Carol Ann Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 We're completely new to motorhoming and have just bought a 2006 Autosleeper Nuevo with a wind-out awning. We will be spending several weeks in the UK plus several months in France this year (retirement's great!!) so we intend to buy a drive-away awning preferably with a sleeping pod. I've read somewhere that pitch sizes are usually 11m x 11m and that 6m of this should be left clear between our motorhome and the next pitch which leaves just 5m for the Nuevo and awning. The Nuevo is 2.74m wide( which doesn't seem particularly wide as motorhomes go) so am I right in thinking that our drive-away awning can't be any wider than 2.26m including the bit that attaches to the motorhome. I think I must have got this wrong as all the awnings we've looked at on the internet seem to be wider than this, one we thought might be suitable was just over 3m wide. Will this be a problem and will we end up paying for a bigger pitch. We would be grateful for any advice on this, as we don't want to make a mistake and end up carting something around that's unusable. Also any recommendations for an awning that will fit a Nuevo please. :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JENIAN Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 You should have no problem pitching with the two big clubsites we have found. We have just renewed our awning for the Duetto with another Outdoor Revelution Movelite Midi. I think you will want the "Movelite XL" for the Nuevo or maybe the family option "Movelite XLF Family". Go to www.outdoor-revolution.com for further info. We found a good deal at the Newark show from the Outdoor Revolution stand. I have no interests in the company just past experiance of their range. Does what it says on the tin. Kind Regards, Ian :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 The 6m rule only applies to the UK clubs and some commercial sites it is a good rule though, you can have a vehicle parked within the 6m, i.e. your unit is 6m from a caravan or tent a car can still be parked in the gap. Pitch sizes in France are governed by the star rating but we have never found a pitch too small in France. Once you get into the Motorhoming way of life you probably won't use an awning much, with a caravan we used to pitch up for a week in, 3 years of Motorhoming apart from festivals I think we have once spent in one place for 4 nights once otherwise usually one or two nights at the max in the same place. We have a wind out awning can count the times we have used it on one hand in hind site a waste of best part of a grand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hallii Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 I agree with Lenny, once you get into things you wont use an awning much. That's the beauty of a motorhome, you can move quickly and easily, you don't have to stay in one place for any longer than you want. I would wait until you have had a few trips out before you buy an awning, it might be wasted money. We do a lot of short stays of 1 or 2 nights and then move on. Plan a route rather than plan for a week / fortnights holiday. You will soon get into it. H Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hopesy Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 Horses for courses, we use our movelite xl quite a lot. Find it very handy as extra space for keeping stuff dry such as chairs, bikes and even the motorbike, but then we tend to leave the van on a site and explore on foot or bike. Back to the OP to put your mind at rest we've never had a problem with pitch size and the awning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Newell Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 Carol Ann - 2011-05-09 4:20 PM We're completely new to motorhoming and have just bought a 2006 Autosleeper Nuevo with a wind-out awning. We will be spending several weeks in the UK plus several months in France this year (retirement's great!!) so we intend to buy a drive-away awning preferably with a sleeping pod. I've read somewhere that pitch sizes are usually 11m x 11m and that 6m of this should be left clear between our motorhome and the next pitch which leaves just 5m for the Nuevo and awning. The Nuevo is 2.74m wide( which doesn't seem particularly wide as motorhomes go) so am I right in thinking that our drive-away awning can't be any wider than 2.26m including the bit that attaches to the motorhome. I think I must have got this wrong as all the awnings we've looked at on the internet seem to be wider than this, one we thought might be suitable was just over 3m wide. Will this be a problem and will we end up paying for a bigger pitch. We would be grateful for any advice on this, as we don't want to make a mistake and end up carting something around that's unusable. Also any recommendations for an awning that will fit a Nuevo please. :-D 2.74 metres wide? Really? That's about nine feet! I think there is something amiss with your numbers. D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 Carol Ann - 2011-05-09 4:20 PM The Nuevo is 2.74m wide... Hi Carol Ann and welcome to the forum, I think you may need to check the width of your MH as at 2.74m wide it almost certainly includes the mirrors. It is more likely to be between 2.2 and 2.3m wide with them folded and then, within your 5m pitch, this will give you between 2.7 and 2.8m for your awning so a 3m awning will usually not be a problem. And it's horses for courses as regards whether you'll use one or not, but I'll echo previous comments, try without before you buy. Keith. Edit, Dave beat me to it while I was typing (and eating my tea :D ). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith T Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 Hi CarolAnn and welcome to the madhouse - you'll get a wide range of opinions!!! For us we/ve been there, done most of teh differing types of awning, and currently have a wind-out Omnistor, plus the end peices, which we use on some occcasions,if staying a reasonable length of time, and it.s not too windy! It gives very good protection and enables us to/cook eat/live outside when otherwise we might be inclined not to! I think the width measurment you quote for your van may be somewhat misleading and think this is when your mirrors are fully extended....you are probably more around 2.3m max for the body alone, but although ours is a little wider,we've never had a problem with an awning, or lack of space on a pitch. The optimum solution is most likey - and this is the way we would go if changing our van again - is the light weight stand alone awning, which means you can leave it in situ when you want to take the van out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith T Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 Hi CarolAnn and welcome to the madhouse - you'll get a wide range of