christy900 Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 New to coachbuilt after a caravan. Always found an awning indispensable and interested to know views on awnings for motorhomes. My wife regards sun canopy type as a waste of space and would prefer freestanding but not sure how well they work. Dorema looks strong and well made but is there a downside to this type? Are there better alternatives? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caddies104 Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 Hi and welcome to the site... As most motorhomers like to tour, stay a few days then move on, the idea of a freestanding awning defeats that object.. So think hard what your idea of Motorhoming is.. If you want to stay in one place then maybe, but not for the majority on this site I would think.. Hope that does not sound to harsh it was not intended to be, would suggest try 12 months without a freestanding first... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 We are ex tuggers and always used an awning with a caravan. As Derek says most Motorhomer's do it differently we rarely stay in one place more than 2 nights the big advantage of having a Motorhome is the freedom to tour and move on at a moments notice. Just taken delivery of our 2nd Motorhome have not even bothered with a wind out Awning (what you refer to as a sun canopy) as we felt the expense not justified for something you have to wind in after 10 min as the wind is trying to lift it off. Also we now rarely ever use sites prefer the freedom of Aires or wilding, if you are going to set up camp on a site with a full awning for a week or more might as well stick with a caravan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
candapack Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 We swapped from a caravan about a year ago. With the caravan, we used an awning more often than not. So far, one of the joys (for me anyway :-D ) is not having to put one up, or take one down (especially in the rain). So far, we haven't missed it. It's just a different way of doing things, as Caddies says, give it a year without, see what happens. Enjoy your new motorhome, we certainly are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lancepar Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 Welcome. We found our caravan porch awning very useful at dog shows especially if it was raining, it was used as a wet room to dry the dogs and ourselves. So when we started motor-homing we bought a drive-away awning, however we only use it once a year now to sleep the grand kids in. At dog shows we use the built in canopy to keep the rain off, pegged down at the legs and secured down with storm guys, it keeps the area near the habitat door dry. So we could probably do without our drive-away awning. B-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RogerC Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 Well there's always going to be differing opinions regarding awnings etc so here's my thoughts: The first 'addition' to our MH bought new in 2010 was an awning because we like to sit outdoors come rain or shine. To sit indoors we might as well stay at home is our thinking. We bought a 'sport' awning which means it takes 5 minutes to put up the 'roof' which sits on two sturdy legs and can be used in all but the windiest of conditions if strapped down properly. To put the sides and front on takes about another 20 minutes. So while the lady of the domain makes the coffee or better still the G&T the awning is up, table and relaxing chairs are out and we are set. In addition if it is really hot and sunburn weather you have shade and if it is persisting down you have the shelter from the rain and the doorway stays dry............somewhere to take those muddy boots off in the dry. So in essence: Would we have a MH without an awning/full awning? No way. Would we have a Fiamma/Omnistor meccano kit? No way. A sport' awning is a little heavier but not by much, has very few component parts and is sturdier in every way than the 'caravan' type awnings..............but they are more expensive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Collings Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 I have never been a tugger and surely the advantage of a motorhome is the speed of pitching and unpitching. Try how you get on before laying out the hard earned on extra canvas. It eats holes in the payload as well. The wind out has its uses, it can shade the side of the van from the sun in very hot weather and keep the rain off the pitch and be used to dry the washing under on dampish days. I have sailed to much to leave even quite well pegged down canvas unattended. Damage occurs if you let the wind shrink-wrap your van. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Had Enough Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 christy900 - 2014-06-10 9:00 PM New to coachbuilt after a caravan. Always found an awning indispensable and interested to know views on awnings for motorhomes. My wife regards sun canopy type as a waste of space and would prefer freestanding but not sure how well they work. Dorema looks strong and well made but is there a downside to this type? Are there better alternatives? Regrettably, you will find that there are people on here who seem to think that only what they do is right and silly comments such as 'motorhomes are for touring' emphasise that. Not only that, they're insulting. By telling you that you really need a caravan they imply that you don't know what you want and that you've made a big mistake buying a motorhome.! Motorhomes aren't for touring, motorhomes are for doing what the hell you want to do with them. This year in Jan/Feb we had a five week trip which included three weeks in Morocco. That was touring. We stayed a maximum of three nights in any place. Now I'm on a different kind of more relaxing holiday in France. We had five nights on Ile Noirmouitier and seven nights on Ile de Re and are currently on the banks of the Dordogne