Factory Awning - Extra Support

[SteveH]

A few months and nothing but praise for my Beach. We have been using it with a Kampa drive away awning and it has worked well. Last week end we started our vacation with a single night and decided to use the factory awning. It rained and quickly filled the centre with water. The angle I had to tip the awning to stop this happening rendered the awning unusable. Does any one know of extra support that can be added to prevent this? The motor home across from us seemed to have a similar awning but had an added bar across the wind out struts to raise the centre slightly. I searched the forums but no luck so far.

 

[kave]

In the forum shop
https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/shop/product/curved-rafter-pro-roll-awning

 

[MichaelB]

Hi Steve. There was a thread on this a while back. I can't find it at the moment. I can't really fit the Rafter, mentioned above, in our Cali. One thing recommended that seems to make a difference for us was using the tie down kit. This seems to help keep the tension at the top of the awning legs meaning it the awning material doesn't sag allowing water to collect.

 

[SimonB]

The curved rafter pro is made by Fiamma and isn't a natural fit for the standard Thule awning. I found a large rubber sucker that fits onto the end of the rafter making it pretty secure. I found these links to threads about the tie down straps & the curved rafter which might help you.
https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/threads/comfortz-sides-vs-drive-away-awning.17259/page-2
https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/threads/awning-word-of-warning.15253/
https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/threads/curved-rafter-for-awning.7199/page-2

 

[WelshGas]

One leg higher than the other and a Tie-Down Kit so that the Awning Material can be Tensioned. Water will then just run off. You cannot tension the Awning without the Tie-Down kit.

 

[IanE]

"You cannot tension the Awning without the Tie-Down kit."

I think I might be missing something WG - I find that the awning is tensioned if I wind it right out and then back in a bit? It seems tensioned to me when I do this and lower one awning leg for rain to run off? Certainly I don't get ponding? I use the tie-down kit if it's windy or I think it will become windy, otherwise I find it's pretty stable just securing the awning legs with two tent pegs through the holes at the bottom of each leg.

You may mean something different?

 

[WelshGas]

"You cannot tension the Awning without the Tie-Down kit."

I think I might be missing something WG - I find that the awning is tensioned if I wind it right out and then back in a bit? It seems tensioned to me when I do this and lower one awning leg for rain to run off? Certainly I don't get ponding? I use the tie-down kit if it's windy or I think it will become windy, otherwise I find it's pretty stable just securing the awning legs with two tent pegs through the holes at the bottom of each leg.

You may mean something different?

Must have a different awning to me then. I peg the legs but find that when I tension the awning the top of the legs gets pulled towards the van. With a Tie Down Kit, I have the Brandrup Kit, I can tension the awning much more, pulling against the Guy Ropes. Also, it's not often you get rain without wind.

 

[IanE]

"Also, it's not often you get rain without wind."

I'll just say it works for me

 

[Walrus]

I'll just say it works for me

And me.

 

[WelshGas]

"Also, it's not often you get rain without wind."

I'll just say it works for me

And me.

Well it must be me then.

I cannot get the awning material properly tensioned without the Counter-Pull of the Tie Down Guys attached to the top of the legs and am afraid of bending the legs with the lateral pull. With the Tie Down the Guy ropes take the lateral pull and the Legs the Vertical, as they are designed to do.

 

[SteveH]

Thanks to all for the suggestions (I love this forum). I have ordered the tie downs as I think these are must for windy conditions any way. The rafter is out of stock so I'll see how the tie downs and the other suggestions work and report back.

 

[Speleo62]

Thule do a bar that fits factory fitted awnings. We have one. Just need to make sure you get the correct fiitings sent with it.

 

[Zebedee]

Camping in France last week and was very conscious of water on the awning in the middle of the night despite one leg a lot lower (I find it easier with the leg nearest the drivers door lower but no good if you need to open the drivers door but I tend to put the dog crate on the drivers seat with him facing the passenger seat so he feels part if the action (and can creep into bed with me in the middle of the night). French neighbours were amused to see me pushing up the awning to push water off the front in my jim jams!

 

[IanE]

That's a pest Zeb - just wondering if you were able to tension the awning as I describe in post 6 above?

 

[BikerGran]

Last weekend it was wet and windy so I only wound the awning out about 18 inches, enough to stop rain from coming in the sliding door, and left it fairly well sloping down. I put pegs in the bottom, and tied it down with a couple of guy ropes salvaged from a 'retired' tent.

When I wanted to move the van and started to stow the awning legs, there was STILL a lot of water on the awning, pooled at the ends instead of the middle - and it all came down on me! Luckily it was a nice day by then so I dried off relatively quickly.