opinions!!! For us we/ve been there, done most of teh differing types of awning, and currently have a wind-out Omnistor, plus the end peices, which we use on some occcasions,if staying a reasonable length of time, and it.s not too windy! It gives very good protection and enables us to/cook eat/live outside when otherwise we might be inclined not to! I think the width measurment you quote for your van may be somewhat misleading and think this is when your mirrors are fully extended....you are probably more around 2.3m max for the body alone, but although ours is a little wider,we've never had a problem with an awning, or lack of space on a pitch. The optimum solution is most likey - and this is the way we would go if changing our van again - is the light weight stand alone awning, which means you can leave it in situ when you want to take the van out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 The width of a 2006 Neuvo is approximately 7'2" excluding mirrors (or 2.18m). As for having a fixed wind-out awning and a free standing awning - but it depends on what you are likely to do. We use the wind-out awning occasionally when on a 'touring' type of holiday or around 3 weeks' duration, however, when we go to a motorhome show we don't usually move the 'van for a few days. At the last Peterborough show we used our freestanding Movelite square awning and it was really good - we had the table and chairs/bikes in there and were able sit out and enjoy the fresh air without the wind making it cold for me - it was a nice change and we'll certainly use it at future shows. If we then end up going away on 'touring' holidays for longer (2-3 months) we might take it then if we think we may stop on a campsite for a few days as, whilst at Peterborough, we had to move our van away from the awaning to have the air-ride fitted and it was very easy indeed to detach and re-attach using the 'figure of 8' plastic lengths and joining piped tape strip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Collings Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 Check the readers free ads in MMM and note how many as new awnings are on offer. As everyone says horses for courses but we find the main use for our wind out is shade on very hot days and a roof to dry washing under on wet days. It works out at less than ten days out of about 90 days camping a year. Enjoying Clives big tent hospitality at cold windy shows is very much appreciated though. Our trouble is we are always over the hill and round the bend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flicka Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 Do you need a "Drive-away" Awning, there are numerous cheap tents available for additional room, which don't need any faffing about trying to line up the Van & connecting sleeve everytime you get back to site. Some Drive-away awning can be fairly heavy, so ensure you have sufficient payload as the Nuevo is only on the 3300kg chassis. Regarding the Nuevo's width, from Autosleeper website Overall length: 5630mm 18' 6" Overall width, mirrors folded: 2320mm 7' 7" Overall height, with TV aerial: 2880mm 9' 5" MTPLM: 3,300kg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josie gibblebucket Posted May 10, 2011 Share Posted May 10, 2011 On a C&CC club site, we were told that the pitch size was 5m x 6m, and that if we wanted to erect our awning, we would have to park sideways on, with the awning taking up the length of the pitch. Considering we only have a 15ft 4" panel van with a 2.5m x3m awning, I did not think this was very generous, especially when you see these huge twin wheeler caravans, with awnings big enough to put the caravan inside, and the obligitory 4x4 parked up all on the same size pitch as we were paying for. Makes you wonder how they arrive at these instructions. :-S The jobsworth, sorry warden, said as the van was under 5m long, that would be ok widthways on the pitch, then add the awning, 3m, to the width of the van, maybe 2m and we'd be ok with it coming outwards. >:-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flicka Posted May 10, 2011 Share Posted May 10, 2011 josie gibblebucket - 2011-05-10 9:18 PM On a C&CC club site, we were told that the pitch size was 5m x 6m, and that if we wanted to erect our awning, we would have to park sideways on, with the awning taking up the length of the pitch. Considering we only have a 15ft 4" panel van with a 2.5m x3m awning, I did not think this was very generous, especially when you see these huge twin wheeler caravans, with awnings big enough to put the caravan inside, and the obligitory 4x4 parked up all on the same size pitch as we were paying for. Makes you wonder how they arrive at these instructions. :-S The jobsworth, sorry warden, said as the van was under 5m long, that would be ok widthways on the pitch, then add the awning, 3m, to the width of the van, maybe 2m and we'd be ok with it coming outwards. >:-) And here's me thinking it was only the CC that employed the jobsworth wardens :D :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josie gibblebucket Posted May 10, 2011 Share Posted May 10, 2011 flicka - 2011-05-10 9:37 PM >:-) And here's me thinking it was only the CC that employed the jobsworth wardens :D :D Well they have to go somewhere for their basic training! ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldlowie Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 Hi Carol Ann. Check out the 3m x 3m Khyam Screendome. It weighs about 13kg, can be erected in less than a minute (plus pegging it out of course) ;-) We put it up if we're staying anywhere for 2 days or more. When we drive off to explore we bung everything inside it (saves packing everything away in the 'van). Best bit of kit we've bought (unless you count the Fiamma back-box that it lives in) :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Elswood Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 oldlowie - 2011-05-11 10:02 PM Hi Carol Ann. Check out the 3m x 3m Khyam Screendome. It weighs about 13kg, can be erected in less than a minute (plus pegging it out of course) ;-) We put it up if we're staying anywhere for 2 days or more. When we drive off to explore we bung everything inside it (saves packing everything away in the 'van). Best bit of kit we've bought (unless you count the Fiamma back-box that it lives in) :D We have a screendome also! We bought it to replace the Harrison high top drive away awning we used to use! It's much much lighter, and so easy to erect and take down Wouldn't go back to a 'drive away' set up again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 One thing to bear in mind is where you are going to be able to store it in transit especially if it is wet - some are quite large and heavy when packed away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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