Canopy
I have seen touring caravans on site fitted with canopys that come in a bag fitted in the awning rail.Question 1...Do you have to fit the bag when you arrive on site?question 2..are they any good?Question 3...are they expensive question 4....could you leave them in the bag and in the awning rail when towing question 5 will they cause water ingress with the weight pulling on the awning rail fixings question 6 what happens when it gets windy question 7 can they withstand snow question8 do they count as an awning when pitched question9 is it safe to bbq under one if it is raining question 10 how do you dry it before stowing question 11 do you need to carry a step ladder to pull out or put away (these days I am only 5ft 3" tall as old age has taken its toll I used to be 5ft 51/2" tall when I was younger).I am sure that I can think of some more questions but these will do for today.
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I take it you are referring to the Fiamma roll out type. When we had caravans we got through 2 in 14 years. The second was still usable and we gave it to a good home when we bought our MH.
We fitted ours about April and removed it in November and stored over winter. I believe the manufacturers didn't actually say it was OK to travel with it, but didn't say it wasn't. Mainly to cover themselves I presume. Most folk seem to and we never had any issues.
We thought it great, more for a rain shield than the sun, ours wasn't that long and both cost around £200, I think. Take a look on the Fiamma store website. We did use ours to BBQ under, with a small gas Cadac on a table we had no problems.
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For some reason half my post disappeared.☹️ This web site is the pits sometimes. To continue:-
We had no problems with water ingress. As to if windy, it is best to roll it away. It's no fun getting up at 3am to put it away in the dark, when it starts flapping.
We always tried to put ours away dry, but if rolled in the wet, pulled it out to dry at the next site. After a few years of use, the bag leaks in any event, so it is difficult to keep totally dry.
I am 6 ft and needed the caravan step to get it out and put away. I would think you would definitely need a small step ladder. They are reasonably heavy and laterly I was finding it fairly difficult on my own. If we hadn't switched to a MH, with one, I think I would have got a wind out installed. Although that option would be considerably more expensive than the roll out.
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As to your question do they count as awnings.
On a CAMC site you would have to be on an awning pitch to use it. However, if you are talking about private sites where they charge for awnings, we have never been charged on any we have used. I have always asked and been told the charge refers to a standard awning.
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I have a Fiamma Caravanstore roll out sun canopy. Most of your questions have already been answered but I will add a little more. Doubt if they would be suitable in snow other than a very light dusting as I would be wary of weight on the canopy; I have never seen one being used in snow nor on any pictures of sites in winter. They are basically a sun canopy that offers some protection from rain. Are they any good? Yes, they do what it says on the packet: I have also purchased the extension which gives either more sun protection by extending the shaded area or more rain protection; however, if using as a sun canopy extension you will need 3 poles and guys. Wind! They need to be taken down in strong winds, experience will tell you how strong! I have purchased 'storm' guys which add more security in stronger breezes and stop the canopy becoming a kite! I certainly would not use it on any exposed coastal site in UK. BBQ in it? Gas certainly but I would be wary of lighting a charcoal BBQ anywhere near it or indeed my caravan! Never had any rain ingress of the bag and I have towed with it fitted to the rail through some very heavy rain in the alps! I have never seen anyone take a Fiamma out of the caravan on arrival at a site and fit it - it would have to be taken out via the front window! Your height! I am 5'7" and 76 and manage by standing on the caravan steps if I were your height I would say you almost certainly would need steps. Ideally you need to be almost head height with the top of the caravan (well top of door as a guide) to roll it up easily. They are not light to roll up, my canopy is the 4mtr one (I think!) and I can just manage it on my own. If you have bad hands you may struggle suggest you try one first.
I have used it for 5 yrs now and I suppose the best answer I can give is that I am very glad I got it. It replaced a large sun canopy with full awning type poles which was really a full awning without the front. Now this was heavy to put up and we did not use it for short stays. The Fiamma can be rolled out for lunch stops if wanted. We do most of our caravanning in warm climates and find it excellent, for UK hols we use a Kampa awning. I fitted my Fiamma to the caravan yesterday in anticipation of our trip to Italy in a few weeks - hopefully
PS. If you are near Worthing I would be happy to show you mine and you could try it.
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Thank you one and all for the insight on this item.I was in 2 minds about buying one but the need to carry stepladders makes the decision for me.Comeyras I might make a special trip to Worthing in order to see yours
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So hot today
and no wind
very cloudy now and humid
Yesterday notice our wildlife pond was down at one end ,had a look this morning and it seems the ground has sunk, with so little rain
Dug under this morning at 0700 after walk with Rosa and managed to nearly level it , so have built a "dam"at low end ,had a bag of sand /cement mix ready for redoing one of garden retaining walls
Before I had my stents fitted ,I tended to keep having "funny turns" and still get them , but not as often, have been advised I have brakycardia? but it should not cause problems?
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I may have lost the plot or this an attempt to change the subject?
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Nothing New. I would not be put off by the need to carry steps in your caravan, you would only need the 3 step one not a tall ladder. There are of course much lighter, less rigid, sun canopies which you just slide into the rail each time you erect it. If you get an awning you still face the problem of pulling it through the awning rail. Get yourself to a dealer who has various types of awing/canopy and take a good look at them. There are a number of videos on You Tube showing putting them up. Basically, it depends on how you see yourself caravanning and the need for additional protected space outside the caravan. I use my Fiamma Caravanstore for most of my trips but also have a Kampa awning which I tend to use for UK trips. I do not take both, just make the decision for I leave. There are a lot of people who never use an awning and those who have a Gazebo - that could be an option for you to consider.
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There are a lot of people who never use an awning and those who have a Gazebo - that could be an option for you to consider.
Not really a fan of Gazebos on site. They are not really constructed to take anything but a stiff breeze and as they take time to take down, are often left up when they shouldn't be. A gazebo running amok can be a serious damage causing hazard.
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I think I’m right in saying that gazebos are not permitted on club sites for the reasons Steve stated.
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Timwheeler. There is no Club Rule against the use of Gazebos. Like the above posters I am not a fan of them and only mentioned it as an after thought.
This subject was discussed in 2017 and a member of staff was asked to clarify the situation. Helen Aaron (Staff) duly replied:
"There is no blanket guidance against Gazebos so long as they meet the fire safety rules.....Essentially, you can use a Gazebo as long as it fits within the the boundary of your pitch with a 3m space around it....It should be pegged down properly for obvious reasons!"
At the end of the day it is up to the discretion of the wardens!
(Found this via Google not the useless search on CT)
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We have had 2 Fiamma roll outs in a bag, a small one and a 3.6m Zip. Mainly we just used the roll out roof.
We are both very small, we carried a lightweight set of kitchen steps and also used the van step. I could roll out and roll up the 3.6m one myself, but certainly easier with 2 people.
It travelled in the awning rail, we have done well over 35000 miles around Europe and UK In the last 12 years, no problem with any damage to the van. After about 4 months use per year over 10 years, the roof started disintegrating, so we now have a frame, and sides but no roof!
We decided not to replace it with another Fiamma as we thought they were getting expensive and we were not sure how long we would keep on caravanning. We now have a lightweight SunCamp open porch that we use occasionally.
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