The best awnings ?

[Velgreeno]

Hey folks. Whats the best awnings out there these days in your opininons ? Best quality, best functioning etc ? Maybe one little bedroom in it too. For storage etc ? Ive seen blow up awnings too but not sure about them. What we think ?

 

[mike202]

For me the airbeam awnings are the best. Takes very little effort and time to set up and take down. I’ve got the Vango Kela (low) which is a good size, not small but not too big either. There is a bedroom option as well although my daughter wanted a separate tent at the recent Cambridge folk festival !

 

[ozziedog]

Lots of peeps including some family members love their Vango and other airbeam stuff. I personally find it a little claustrophobic but then I’m usually travelling light and solo. Obvs they need / want separate bedrooms and a kitchen area etc etc. i like an open ish gazebo arrangement thatll keep the rain off my sliding door and somewhere to plonk all chairs and firewood etc if it rains. I can then host an impromptu campfire get together at the perimeter and we can start on the Stella disposal and maybe the marshmallow ala toasting event too. I’ve just bought something that may add to the whole thing or it may be a total disaster,,,, we’ll see. At the next one which I’m thinking is Techenders at the beginning of September. Can cook in the van doorway if it’s dreadful or in the gazebo if it’s nice,.

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,,,,£29.99 at B&M so if it gets totalled,,,,again,,,,

 

[creationblue]

At Camper Jam on the Saturday evening last month after the rain we walked around the site and counted 6-7 awnings that had collapsed under the rain and all of them were Air Beams.

 

[mike202]

Those awnings must not have been put up right or not inflated enough.

 

[ozziedog]

Those awnings must not have been put up right or not inflated enough.

The guys that had air beams when I was down near Swanage recently during ‘Storm Antony’ mostly had very minor issues because of their flexibility plus muggins here stayed at the camp all day and did a bit of re pegging throughout, which obviously saved the day for the airy beamsters. I did watch a couple of them get flattened then re erect themselves as it died down. If the rain had of been torrential while they was flattened or if muggins here wasn’t on hand with my pegging duties, I’d imagine they’d not have got off so lightly. We were almost on the top of the hill and I could see the camping stuff at the bottom of the hill was hardly moving especially them airy beamsters.

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,,,,,,right or wrong place at the right or wrong time

 

[Wannabay]

Khyam motor dome quick erect tourer plus groundsheet, easy to put up and take down once you’ve got the hang of its spring loaded exoskeleton knuckle joints!

 

[Velgreeno]

Things to digest here. Cheers folks. Il have to do research and see whats best for me. My god im so rusty at camping and i have to think about things i need because its only me. I can see it now. Cooker, check, toiletries check, tools, parts etc etc check and then get to site, wheres the food, ohhhhh fiddle de blummin dee or words to that effect ha. At least il have a goodish set up though maybe. Man i need to make some more good acquaintances in my life so they can check

 

[Gabs]

I just went with an air tent rather than an awning just found it easier in personal terms of settling up and enjoying a break away. Mind you now rain or wind to deal with.

 

[Mikek]

Second vote for the Khyam motor dome from me, quick and well made with no chance of a puncture.

 

[ozziedog]

Gaz, if we can all get down on the Gower at the start of next month for that Weobley Castle jaunt, come down and camp with us and see what suits you best. The other thing with that cheapso gazebo that I have, we can circle the wagons per se . We can do one camper on one side and we can do one camper on two sides or we can do one camper on three sides and that also shelters the gazebo. Don’t think four sides would work because we’d have to climb over the front seats to get out
That would work fine until about the fourth Stella

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,, have a good look round before committing

 

[ozziedog]

Things to digest here. Cheers folks. Il have to do research and see whats best for me. My god im so rusty at camping and i have to think about things i need because its only me. I can see it now. Cooker, check, toiletries check, tools, parts etc etc check and then get to site, wheres the food, ohhhhh fiddle de blummin dee or words to that effect ha. At least il have a goodish set up though maybe. Man i need to make some more good acquaintances in my life so they can check

Maybe start a camp diary / log of stuff you think you’ll need. I have a checklist on my phone and I do use it just before I go away and just before I start the motor ,I check my oil and I check my list. I add stuff to the list all the time, but occasionally I look at and I’m thinking right now as I type, do I really need three cookers? I always use one, sometimes I use two but I’ve got three now and they’re all in the van along with two spare gas bottles and maybe one or two empties. I also try to keep everything apart from spare clothes, all grouped in areas in my garage, this helps too.

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,,,,,there’s always food and booze available

 

[creationblue]

Those awnings must not have been put up right or not inflated enough.

all of them?

 

[creationblue]

The best option bar non is the Oztent. I've had pretty much everything over the years, Khyam is decent but to noisy in the wind for my liking.

 

[mike202]

all of them?

I can only speak from my experience with the Vango awning. It’s obviously important to ensure that guy lines are correctly pegged out if the weather is bad. If the. Weather is fair I don’t usually bother with them.
I personally haven’t had a problem with the Vango but I wouldn’t usually go camping if there was going to be a storm. However I can understand that if you are already there and a storm comes along then it cannot be avoided.
I think the reason airbeams are popular is because they are easy to put up and take down. That’s the main reason I got mine.

 

[creationblue]

I can only speak from my experience with the Vango awning. It’s obviously important to ensure that guy lines are correctly pegged out if the weather is bad. If the. Weather is fair I don’t usually bother with them.
I personally haven’t had a problem with the Vango but I wouldn’t usually go camping if there was going to be a storm. However I can understand that if you are already there and a storm comes along then it cannot be avoided.
I think the reason airbeams are popular is because they are easy to put up and take down. That’s the main reason I got mine.

100% agree with their ease of use and Vango tents in general seem to be of the best quality that I have seen recently

 

[Moseley]

We have a Vango Airhub Hexaway - absolutely love it. Aside from the door connecting to the van, there’s another two doors so it can be opened up like a shelter, or zipped up when it is grim. It’s a decent height and can accommodate a small gathering for a late night lock-in I believe you can buy a clip-in sleeping compartment as well.

 

[la_bigmac]

I am still using a driveway frame tent from JK. 15 years old, has stood up well in many storms. Very stable.

You can hang an inner 2 man tent or have large enclosed space. Two sides roll up plus the drive away side.

Has a short porch on the front side which helps keep the rain off.

It's started to leak but at 15 years old not a shocker.

 

[Walt]

Got one of them Quecha Pop-up tents as a make shift awning, but if I had to buy another one I always fancied an ARB.

Anyone got an ARB?

 

[Huyrob]

Had one from Olpro, a load of rubbish, ended up with a full refund from them via my bank on a consumer credit act claim. Avoid them, they misleadingly give the impression they are manufactured in GB the aren’t China as per.
Bought a top me from Vango, so much better quality. May consider selling soon as I’m getting on in years and doing less and less camping