Awning size

fatbelly
fatbelly Forum Participant Posts: 438
100 Comments
edited June 2020 in Parts & Accessories #1

Hi All, we've got a motorhome with a fiamma canopy with 2 awning rails.

The lower of the rails is a max height at the rear of 247cm & 238cm at the front.

We've been looking at fixed motorhome specific awnings  but now we've been able to get the MH out of storage and measured as above our friends said that we could have a caravan type awning which opens up a lot more choice. Is this correct, with a max height of 247cm could we fit a caravan type of awning?

Also what width do you recommend? I think a width of 260cm is enough for us 2 with our table and 2 chairs. But my wife thinks we'd be better off with the space that a 300 or 330cm awning gives. What do you guys think?

Thanks

Comments

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,142 ✭✭✭
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    edited June 2020 #2

    How will you fix a caravan type awning to the side of your MH?

  • no one
    no one Forum Participant Posts: 216
    edited June 2020 #3

    Of course another thought with an awning is that would you want to use your MH for trips away from the pitch to visit places etc.

    in which case a driveaway awning would be better so you can just slide out the tunnel piece and move the MH. lining up again on return is the hard part but if you peg a hi viz guide line alongside the wheels when pitched, you can use this to park up again so you are in the right place for reattachment of the 'tunnel'

    I have a small MH (in pic) and use a 2.5x2.5m driveaway awning, just the right size for the two of us plus dog, and actually was ok with 4 around a table for a meal when it was raining. I would prefer an awning that is 2.5m deep but 3-3.5m long, but we always want more don't we!

  • fatbelly
    fatbelly Forum Participant Posts: 438
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    edited June 2020 #4

    Never had an awning but I'm assuming I'd feed it through the awning rail on my MH then peg it up to the side of my MH. We don't ever move off site in our MH, we pitch up then stay on pitch so a driveway isn't for us.

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,142 ✭✭✭
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    edited June 2020 #5

    You have an awning rail on your MH? That surprises me greatly.

    I suggest you check the height of your rail and that of awnings as MHs are usually higher than caravans.

  • fatbelly
    fatbelly Forum Participant Posts: 438
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    edited June 2020 #6

    The awning rail is on our fiamma canopy housing.I have measured the rail height (twice).The canopy housing has two rails on it.  One feeds from the front and is 249cm at its highest point and the lower rail feeds from the rear and is 247cm at its highest point. I've been told that caravan awnings fit a rail height between 235cm to 250cm. But I have no experience of awnings so any advice would be great.

     

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,142 ✭✭✭
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    edited June 2020 #7

    I don't know if this is feasible, FB. Obviously you can only contemplate a porch awning as your rail is not ground to ground. All I can suggest is to have a look at manufacturers' websites and study their size guides - Isabella, Dorema and so on.

  • no one
    no one Forum Participant Posts: 216
    edited June 2020 #8

    I see my post didn't post.

    same as  TW

    the Fiamma awning rail is a straight line and only the length of the canopy.

    on My van (in the pic) my awning rail runs from just over the cab (on the other side) all along the top edge then down to the bottom at the rear, which is similar to a caravan although on a caravan it runs down at both ends.

    not sure a caravan awning will work, although some larger caravans may have a Fiamma canopy, I guess they use the side panels or a motorhome awning

     

  • MDD10
    MDD10 Forum Participant Posts: 335
    edited June 2020 #9

    Rajohno

    Cant advise on what would fit, but I would go as large as possible.

    we have a caravan..have swayed over the years due to differing circumstances.  Bought originally a large conventional bradcott awning with bedroom annex for one child.  Great on a 3 week holiday in France, but impractical otherwise as took 2 hours to erect ( and a divorce lending each time).  So we bought a little Kampa 260 for Shorter UK breaks...worked well but the caravan was a 6 birth with a made up front bed so loads of space in it

    Game changer was changing to a fixed bed caravan.  Lost space at the front and simply we needed more space outside and in reality with two kids, to eat in the awning.  Have pondered it but now bought a (Covid lockdown amazing deal) Kampa blow up awning 390 plus integrated annex.  Far bigger than you would be buying, but it isn’t much smaller than our other large poled one but it went up in 20 mins including pegging.  Not used it yet as just out it up to check, but my advice is the space for you will be of premium value but pumping them up is quicker, although probably more marginally for the size you will purchase.

    Our friends bought a 390 size awning and the difference to our 260 was amazing and enabled them to do so much more outside 

     

    Good luck

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited June 2020 #10

    We had a caravan type awning rails on each side of our Auto cruise ,MC ,they were fitted below the roof line and bolted on through the body side ,

    If yours are the same any  caravan type awning should fit ,we had a large  isabela Porch awing  which gave plenty of room (for us) and did did not need side awing rail ,

    You could also (we tried one) fit a caravan roll out canopy they  now have zips? with side/front panels  which then could (if wanted) enable the canopy to be left in place when  travelling ,you can buy clips that fit in awning rail to stop movement 

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