How to pitch
First caravan break in a couple of weeks - the outfit has arrived and is sat on the drive, I am working out how it all operates and worrying about all the details.
We have a hard standing pitch with awning booked, but haven’t yet picked up an awning. I have my eye on one but at 3.6m deep it seems big - I’m worried it’ll overhang the pitch, which I understand is a no-no. Can guylines/storm straps reach onto the grass?
In researching all this I see talk of a ‘peg’ - I assumed there’s some kind of marker denoting where you should locate the van and this will ultimately determine how much space you have on the pitch to the side, which may have to accommodate the awning and a car.
Will a large awning like that cause problems at some sites or is it nothing to worry about? The outfit is 2.23m overall width.
Comments
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That's going to be a big heavy bulky awning that you will most probably have to carry in the car because of its weight. Do you really need one that's almost twice as wide as your van?
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You do have to put back off side, or front near side of your outfit to the peg. The car usually goes one side and the awning the other. Although there are site variations. On some for instance, the pitch is narrower and the car goes in front. Due to fire break spacing the peg isn’t always in the optimum position on the pitch and can give you a reduced space on one side of the van. I can think of many pitches we have been on where it would have been very difficult / impossible to fit in a 3.6 awning. Not so bad if there is plenty of choice when you arrive, but could be a problem if just a few pitches left.
As far as the grass strip is concerned this is not part of your pitch and strictly you should not put anything permanent into / on it. It mucks up cutting the grass.😀
I don’t know how many of you there are but if only two, I would give it a season without. Or perhaps with a simple roll out. Plus ask the question, do you really want to be spending hours putting up a tent after you arrive.
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I would go for the narrower awning as the whole idea of touring is to set up ASAP and crack open a bottle of wine and relax rather than having to look for wider pitch that will accommodate that size of awning and if you do need more space buy one to which you can fit an annexe at a later date
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Steve. It certainly does not take me, and I suspect everyone after a bit of practise, 'Hours putting up a tent'!
Back to the OP, yes I think you could have a problem on some Club sites with such a large awning. Do you really need such an enormous extension to your living area? It is a vast bulk of canvas to heave around and travel with. Suggest you go to a dealer and have a look at other smaller awning.1 -
Agreed, we could also put up our tents very quickly. I have noticed some folk taking ages but most seem to accomplish it fairly quickly. It’s just my bias showing through. We tented for over 30 years and although we enjoyed it immensely, when we bought a caravan I had no intention of ever putting one up again.😂
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Figbat, I'd have a look around at second hand awnings. People tend to buy them and then find they're a pain so sell them again. There's a lesson in that 🙂
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Thanks all - good input received all round. The one I had identified was a second hand one on eBay - it looked good until I realised how big it was. Anyway, I've found a much shallower one (2.4m) so hopefully this will be easier to handle and fit on pitches. With a family of 4 we feel it will add an overspill space, storage, boot room, drying room kind of area as an airlock between outside and the van.
I come to caravans from tents, so the pitching is not an issue and will, no doubt, be easier and quicker than the 6-berth tent plus extension we used to have to put up. Plus, if the weather is inclement, you can always sit in the van and not bother until later, which isn't an option when all you have to live in is a tent.
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I think you've made a wise decision to buy secondhand and the shallower version, FB. 👍
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Figbat,
If I was you I would try and have a look at a Caravan site near where you live, ask if you can have a stroll around and note others awnings. We always chose an Isabella Awning full and Porch and they tend to be on the large side, but never had difficulty in erecting them or dismantling them. For a family of four the few extra pegs for the gained width will be a plus I would have thought. We have been with the club for43 years and never came across a pitch that was too small to fit our awnings if they needed to be used. The most important thing to do is enjoy yourselves and don't worry about your new adventure there will be a lot of help and advice around.
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I have a 3m deep Isabella full size awning and never had a problem regarding pitch size.
As for erecting it, I have to do this completely by myself and it takes me about 2 - 21/2 hours including putting all the equipment in it. Most times the hardest part is driving the pegs in solid ground and this would be the same with all awnings.
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W....2.5 hrs....?!?.
On our impromptu tour back from Portugal along the Algarve a couple of years ago we would have pulled in somwhere, explored a bit, had lunch and been on our way to the next stop before you'd even got the awning up.
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I use the awning i referred to for stays over a week. I have a porch awning for stays between 3-7 days. for shorter stays i wouldn't normally bother with an awning.
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what happens if your first stop is 2 days, the second stop 5 days and the third stop 8 days?😬
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I that case i either have a lot of large heavy bags on a roof rack or i employ DHL for their logistical expertise.
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It is a different style of touring. I see the time spent putting up an awning as an investment to the overall enjoyment of the stay. It doubles the living space of the caravan and you can have comfortable chairs for seating and relaxing, larger tables and more storage space for the things you need for the holiday.
It is a different style of touring not better or worse, just different.
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why has this thread gone to awnings?
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The OP was asking opinions on the practicality of a 3.6m deep awning
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Bump
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sorry meant time to put one up and why do it, and the surprise from BB's post
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Back to earlier mention of position on the peg. This is a guide to ensure fire break distances. You can go across the pitch if it fits your needs better.
At 3.6m depth that awning is going to be be bigger than a family would realistically need and as mentioned take a long time to set up.
We could get a full pitch and set-up including a 5.5 x 3m awning down to about 45/50 minutes with the two of us working like a well oiled machine after years of practice.
Colin
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I'm not sure you can automatically go across the pitch on club sites. I've not seen this since the 'peg' system was introduced. It is normally nose in or reverse in.
You may be able to do that but you would have to ask the warden's permission first as it may breach the 6/3 m rule.
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Across the pitch would need the warden's permission, EM. It maybe allowed for you because you have a compact van but that wouldn't be the case for many.
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With my last caravan, I inherited a 2.5m deep full awning. After the porch awning I had been used to it was cavernous. I just didn't need that much space so I sold it and went back to the porch awning. Even that took me about forty minutes to do a complete set-up whilst OH prepared the vittles.
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love it....👍
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Actually there are people who will put up your awning for you. I recall seeing two adverts for this in two information rooms.
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BB
You must realise that different people have a different criteria to their holiday. They may like to lounge in their Awnings and find it no hardship to erect them for the reward they get. Those same people will visit places father a field than you may cycle to and sit in the awning while it rains watching cyclists get wet. Your way is the right way for you not everyone, as they will have their way also.
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if i was you i would buy a air awning with a kampa awning pully you can pull any size awning one handed with the pully once on put 12 volt pump on set it at correct psi go and do water and electric then just peg it down job done no arguing with the better half as you do it solo
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