Autotrail Tracker EKS awning
Hi folks, i am about as new to motor homes as you can get, our shiny new Tracker EKS is ours to collect on the 20th of March with no other motor home experience i could do with some advice.
We have the need for an awning and not sure which brand or style to buy, could do with some hints from other EKS owners,.
Many thanks for any help you may be able to offer.
Martin
PS, Our 1st trip out is on the 30thMarch.
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Hello and welcome to CT and the wonderful world of motorhoming.
Our motorhome came with an attached windout sun canopy and a safari room that can be attached. We have never used the safari room, not easy to erect 😉. Never needed and would have to be removed before moving off for any reason.
The windout sun canopy is a great asset 😆. Used to offer shade from sun, shelter from the rain. We never leave it out whilst not in the motorhome - we've seen the damage caused when a breeze got up in someone's absence 😲😲.
There are threads on here over the years about NOT over buying before you've had several runs out. There are cupboards, lofts, sheds and garages all over the country full of what we thought useful/essential 😂. The search facility on this forum is not good so can't pinpoint them.
Another BIG issue with buying for the motorhome is weight of essentials ie other half, fuel, some water for the loo flush and a cuppa, crockery, pots and pans, cutlery, toiletries, clothing and footwear all weigh and add up! It is easy to exceed your payload VERY EASILY. Added extras including a sun canopy are all added weight.
Most of us stock our motorhome in ready for action mode - just add water, contents of fridge and ourselves for the off 😆. But to begin with there's no reason not to take things from indoors. Make a list of what your activities require and add.
We have several must haves external silverscreen keeps out heat and cold in the cab, and 'unbreakable' crockery buy from IKEA at 50p an item. 😆 to name a couple.
Don't be frightened to ask questions, there are no silly ones! There's lots of experience and knowledge amongst the posters here. Sometimes there are lots of ways of doing the same things 😉
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Thanks for the info so far, i did anticipate weight issues, we currently own a Sterling Eccles 442 and so are conscious of limits and distribution.
The salesman at Chelston recommended registering it under 3650kg to help with this problem, and so the extra 150kg will come in useful.
The reason for an awning is that we have an English Springer doggy and we tend to use a small travel crate for the little fella to sleep in, as well as a couple of chairs and a spare kitchen sink, so rather than leaving stuff lying around behind a wind break a small awning would suit our needs.
Our intention is to buy a lightweight but, need advise from other EKS owners as to their purchases.
Martin, Sue and Georgie dog.
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I'd hold fire on buying an awning for a couple of months. After that period of time you'll know whether you will want the extra work to put up and take down and store. Also you'll be on many campsites where you will see some MH awnings and you'll chit chat to the owners about their experiences and then decide if and what sort you will want.
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One thing you quickly learn with a MH, GD, is how much stuff you can do without.
When on site, you could store chairs under the van, as you could a collapsible dog crate. Alternatively, put the stuff in the cab which is what we do when pitched with anything bulky. Some people find a small pop up tent useful for storing things when on site and that doesn’t hamper movement of the van. Imagine having to dismantle/disconnect an awning just to drive across the site to do your tanks! Have you not wondered why so few MHs sport full awnings? The wind out canopy is a different matter altogether.
Personally, I would find an awning so much trouble that it would negate the benefits of having a MH (for me) and I’d think I might as well have kept the cvan.
Each to their own, though, but please be aware of the downside. It’s been suggested that you try the van for a few nights before you commit to an awning and I heartily second that suggestion.
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That would be my preferred option, too, Husky.
It’s no great loss if it doesn’t work out either.
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Well it would appear that the MRO is 3190kg (Auto trail figures) giving a potential 310kg inc driver for the 3500kg rated EKS and 460kg for the 3650kg rated EKS, max gross train weight is 4750kg so a sensible load of accessories should be a safe bet.
Our dog gets very muddy on a daily basis and i have no intention of letting him into my shiny new van until he has dried out or is at least clean so i still think an awning will be the route we take.
Is there any body out there with a Tracker EKS.
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You might get away with carrying the kitchen sink with 460kg, GD, if you're careful. Are you towing, only I wonder why you quoted the GTW as this has no bearing on a solo vehicle?
We're only trying to point out the pitfalls and possibly save you wasting your money because, as you said yourself, you’re new to MHs. Ultimately, it’s your choice.
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We picked our EKS Tracker up on Tuesday from Chelston and drove straight over to the Devon and Somerset trading standards Weigh bridge (hopefully fairly accurate).
The weight was 3080kg, for anybody out there that has any interest, this is unladen without fluids or passengers and only 20lt of fuel.0
