Gazebo vs awning ?

4987 Views 19 Replies 13 Participants Last post by jiwawa, 2 mo ago

Grizzly

Discussion Starter · Feb 4, 2006

We've just part-exchanged our 200 model for a slightly longer 400 which does not have a pull-out awning. We didn't use the one we have very much - not at all in winter in fact, and are wondering about a lightweight gazebo instead eg from Argos catalogue:

http://tinyurl.co.uk/zej7

Does anyone have any experience of using one ? We reckon it can be left on site ( very well pegged down) when we go off and can be used either side of the van depending on the sun. It might also be the right height to drive up to if it is raining.

G

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autostratus

· #9 · Feb 4, 2006

Have you thought of the Fiamma Caravanstor the 'awning in a bag'.
We bought one for our previous van as we knew that we would change it.

You need to have a length of awning rail added to the side of the van and once the awning is slid onto it it can stay there as you travel or be removed if you wish.
There info here: http://partners.fiamma.it/en/homeng.asp with a video of one being erected.

We bought a 3m for the Swift but last year we bought a new 4m one for £120 on e-bay (normal retail about £175) to fit onto our mobile home in France.

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· #15 · Feb 4, 2006

Grizzly said:
I've not seen these Gillian -they look like an excellent idea. One of our worries with the regular wind out awning is the question of how stable they would be- even with a tie down strap which we have- in sudden winds as happen on the continent. This looks like it addresses that as presumably the junction of the van and the awning is a weak spot and the whole thing would fall off first - ?

The bag ie the part which contains the awning is mounted on the van just as an awning is slid into the rail on a caravan.
The bag is unzipped along its length giving access to the rolled up awning.
The straight rail we had fixed to the van had screws at about 30cm centres along its length.
Any awning will be susceptible to wind if it isn't properly anchored down. I know from experience.

Grizzly said:
Have you got the side panels for it ?

No we haven't got side panels.
At the time we bought the one for the Swift there were no side panels available.

Grizzly said:
Are they interchangeable - ie can you buy one and use it either on the right or left according to the sun ?

Providing you have a suitable rail on both sides then the Caravanstor is interchangeable.

Grizzly said:
Perhaps the safari room we have would fit on one side.

If the safari room you already have is intended for a mechanical roll out awning then it will have been designed for that purpose only. Fixing to the 2 awnings is quite different.

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