on a beautiful campsite overlooking the medieval village of Limeuil at the confluence of the Vezere and Dordogne. In each case we stayed on a carefully chosen quiet site for the duration, none of which were booked, we just rolled up. And as for freedom - we book on a site and tell them that we may stay one night or a lot more and we've never had a problem with that. If it's not to our liking we move one, if it is we may stay a few days. This myth about 'freedom' using aires is just that. There's no freedom if the aire is jam packed with a 'van four feet on either side or, as has been the case in many hotspots, no room at all, unless you arrive before noon, which rather mucks up the 'freedom to wander' argument! On each site we've had a large pitch, we've wound out the sunblind, got out the dining table and reclining chairs and spent our days cycling, walking and sometimes just lounging about reading. Our meals have been outside in the sun and it's been heaven! And we've explored our destinations far more interestingly by cycling somewhere different every day and we've really got under the skin of the lovely places we've visited. I don't have an awning but the sunblind is worth its weight in gold. Its other function is to ensure that our chairs and everything else stay dry if it rains in the night. If the people banging on about 'motorhomes are for touring' ever actually put their hands in their pockets and stayed on the odd site they'd learn that there are thousands of motorhomers like me, all of whom mix their holidays. Every site I've used this trip has had dozens of motorhomers who were clearly there for a longish period. Many motorhomers who tour in summer will also spend three months on one site in winter when they escape to Spain or Portugal, are the 'motorhomes are for touring' brigade suggesting that they should have a caravan for one type of holiday and a motorhome for another, or that what they're doing is wrong? So my advice is, ignore them. If you want to stay on a site for a few days or a few weeks, good luck to you. If you're happier with an awning to sit in if it's wet or windy and to protect your gear, good luck to you. We're all different! Motorhomes are not just for touring! They're for whatever kind of holiday suits you at the time. I hope that you get some sensible advice and choose the right kind of awning for you. The inflatable ones seem to be very easy to erect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 christy900 - 2014-06-10 9:00 PM New to coachbuilt after a caravan. Always found an awning indispensable and interested to know views on awnings for motorhomes. My wife regards sun canopy type as a waste of space and would prefer freestanding but not sure how well they work. Dorema looks strong and well made but is there a downside to this type? Are there better alternatives? Flexibility is the key for us ;-)..................So we have a Fiamma wind out and windblockers........and a heavy traditional Dorema style drive away..............even have a gazebo with built in mozzie screens..............depending on the style of campming we intend, then we'll take the appropriate kit :D......... Regarding the Dorema type, we only take it if we intend staying put for at least a fortnight, and as has already been mentioned it is heavy so will impact on payload, but we have a trailer.................and being a drive away we find it very flexible, and much prefer it to the safari type that are fitted to wind out awnings ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 Hi All I am now about to do something I vowed I would never, ever do - reply to one of "had enough's" postings. Why oh why do you have to keep coming on with such rude and aggressive postings? This was a completely pleasant posting by a new user, to be ruined by one of your aggressive diatribes. The Moderators must have noticed the gradual drifting away of the more friendly, helpful forum members and I, for one, have had enough. Goodbye, Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 christy900 - 2014-06-10 9:00 PM New to coachbuilt after a caravan. Always found an awning indispensable and interested to know views on awnings for motorhomes. My wife regards sun canopy type as a waste of space and would prefer freestanding but not sure how well they work. Dorema looks strong and well made but is there a downside to this type? Are there better alternatives? Back to the question - though I suspect it will now become progressively more difficult to stay on course! :-) As above, try the van for a while before you decide. There is an obvious difference between a motorhome and a trailer caravan, but there is also a subliminal difference that affects different folk differently. Many find they move more frequently simply because it is easier to do so that with a caravan, but also because one tends to adopt different strategies. For example, shopping while en-route is much easier, because parking (at least supermarket parking outside UK!) is easier, and one is often less handy for shops when pitched. Also, visiting places while en-route is easier than driving off a pitch to visit and driving back. So, many tend to move fairly frequently, stopping for only a day or three, and shop and visit whatever takes your fancy as you travel. These patterns occur as you use the van, so the advice to try before you buy, and then see how the possibilities appeal as you gain familiarity with your new mode of travel is, IMO, sound. If you become one of those who move on fairly frequently, you will probably find a wind-out sufficient as umbrella/sunshade. If you find you still tend to stay put, a full awning, or similar, may be a better choice. If spending longer periods abroad you may also find a wind-out more usable, and a full awning gets little use. Warmer, less windy, weather suits wind-outs better that our frequently damp and windy UK weather. In the end it is horses for courses, and it is IMO worth first taking the time to work out which course you will