Do you use your wind out awning
Comments
-
We are not great ones for sitting outside unless the weather is really good and managed to pick up a Fiamma secondhand. While we use it all the time in France it probably hasn't been up more than a couple of times in this country.
0 -
We are very cautious about our awning and don't roll it out if there is any risk of wind or heavy rain. It is very good as a sunshade and we do use it on sunny days. we spend more days in Europe than in the UK. If it has been deployed on 100 days then it
costs us about £5 each time we use it plus say 1% extra fuel consumption. We are glad we have it nonetheless.There have been others like yourself mentioning heavy rain as a risk, why do you think this?
We find this as one of the most useful features of using one as it allows us to cook outdoors , keep a dryer area around the door and provide cover for tables and chairs etc.
The main thing to remember is to create a good slope on it to allow run off.
AD is right.....but also a central 'rafter' (especially a curved one) stops the awning (especially a large one) sagging in the middle and puddling.....pooled water is heavy and will test your awning.....
i now have a Thule Omnistor on our latest van but the two previous vans had Fiammas.....i had two 'spare' rafters in my garage and sold them both on ebay really quickly as they were recognised as useful for Fiamma owners and, onviously, no good for the Omnistor......
0 -
There is also something called the Magic Rafter Pro which is quite effective at stopping a Fiamma flapping about.
David
0 -
Use ours mainly for putting table and chairs under to keep dry and to BBQ under. Not generally much good as a sun canopy, as always seems to be in the wrong place for the time of day you want to use it. The beauty of it is how quick it is to roll up if high
winds are forecast. Last year we were away over 100 days and used the canopy at least two thirds of time. This is the second canopy we have bought, the first lasted 8 years before it's legs started giving out.0 -
The Thule one has different fittings for keeping the legs up compared to our Fiamma. Last year I saw a German camper using a Thule who hadn't put a slope on it and torrential rains came & the water collected between the arms & collapsed one leg. I
couldn't actually figure out how to get it back up again for him a she was out. The best thing we have bought recently was a full length sun shade screen, I think called a Fiamma Sun View XL for ours. Really good at creating extra shade because as someone
said above the overhead canopy does not provide a lot of shade generally as the sun moves. I may buy or improvise with an end one too at some point. Whilst not designed as a rain canopy this is a very good use for it in a motorhome to let you have some dry
area to eat, cook etc. before getting into the van. Regards, Roy0 -
THIS company do a good range of accessories for wind-out awnings. We have a half length waterproof panel (the Obelink All-Weather Front) that slides into the rail at the front of the wind-out. It is extremely useful both in very sunny conditions and in wet conditions where it keeps the rain from driving into the shaded area. In rain we ALWAYS drop one leg for fear of water collection on the roof. We too saw a vehicle at Cirencester Park site that had left their wind-out out in heavy rain overnight and the whole frame collapsed.
0 -
I'm a caravanner. We don't have a wind our awning, but we have a roll out (Rollaway) which we fingers very useful. Although it can convert into a full awning, when we went to France in 2014 we used the roll out roof almost exclusively without putting in
the panels. It was enough to keep our outside gear (tables, chairs, bins, chest fridge) dry when we had the odd short sharp shower. We only put the panels in for 4 days out of 6 weeks. Very useful for us.When (if!) we decide to upgrade the caravan, I am very likely to to for a Bailey alutech which are designed to take a 'proper' wind out awning roof rather than a manual roll out. I just wished Fiamma would update the style of there panels to make a wind
out into an enclosed awning. The panels look rather old fashioned to me.David
0 -
Also a caravanner but with the Fiamma canopy that lives on the awning rail. Used it many a time last year when touring overseas as I like a bit of shade on hot sunny days. This year I have purchased a side panel to give a little protection to the table/chairs
if a shower happens along or privacy if wanted.
0 -
I had wondered about the various roll out canopy/awning arrangement but have always been concerned about the challenge of reversing the proces especially for fairly short people like myself. Last year we bought an Isabella Shadow (cost £138) and we reckon
it is the best thing we have ever done for our French trips. I can put it up on my own in about five minutes. It provides sufficient shade and keeps the rain off the immediate outside area.0 -
I had wondered about the various roll out canopy/awning arrangement but have always been concerned about the challenge of reversing the proces especially for fairly short people like myself. Last year we bought an Isabella Shadow (cost £138) and we reckon it is the best thing we have ever done for our French trips. I can put it up on my own in about five minutes. It provides sufficient shade and keeps the rain off the immediate outside area.
But are you as short as PaulandKate ?? See their avatar !! They only come halfway up the lens !!
0 -
A rollout awning (manual) can be a bit of a challenge. It takes two of us to put up (and put away) the Rollaway roof. I bought two smallish step ladders from Argos, which I take with us on each trip. They travel behind my seat in the Disco, and when we're
on site they stand side by side under the awning a d act as shelved storeage for drinks of various sorts.David
0 -
I'm a caravanner. We don't have a wind our awning, but we have a roll out (Rollaway) which we fingers very useful. Although it can convert into a full awning, when we went to France in 2014 we used the roll out roof almost exclusively without putting in
the panels. It was enough to keep our outside gear (tables, chairs, bins, chest fridge) dry when we had the odd short sharp shower. We only put the panels in for 4 days out of 6 weeks. Very useful for us.When (if!) we decide to upgrade the caravan, I am very likely to to for a Bailey alutech which are designed to take a 'proper' wind out awning roof rather than a manual roll out. I just wished Fiamma would update the style of there panels to make a wind
out into an enclosed awning. The panels look rather old fashioned to me.David
David
The wind out type can be fitted to other make of caravans, ours is on a Lunar and if we changed the van the only thing we would need for the next van would be new fixing brackets as ours are clued on. See
here how it was fitted....Hi David. Sorry, I didn't make myself clear. It is my understanding that it could effect the warranty of the caravan if you add a wind out awning, but I don't think it effects the warranty on Bailey alutech vans as the Fiamma can be factory fitted.
