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edwindy

Hi,
Can anyone give hubby & me some help as to what type of awning we shoud buy for our Swift Royale 540. We have had a couple of great weekends and now look forward to some warmer weather. That said, some sort of shade/windbreak is going to be needed for me to survive the heat Laughing

I have heard that you can attach a bar to the side but don't know how easy it is to fit.

andy

I think the most popular wind out awning is made by Fiamma.

As for fitting... it may be advisable to get someone to fit it for you unless you are a dab hand at DIY.

edwindy

Thanks - I reckon we will spend the weekend looking at awnings. I have heard of the Fiamma so will check that one out. We really want something quick and easy to put up. Now that I have finally persuaded Hubby to get a motorhome he is just beginning to unwind and enjoy it. The last thing I want is him struggling. Our elderly cat is getting used to the fresh air as well. Very Happy

andy

[quote:9b88e74619]We really want something quick and easy to put up[/quote:9b88e74619]

I know what you mean... we've just bought an awning that is NOT easy to put up (about the same hassle as a frame tent) but we want to be able to drive away from our awning and we need more space. Using a wind out awning can become a little bit of a pain if you start adding sides to it but as a simple wind out sunshade they are great.

andy

edwindy

That is just what I thought Andy. As soon as hubby said he wanted sides I thought Crying or Very sad

I take it you have to order the sides separately. Exclamation

andy

[quote:e6662d0286]I take it you have to order the sides separately[/quote:e6662d0286]

not sure to be honest but I would have thought that was the case. Do a search on Google and you'll find a couple of distributors and get an idea of price.

BarryandSue

I personally prefer Omnistor wind-out awnings - they're Dutch and I believe slightly better quality. But I could be wrong on that!

Both Fiamma and Omnistor offer sides that attach to form a "tent" attached to the 'van. Omnistor's are called "Safari Rooms", and Fiamma's "Privacy enclosures", and they match the fabric of the awning roof. They are an additional cost.

Fiamma http://partners.fiamma.it/en/homeng.asp

Omnistor http://www.omnistor.com/gb/products/productmenu.php

I once bought the sides for my wind-out awning, used the sides a couple of times and never bothered with them after that. The problem that I found was that, whenever you need to move the 'van (and that's what motorhoming is all about, after all) the whole kit and caboodle has to be taken down. It's not a difficult job, just hassle. So we never used to bother. They are also quite draughty affairs, difficult (but not impossible) to seal from the wind.

My personal view (and others may very well disagree) is that if you really need an expansion area that is better than under a wind-out awning, then you would be better off buying a free-standing frame tent/awning. You are then free to come and go as you please, leaving the tent/awning behind in which to store chairs, table, etc. They are no more hassle to pack up than the separate wind-out awning sides.

Barry

edwindy

you would be better off buying a free-standing frame tent/awning.
Barry[/quote]

Barry,
Thanks for the advise. It has given us a good idea of what to expect. We will have a think and maybe look around this weekend. I must admit that the straightforward sun awning seems a bit open. We have a small single burner stove which we bought for cooking outside breakfast sausages and anything else that sizzles, so a windbreak would be useful. Having written that, I suppose it could be a fire hazard unless the ceiling of the awning was high enough. Perhaps a makeshift windbreak directly around the stove would be better.
Oh dear! there are so many things to think about. We've only been out in Gulliver twice and the list of things we are sure Very Happy

we need is growing.

Jan & Roy

andy

[quote:c87b116766]the list of things we are sure we need is growing[/quote:c87b116766]

yup... you'll need to fit a towbar soon Wink

Seriously though... you need to get to as many shows and shops as possible to see all the various options on awnings and then just take the plunge once you've weighed em all up.