:
Yes....The sound that is certain to turn heads.Another caravaner has proceeded to use their van to rearrange an awning or two in the main street of those old towns with deep angled gutters.I've had many people over the years come in for repairs not knowing how they exactly damaged their van - leaving a poor shop owner with a wrecked awning.I saw a classic example in Charters Towers of a rig exiting a park in the main street only to take out part of an awning.The driver was oblivious to the damaged caused to van and awning.Shop owner was yelling to no avail as caravan went on its merry way.
Yes I can relate to this comment. Have done a bit of this sort of thing myself over the years.
On exiting a CP on the Mornington Peninsular, I took a LH turn too early & wiped off the center pole of the awning! The CP operator had put in a pole to protect his exit gate from damage. It did the job well!
Then was the time that I almost wiped out the shade roof over the fuel pumps at Camooweal. Not the awning this time, it was the other side that I jammed against the roof braces. Had to get SWMBO to lean against the structure to allow me to exit the servo without tearing the place down.
Had another incident when the bloody rear awning bracket wiped off a tap on the building wall on the side of the CP exit lane, again at Camooweal. Water everywhere! They have since changed the exit route. Maybe I wasn't the only one.
I suppose that I could include on the list, the damage to the RH rear edge of the van that I caught on a branch of the dividing hedge at a Portland? CP. Turned L too early that time!
Better stop at that least you get the impression that I am a rotten driver. SWMBO reckons that I need improvement.

But I am very aware of the van tipping towards the overhead awnings in the towns with those tapered gutters. I am wary of them in some of those through roads with the power poles close to the gutter like heading south on Adelaide's A13. I always stay in the center lane on that road. So I haven't yet fallen fowl of that one.

-- Edited by Cupie on Sunday 26th of May 2013 09:36:53 AM

yep...! my pop top, 13 ft., carries a scar from a service station . Some one ( possibly the owner ) thought it was a good idea to put a post near the bowser to protect it from cars and caravans

I really don't know what they were thinking .

of course some one would hit that dam post one day ......hahha

eureka · Senior Member

ShortNorth wrote:
Cupie wrote:
.............................If you are really into reducing weight then the shade cloth ones are a great option ... except maybe in strong rain/wind or cold..................
This was good until we encountered significant wind and rain at one camp and the wind blew rain right through the annexe area.
So, when we got home we looked for an answer - my wife came up with a very workable solution. She bought a couple of cheap plain plastic shower curtains - cut them to fit each shademesh wall, and fitted sew-on Velcro strips about 100mm long about 300mm apart all around the sides of each wall. The shower curtains were slightly longer than the shademesh, so when in place the bottom of the curtain just sticks out under the shademesh to direct the water outside.
Well ! we're very impressed, this system weathered a substantial storm on the beachfront at Kingscliff with very little water getting into the annexe. It only takes a minute or two to fit the 'internal raincoats' to the annexe and to take them down when the storm has passed. They are also light to carry and easy to store in the van.

What a great idea!!!

Hey ShortNorth I've been looking for something light weight to protect from rain. Always up for a challange to home make stuff.

With heavy rain warnings I always batton down the hatches and close the annex but these 'internal raincoats will be fantastic for normal rain.

I can't manage heavy canvas type walls on my own so have bought light weight shademesh walls that velcro on and also made summer flyscreen walls from, of course flyscreen from Bunnings, easy.

Helen

Two Strays · Senior Member

Hello All

We have four annexes over the years and they have all been canvas, three were made by Tebbs, the other Aussie Traveller. All have been good and served us well. I have stuck with canvas because of it's lighter weight and durability. As we all know canvas must not be packed away damp.

We have considered vinyl as a subsitute for canvas but decided against it because is heavier than canvas. We also witnessed the amazement of two caravanners (brothers travelling together with every thing the same even their wives were twins sisters) who unrapped their vinyl annexes and discovered a line of small holes in the walls of their annexes. It was caused by the vinyl walls being packed in a cupboard, positioned up against the van inner walls, thereby causing the holes to develop while travelling. They were not happy chappies.

I would stay with canvas for any future annexes.

Happy Caravanning.

-- Edited by Two Strays on Sunday 26th of May 2013 10:22:14 PM

rickpeppy · Member

Try ebay,priced an awning for my van local $2500 fitted,went to ebay and got same brand delivered for $950 and took 2 of us 3 hours to fit,big save.

my van · Guru

Two Strays wrote:
Hello All
We have four annexes over the years and they have all been canvas, three were made by Tebbs, the other Aussie Traveller. All have been good and served us well. I have stuck with canvas because of it lighter weight and durability. As we all know canvas must not be packed away damp.
We have considered vinyl as a subsitiute for canvas but decided against it because is heavier than canvas. We also witnessed the amazement of two caravanners (brothers travelling together with every thing the same even their wives were twins sisters) who unrapped their vinyl annexes and discovered a line of small holes in the walls of their annexes. It was caused by the vinyl walls being packed in a cupboard, positioned up against the van walls, thereby causing the holes to develop while travelling. They were not happy chappies.
I would stay with canvas for any future annexes.
Happy Caravanning.

I have not looked at a canvas one as yet , I will be sure to see one

Cupie · Guru

my van wrote:
I do hope they keep the insects out ok.
Some camping places are shocking for bites
I am assumeing that these awning sides are easy to put up ,
I will most likely have to manage it while relying on a walking stick or M/scooter
to get my useless body about. Standing is ok just walking is sometimes difficult.
Sometimes I am a little unsure if I will be able to get these walls up by myself,
I will take a bit of time.to get them upthem up .
So I am thinking od getting one wall ( first, an end ) at a time , if this is easie enough to handle I will get another , then another.

The mesh screens of my Kakadu vinyl annex keep out the mossies & flies. Not so sure about sandflies though but I think so. Always use repellant when they are about.

Ease of fitting is a good point. The ends of mine are difficult to fit & I often have a sore neck/back after putting them up.

It's a pretty old make so the modern ones may have overcome that problem.

Be sure to try out the process before committing & make sure that the one you start with can be extended to a suitable full annex.

By the way, mine is not a one person job. A little assistance is required to guide the side panel into the slot in the awning rafter.

Because of he time & effort involved, we only put up the full annex if we are staying for more than 3 days.

I think that Vinyl v Canvas is like the timber v metal frame argument amongst caravanners. Vinyl & Metal for me. (but maybe modern sandwich/fibre glass methods have put this argument to bed. Or maybe just introduced another point of difference)