This is my understanding, but I could be wrong.Thanks for the link. Interesting read.
David
0 -
I had wondered about the various roll out canopy/awning arrangement but have always been concerned about the challenge of reversing the proces especially for fairly short people like myself. Last year we bought an Isabella Shadow (cost £138) and we reckon
it is the best thing we have ever done for our French trips. I can put it up on my own in about five minutes. It provides sufficient shade and keeps the rain off the immediate outside area.We find it takes two and I used to stand on the caravan step to do my side until on a bit of a slope in France neither hubby nor I could reach. Quick visit to hardware store resulted in a lightway set of steps but yet another bit of kit to carry.
0 -
I thought of getting one as a shelter from heavy rain.. But having learned from this informative post that you can't leave them out in heavy rain, first taking off the extra rafter and storm straps that you needed for strong wind, dismantling the side panel
as well and folding that wet canvas up , carrying a step ladder or two to manage all this...well, perhaps I won't bother.0 -
We have a Fiamma with a front and 2 side panels of windblockers. The panels are black net like material and they also have roll down blue waterproof covers aswell, so if its raining and not overly windy then we just drop the blue waterproof bits, this gives
it an awning feeling. The windblockers are very light and not bulky, they fit in place in minutes on an extended pole, we then use a couple of clamps (from pound shop) to hold the canopy to the poles, so no flapping with cross winds. Like others have said
its important to have one leg shorter than another to allow water to run off. Having the front or side covers allow us to always have shade, no matter where the sun is coming in from, it takes seconds to roll them up or as in some cases drop the pole and roll
it down. As the sun gets lower towards the end of the year/evening it can come under the canopy, so just lower the legs and drop the front, simples
0 -
BB We did have one night where we hadnt created enough of a slope and the weight of water caused a "collapse" at one end but fortunately without damaging the Thule Omnistore.
AD, I thought I read earlier that yours collapsed on a rainy night.
0 -
I really do appreciate CT as one can gain so much helpful information. I have often spent an idel quarter of an hour or so looking at these various canopy or awning arrangements. Now having read comments from users I know for sure that, for us at least,
the simple Isabella Shadow is the very best solution - no stepladders needed!0 -
Stepladders
I only take the one caravan steps that allow me entrance to the van. I'm not tall by any means but can unzip and
leave the centre Velcro of my Fiamma canopy till last, then unroll. Reverse is the same and can roll my 3.6 metre canopy alone and fastening the centre Velcro first before moving my one steps to the outside in turn.Achievable by one person, yes but easier with two and certainly would need two if infirmed or not as agile as you use to be.
0 -
I really do appreciate CT as one can gain so much helpful information. I have often spent an idel quarter of an hour or so looking at these various canopy or awning arrangements. Now having read comments from users I know for sure that, for us at least,
the simple Isabella Shadow is the very best solution - no stepladders needed!No step ladder required with a wind out Fiamma, insert pole into hook and turn, drop down legs and adjust, I usually do it while OH is plugging in the EHU, takes but minutes.
0 -
I really do appreciate CT as one can gain so much helpful information. I have often spent an idel quarter of an hour or so looking at these various canopy or awning arrangements. Now having read comments from users I know for sure that, for us at least,
the simple Isabella Shadow is the very best solution - no stepladders needed!No step ladder required with a wind out Fiamma, insert pole into hook and turn, drop down legs and adjust, I usually do it while OH is plugging in the EHU, takes but minutes.
as TG say.....it can be a one person job, even if not the tallest...
wind it out a bit, far enough to swing one leg out (canopy leg, not the Hokey Cokey
) set leg height not too high, swing other
leg out to roughly same height, wind out to full extension, adjust each leg to appropriate height....apply tie down kit or front/side pieces as desired.....
0 -
BB, mind you, winding it in in when a high wind has blown up, can be a two person job, one holding on to the front rail (so the whole lot doesn't blow over the top of the van) and the other one winding in and securing the legs.I have done it single handed, By holding the strap in one hand and winding in with the other. Better to wind it in pre-emptively. But have never had a canopy damaged by high winds or rain. We never go out, leaving the canopy extended,and usually but not always,wind it in at night. A must have accessory never the less. Caravan awnings are just as vulnerable when erecting or taking down.
0 -
Having read these posts I wonder if anyone can help with my particular problem?
l have a Fiamma Caravanstore cassette awning permanently attached to my Bailey Cadiz and in the recent bad weather the wind has been able to lift the whole cassette and then let it drop thumping against the van wall. I need to be able to find a way to strap
down the awning bag to stop it lifting in the wind. There are two finger pulls on the zip with holes in them but I suspect putting something through them would either result in them breaking off or ripping them from the zip.Any suggestions gratefully received (except for putting a whacking great strap right over/round the van!!!).
0
