Using a Thule Omnistor
Comments
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We too have the Fiamma Caravanstore and would echo AD's comments. If your caravan has the opening for an awning to be threaded into the rail about 2/3rds up the side then you need not worry yourself about making one with a blunt object. Sure most caravans have this entry point. I would add that you should make sure that you get some lugs to stop the 'awning' sliding in the rail when towing, they are very cheap and widely available. When measuring, the widest awning you can get is the length of the straight part of your awning rail. Very happy with mine, have used it for 7 yrs now and it is begining to show its age. A couple of years ago a small tear appeared on one side where it is sewn into the sleeve; a quick visit to a local sail maker was all that was needed to get a good and cheap repair. This incident shows that they are not very wind tolerant and you should roll them back into their bag if the wind gets too strong! They are very easy to put up and roll away, I have even used ours for en route lunch stops in hot climes (ah memories!)
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Thank you for the information you have all provided.
The awning bag will unfortunately sit on the Awning light and clearly that is something to avoid. I am considering unscrewing the locking blocks and sliding the bag forward when travelling away from the light and then moving it back when on pitch if that makes any sense. I have looked at the awning light and don’t feel it can be moved.
Any other advice would be appreciated when using this type of awning, for instance in regard to the performance in the wind.
The advice is much appreciated.
Nick
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My awning bag sits on the awning light and I have not had a problem. Perhaps I have been lucky!
I have some storm guys which I use to make the awning more secure and I also put pegs in the bottom of the poles to stop them lifting - the awning can act like a wing and want to lift off in strong winds. It is only in very strong winds, say force 6 + when you need to roll it back into it's bag and as this only takes a few minutes (5 at the most) it is not a problem. I do not have sides for my Fiamma, I am told that if you fit sides the awning is more secure. Don't get over concerned about this problem just be aware if the forecast is for strong winds.
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Personally I would have put ours away well before it reached force 6+. Force 6 is 25 mph and could result in serious damage.
In general we found it would tolerate a constant wind fairly well, however gusts were problematic. I operated on the principle if in doubt put it away. It’s a right pain wrestling with it at 3am when you have been awakened by the flapping noise.0 -
When I looked into this a few years ago I was led to believe that travelling with such an awning could invalidate the caravan warranty. Clearly it is possible to get damage to the side of the van and also the awning rail which could lead to damp ingress. Although you should carry the awning in the van this is not really practical.
Having said that, the Omnistor and Fiamma are popular and you do see them a lot on continental vans in Europe..
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We purchased one at the end of last year, a 3.0M and a pair of clips for stopping the roof from flapping. I have lowered the awning light on our Swift Challenger so that it is functionally better for travelling and for use at night. Although we have no experience yet of using it, we have had it on the caravan and are delighted with it.
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Hello, we are thinking of getting a thule omnistor 1200 also. Can you tell me if you ever bought a roll out canopy, if so, which one, how big did you buy and how do you find it.
Thank you very much
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Jules, I think your questions have been answered in earlier posts. The size is limited by the straight length of your awning rail and the weight both on the payload and your physical ability to roll it up by hand. Make sure you get one wide enough to give enough shade. I find my Fiamma (very similar to the Thule) excellent and it is now fitted to my caravan ready for my trip to Italy in 10 days time
. I leave it fitted when towing but take it off when I get home.0 -
We used to have an Isabella Shadow and Shade. These are excellent, but only 2M deep, so in very sunny climate the shade is a bit cramped. Our Thule Omnistore is 2,5M deep, as is the Fiamma, and we find this is significantly better. Someone mentioned the need for a stepladder, especially if you are not a tall person. I found a great set of (3 step) stepladders which are light and compact and weigh less than 5Kg, which easily go in the front gas bottle locker. Well worth it.
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We use a Thule 6200 wind out awning. Very rarely put the sides in these days. The stuff we keep outside isn't spoiled by the weather, and the canopy generally keeps it dry. We tie it down well and I can only think of one occasion when we have wound it in because of the wind. As there are only two of us, and Lizzie the dog, we don't put it out in the winter - there's enough room for us in the caravan. We used to have a Quest Rollaway (a rollout in a bag that sat in the awning rail) but we found it quite difficult rolling it in above our heads. We used to take 2 sets of step ladders to enable us to wind it in and zip it back into the bag.
The Thule windout fits onto brackets which are bonded to the roof of the van. No holes - it doesn't effect the warranty (we checked this out). It suits us really well....
David
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We bought an omnister 1200 bag canopy in June used it for a beautiful weekend away and loved it inJuly we went to Southport it was really sunny and 36 degrees so the natural thing to do was put our canopy up within an hour it stared ripping away from the bag at the awning rail collapsed and broke the legs never again.
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