Brain picking time

[1violet]

I now have my lovely new (well 1991 vintage) Auto-sleeper Talisman sitting on the drive and my first two questions are:

 

What does anyone do about covering their vehicles in the winter? Is is necessary/preferable and should it be a full cover or part?

 

Next, the van has an attached canopy type awning but I would quite like a small drive away annexe type, can I have one of these and if so how would I attach it to the van?

 

That's all for now be sure to have lots more later, thank you for reading.

 

violet

[thebishbus]

Hi Violet. I can answer your question about covering the van in winter. Depends where you live. We live east of B/ham and the airport, if we don't cover it in the winter , it gets covered in black streaks and green algae. If I wash it then cover it before winter it comes out spotless. Cannot answer your question about the awning though. (lol)

Brian B.

[sheer lunar-see]

Hi Violet and welcome. My advice would be, not to cover it up, but wax and polish it well, and use it regularly, even if it is only to the supermarket and back, on a regular basis. An unused vehicle will deteriorate very quickly and things will seize up, so use it !

Happy motorhoming.

[tonyg3nwl]

Hi , I have used a cover in the past for a caravan and was very pleased in that all the junk etc was kept clear of the body, The downside was the problems associated with covering and uncovering everytime you wanted to use the van. The cover is quite heavy to lift over and drag along the roof with all the obstructions (aerial,rooflights etc) and needed 2 people to handle it.

 

A lot of vanners recommend Fenwicks Caravan Cleaner and Overwintering solutions as well as BobbyDazzler . It is supposed to protect the van during the winter and prevent the algae etc.

 

Regarding the awning, I wonder if there is an awning rail attachment point on the underside of the bit that winds out. Fiamma and Omnistore both have a channel for attaching an awning front panel which can be used to attach a separate drive away type awning..

 

Suggest you look at them at a show or ask at a local dealer

 

tonyg3nwl

[bobalobs]

For many years in winter months we have used a Taylormade bonnet cover which stretches from the bottom of the windscreen to the ground. This stops rain snow and leaves from getting under the bonnet and small enough to take off quickly when going on a winter trip.

[david lloyd]

Hi Violet

 

Can only advise as above that you will suffer more deterioration and long term problems from leaving the vehicle unused over winter than you would if you left it uncovered.

 

I have also heard other peoples stories that if you do choose to cover the vehicle then make sure it is a tight fit as, over time ,the loose material can abrade (is that a real word?) the surface finish.

 

Enjoy the van.

 

David

[Mel B]

Hi Violet :-D

 

Covering in winter

 

Some do, but most don't. If you're going to use it (better to do this than leave it standing for weeks on end), putting on a cover can be a pain in the bum, although with a smaller coachbuilt like your van, it wouldn't be a massive problem. You'd need to make sure you got a good quality cover that is waterproof but lets the van 'breath', to allow any moisture underneath the cover (ie condensation etc) to get out, also to ensure that the van doesn't chafe as can happen.

 

Free standing awning

 

You can attach a free-standing awning to your existing awning - there's a channel at the front edge of the one fixed onto your van for this purpose. Depending on what free-standing awning you get, it may have the right size of piping on it to slot in (some of the new ones do), or you may have to get a 'figure of 8' (Fo8) piece of plastic strip and a 'reducer' piece of tape. The free-standing awning piping slots into one side of the Fo8 plastic strip, and you then slot the larger piping on another piece of tape, (which has a larger sized piping on one edge, and a smaller one on the other), into the Fo8, with the smaller sized piping on the tape going into the fixed awning channel. Sorry if that doesn't make sense! Basically though you can get a kit with the Fo8 and 2 edged piping in it, so it's not difficult to sort out, costs about £25.

 

Remember though that you'd have to store a free standing awning somewhere in your van on your travels from home to campsite etc. As you've only just got a motorhome, I'd suggest seeing how you get on with it for a few months first as you might find that you really don't need a free-standing awning at all.

 

 

[flicka]

Hi Violet

Re the Free Standing Awning.

Unless you need somewhere to store equipment on-site whilst out & about in the van, you could consider these windblockers.

 

http://www.mysunshade.co.uk/

 

No poles required for the front sections & a single pole if end sections from the Van to the front of the awning, are needed.

Very light weight. (3 front & 1 end sections approx 3kg) Easy to put up. Don't stop light.