I was thinking about getting one of these 'rafters' for the awning but if they don't fit all that well it seems a bit pointless - is there any alternative?

 

[SimonB]

Last weekend it was wet and windy so I only wound the awning out about 18 inches, enough to stop rain from coming in the sliding door, and left it fairly well sloping down. I put pegs in the bottom, and tied it down with a couple of guy ropes salvaged from a 'retired' tent.

When I wanted to move the van and started to stow the awning legs, there was STILL a lot of water on the awning, pooled at the ends instead of the middle - and it all came down on me! Luckily it was a nice day by then so I dried off relatively quickly.

I was thinking about getting one of these 'rafters' for the awning but if they don't fit all that well it seems a bit pointless - is there any alternative?

The rafter doesn't fit unless the awning is about ½ way or more out.
If I have my awning extended a couple of feet or less like a storm porch, I put a pole over the two metal arms that support the awning and are now mostly folded in. I use an aluminium extending pole that I keep to put the topper on by myself. This I extend so it is just longer than the width of the awning. There is very little ponding then.

 

[BikerGran]

Thanks SimonB - How do you keep this pole in place? And have you any suggestion as to where to find something like that?

 

[Amarillo]

I have a (very expensive) telescopic tailgate prop which I can use to support the awning - but it's not ideal having a post in the middle of the space.


Follow my blog at www.au-revoir.eu

 

[SimonB]

The pole I use is one of those light aluminium ones that window cleaning firms use for the higher windows. You put a squeegee, mop or whatever on the top of it. It's about 4½ feet tall when not extended and goes up to about 7 feet when extended. It is very light and goes horizontally over the over the two bars on the awning that are hinged in the middle and open out as you wind out the awning. Just google extending window cleaning pole. You only want a 2 section one.
https://www.clickcleaning.co.uk/pro...1kJdXIdl5yj-H9fvzvAqwf81_6J0YIXEaAr_CEALw_wcB

If the awning is far enough out to use the curved rafter and heavy rain is forecast, I put this aluminium pole over the curved rafter. It just means that there is less unsupported area for water to pond.
I spend a lot of time in Snowdonia and rain is not uncommon there.
Hope this helps Simon

 

[SimonB]

@BikerGran I use the awning as a storm porch a lot in Snowdonia. I tend to sit in the door way and put my boots on so the bit of shelter is useful. I think people find what suits their useage of the Cali, and this works for me. I use 2 of the shorter tie down straps which tensions the awning and the alumium pole sits on the metal bars and is held there by the plastic awning on top of it. You can wrap a bungee round it if it rattles.
I can take a picture next time I set it up if that would help.
Simon

 

[BikerGran]

T

@BikerGran I use the awning as a storm porch a lot in Snowdonia. I tend to sit in the door way and put my boots on so the bit of shelter is useful. I think people find what suits their useage of the Cali, and this works for me. I use 2 of the shorter tie down straps which tensions the awning and the alumium pole sits on the metal bars and is held there by the plastic awning on top of it. You can wrap a bungee round it if it rattles.
I can take a picture next time I set it up if that would help.
Simon

Thanks Simon no picture necessary. , I can see what you mean and have an endless supply of bungees from my biking days!

 

[SteveH]

Ok, I bought the fiamma curved rafter and it comes with rubber end adapters that work well. I found that using this and tensioning has solved my issue. I have also bought a side panel which comes with a support bar but I am confused about the mount at the van end. Every awning but the 5102 uses the plastic cups supplied. The 5102 bits consist of a piece of cast aluminium with a bolt sticking out and the instructions seem to be telling me that the bar hangs off the bolt head. This seems very crude. Am I missing something??

 

[SimonB]

Is the awning on your Cali the standard VW one? If so it is most likely a Thule and The Fiamma curved rafter is not a perfect fit for it.
I have a friend with a Fiamma awning and the curved rafter clips onto two mountings on his awning. I use the supplied rubber cup on one of the fittings on the rafter and I found a circular rubber sucker in a caravan shop that fits on the other end.
As you say, it is a little crude, but it works and stops the water ponding on the awning. Use the tie down kit as described earlier in this thread and you should be OK.

 

[SteveH]

The fiamma curved rafter came with rubber blocks that work well with the factory (Thule) awning. I liked the curve better than the straight one available from Thule. The problem I have now is with the Thule rain side panel support. The mount at the van end is so crude I wonder whether I have misunderstood the fitting instructions.

 

[SteveH]

I have posted a picture under a new post on the subject in the general t5 & t6 forum.