adopt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Had Enough Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 alan - 2014-06-11 10:00 AM Hi All I am now about to do something I vowed I would never, ever do - reply to one of "had enough's" postings. Why oh why do you have to keep coming on with such rude and aggressive postings? This was a completely pleasant posting by a new user, to be ruined by one of your aggressive diatribes. The Moderators must have noticed the gradual drifting away of the more friendly, helpful forum members and I, for one, have had enough. Goodbye, Alan What a strange response! Here's what the OP said: " Always found an awning indispensable and interested to know views on awnings for motorhomes". So what does he get? The usual tripe from the usual people who tell him that he doesn't need an awning, that he shouldn't be staying anywhere more than a couple of days and that perhaps he should consider going back to a caravan. Personally, I'm sick to death as well, sick of the same people who think that only their method of motorhoming is the correct one. If you read my post properly you'll see that I was supporting the OP and encouraging him to do what he wants. And as for drifting away, who can blame the OP if he never comes back? He asks for advice on different types of awnings and most of the posts imply that he's an idiot for thinking of such things and that he doesn't need one! It would be nice now if some other people would actually give him the advice he asked for in the first place and not try to foist their motorhoming styles on him! On most forums he'd get the advice and not be told that he's totally wrong in his method of motorhoming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 alan - 2014-06-11 10:00 AM Hi All I am now about to do something I vowed I would never, ever do - reply to one of "had enough's" postings. Why oh why do you have to keep coming on with such rude and aggressive postings? This was a completely pleasant posting by a new user, to be ruined by one of your aggressive diatribes. The Moderators must have noticed the gradual drifting away of the more friendly, helpful forum members and I, for one, have had enough. Goodbye, Alan Just do what what you usually do Alan, ignore him don't take the bait. He tries to disrupt every thread he posts on.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 Do also be aware that everything that you carry not only adds weight and affects payload but it has to be stored and carried. Whilst a bundle of awning might not be an issue on a caravan floor it might in a motorhome whilst moving from site to site and if you elect not to use it you still have to store it inside or outside. As for snide comments about how you use your van, just ignore them and let your own pattern of use evolve to suit your own style, as they do seem to be a feature of this forum but they know what they say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Had Enough Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 lennyhb - 2014-06-11 11:22 AM Just do what what you usually do Alan, ignore him don't take the bait. He tries to disrupt every thread he posts on.. And if any post was made just to disrupt a thread it's that one. You're precisely the sort of person I had in mind when I said I'm sick of those who think that only their method is right. You constantly try to convince us that motorhomes are only for 'touring' when the evidence is that they're used in many different ways. This man said that he finds awnings indispensable. Your advice is that anyone staying on site for a week is better off with a caravan. That's arrogant. If you ever ventured on a site you'd see that vast numbers of motorhomers stay for several days. The site I'm on at present has dozens of them, as did my previous ones. Just because you won't use sites and have to keep moving on doesn't mean that we all do. In fact I'd suggest that you're in a minority and that most of us mix and match, touring some trips and staying longer on others. So to the OP I say again, ignore the arrogance of those who insist on telling you that you're doing it wrongly. You're not. If you want to stay put for a week or more then put up an awning if you find it useful. It would now be nice if someone could give him the advice he asked for. Ps Am now moving on after five brilliant days on a superb site in a superb location. We'll no doubt stay a few days at our next place further up the valley where we'll wind out the sun blind and get out the bikes and recliners. I'm sorry if this pattern means that I'm not a real motorhomer like you! *-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 If people ever learn to simply post their own point of view without criticising others and to look for reasons to post whilst being courteous to each other without looking for a reason to be 'offended' before ranting off this forum would return to being the much happier place that it was a few years back. Diversity is the spice of life and it should never be used as an excuse to cause friction - vive la difference! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ips Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 As a past motor home owner and caravan owner this is easy to answer. Get a drive away one use it when you want to as in if your intending to stay on site for 3 nights don't use it if you don't consider it necessary. If you use it twice a year it was worth the couple of hundred quid. This is what we have always done for mh and caravan. We are now considering a cheap sun canopy for the caravan as an alternative to the porch awning or nothing, as for fiama type wind out i agree with others there a waste of time due to instability in wind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retread24800 Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 Do not rush into buying an awning of whatever type, Try some trips away first When I was Caravaning and Trailer tenting I used the awning as additional living space