Only downside is that they are see-through.

We bought a set at Lincoln Show last year & very pleased with them.

[enodreven]

Hi,

 

If you use the the existing channel on your fixed roll-out awning how do you un-slot it when you want to go out for the day? only from what I've seen you appear to need the rest of the free-standing awning lose to allow you to slot it in, and if I'm correct that will mean having to take it down everytime you want to go out.

 

I do hope there is a way to overcome this as it seems on the surface a very good idea to use the existing slot.

 

Mel B - 2010-09-20 4:57 PM

 

Hi Violet :-D

 

Free standing awning

 

You can attach a free-standing awning to your existing awning - there's a channel at the front edge of the one fixed onto your van for this purpose. Depending on what free-standing awning you get, it may have the right size of piping on it to slot in (some of the new ones do), or you may have to get a 'figure of 8' (Fo8) piece of plastic strip and a 'reducer' piece of tape. The free-standing awning piping slots into one side of the Fo8 plastic strip, and you then slot the larger piping on another piece of tape, (which has a larger sized piping on one edge, and a smaller one on the other), into the Fo8, with the smaller sized piping on the tape going into the fixed awning channel. Sorry if that doesn't make sense! Basically though you can get a kit with the Fo8 and 2 edged piping in it, so it's not difficult to sort out, costs about £25.

 

Remember though that you'd have to store a free standing awning somewhere in your van on your travels from home to campsite etc. As you've only just got a motorhome, I'd suggest seeing how you get on with it for a few months first as you might find that you really don't need a free-standing awning at all.

 

[Mel B]

Easy, peasy.

 

To detach:

 

1) Slide out the plastic 'figure of 8' piece(s)

2) Then slide out the 2 edged piece of tape from your fixed awning channel and that's it.

 

To re-attach:

 

1) Line up your van and then slide the 2 edged piece of tape back in to the awning channel.

2) Then the slide on the 'figure of 8' plastic, with the piping on the free standing awning going back in one side, and the other edge of the tape which you've slotted into the fixed awning channel, into the other - think of the plastic like the metal part of a zip, joining the 2 parts back together.

 

We've found this is the easiest way to do it and works a treat.

 

You can get some free-standing awnings with the 'correct' sized piping to fit in a fixed awning channel, negating the need for the 'figure of 8' and extra tape, but in this instance, in order to detach from the freestanding awning, you probably would have to take down the awning, which to me doesn't make it much better than a caravan awning!

 

On the bottom picture you can just see the tape in the fixed awning channel, then the white plastic 'figure of 8', then the wide tape which is attached to the actual free-standing awning.

[enodreven]

Great Mel thanks for the tip

[1violet]

Thanks for all the answers, I am going to print off the awning instructions and read them slowly several times and hopefully then I'll understand but it looks like what I am looking for.

violet

[Mel B]

This picture might help.

 

- the free standing awning is shown in green with the existing piping sewn onto it;

- the 'figure of 8' plastic strip is dark grey;

- the double edged piping/tape is show in light grey;

- the fixed awning channel (ie in the front edge of your fixed awning) is shown in white.

 

So the double edged piping is slotted in to the channel on the front of the fixed awning, then the piping on the free-standing awning is put in one side of the figure of 8 plastic strip, simultaneously with the doubled edged piping (its much easier than it sounds).

 

One other thing we found useful when attaching our free-standing awning is to wind out the fixed awning a couple of feet so that it drops the front edge (with the channel in) to head height. It is then much easier to slot everything together, you then to simply wind the fixed awning back into it's casing, taking the 'tunnel' of the free-standing awning back with it up to the side of the van.

[1violet]

Thanks for that Mel B especially the bit about letting the awning out to make it easier to clip on.

violet

[tonyishuk]

1violet - 2010-09-19 6:35 PM

 

What does anyone do about covering their vehicles in the winter? Is is necessary/preferable and should it be a full cover or part?

 

violet

 

I would suggest that you don't bother ! If you have a cover on, it means you have to take it off before you go out and you loose the spontaneity of being able to take your m/home out.

 

Most would agree that running the m/home in winter is (generally) much kinder to the working rotating parts than leaving them standing.

 

Nowt better than having a brew in yer van, on a cold winters day watching others freezing !!

 

Rgds