knowing that I had the car to tour round, shop, W.H.Y. so the van was static and all that effort would only be expended say twice per holiday. You may find that your style of touring will change and that was my experience rather than setting up shop in a central location and touring by car we now flit from place of interest to an even more interesting place and rarely return to the same spot, (why double your mileage?) I just love having the van with me at lunch time and the bike is only used for short trips i.e from a car park to the beauty spot. It really doesn't matter where you stay overnight with a roll out provided there is A) room to roll it out and B) if on an 'Aire' you have clips to support the legs on the side of the van.There are a number of hardly used drive away awnings for sale in the 'Classifieds'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christy900 Posted June 11, 2014 Author Share Posted June 11, 2014 Thanks everyone for your views/comments which have been very helpful and I certainly haven't regarded any as offensive. I am sure we have loads to learn and we will gradually evolve our own style of motorhoming. We value all advice received and will no doubt have many other questions over the next few months. I just know there will be much less hassle than with a caravan now we are older. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertandjean Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 Think we have been motorvanners for longer than most on here and as such have had both drive away and roll out awnings. Fair enough it's a long time since we had the former but although it gave our children some where to play in the rain, we often visited Scotland then!, we found it too much of a restriction on being able to tour on easily. Since then we have had roll outs but never leave them out unless we are there with the van. Yes we have in the past used tie down kits but even this did not hold in a storm in Italy and only just caught it before real damage. We have considered not bothering at all but the last week in temperatures of 30°+ here in eastern France have convinced us that we were right to have one put on. Now turning to good old had enough. Then happy to agree that there is no one way to use motorhome and no one way is better than another. Why spoil it by then having a go at aire uses. It is not correct to say all Aires have vans packed in like sardines and are full by noon. Yes many of the free car park style ones maybe but we now almost always use charged Aires, often with electric, WiFi etc. These almost always have space and you can often put out your awning. Now on aire at Chavannes L Etang Sat under awning, us on grass van on hard standing, hooked up and using WiFi all for 8€ and still plenty spaces at 5 in the afternoon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordThornber Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 Like it or not, Had Enough, Frank, is right on the money. It is insulting to be told Motorhomes are for moving on after 2, 3 whatever days. Since when? No where on my V5 or insurance documents or RFL does it say move on regularly. We regularly stay on a site in France for 2 to 3 weeks, same pitch too, is that allowed by the Forum inspector? Awnings? Just on first one in 15 years of motor homing, still learning but so far we're wondering how we ever managed without one. Martyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe63xnotuse Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 LordThornber - 2014-06-11 5:22 PM Awnings? Just on first one in 15 years of motor homing, still learning but so far we're wondering how we ever managed without one. Martyn Hi Martyn.. Can I ask what you opted for in the end?... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 pepe63 - 2014-06-11 6:57 PM LordThornber - 2014-06-11 5:22 PM Awnings? Just on first one in 15 years of motor homing, still learning but so far we're wondering how we ever managed without one. Martyn Hi Martyn.. Can I ask what you opted for in the end?... Its probably of the windup variety ;-).......... In a lovely shade of smoking jacket burgundy............Complete with a punkawallah to keep his Lordship cool :D..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 pelmetman - 2014-06-11 7:19 PM pepe63 - 2014-06-11 6:57 PM LordThornber - 2014-06-11 5:22 PM Awnings? Just on first one in 15 years of motor homing, still learning but so far we're wondering how we ever managed without one. Martyn Hi Martyn.. Can I ask what you opted for in the end?... Its probably of the windup variety ;-).......... In a lovely shade of smoking jacket burgundy............Complete with a punkawallah to keep his Lordship cool :D..... Whereas Dave's is the recycled flight deck off of a submarine in very fetching multi tone shades of Admiralty battleship grey with rust coloured highlights! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 Tracker - 2014-06-11 7:30 PM pelmetman - 2014-06-11 7:19 PM pepe63 - 2014-06-11 6:57 PM LordThornber - 2014-06-11 5:22 PM Awnings? Just on first one in 15 years of motor homing, still learning but so far we're wondering how we ever managed without one. Martyn Hi Martyn.. Can I ask what you opted for in the end?... Its probably of the windup variety ;-).......... In a lovely shade of smoking jacket burgundy............Complete with a punkawallah to keep his Lordship cool :D..... Whereas Dave's is the recycled flight deck off of a submarine in very fetching multi tone shades of Admiralty battleship grey with rust coloured highlights! Not as incredulous as one would think Rich ;-)..................... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Submarine_aircraft_carrier Although I did apply for submarines.......for the extra money :D............the nearest I got......... was when we sunk our MFB P1200 8-)..................It was not my fault :-(............honest :$............. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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