AWNING ADVICE
I think most people might agree that the best advice is:
Unless you have to, don't.
However if you need an awning, the Air Beam ones seem to be a lot less hassle all round. We have a Vango Galli low and it is a well made quality item. It's also much easier to erect than a lot of similar sized awnings. Just peg out the ground sheet foot print then unroll the awning on top, orientate it and peg it down. Then pump up the air beams and peg down the securing lines. Once up, it is very rigid and sturdy even in all but the roughest of weather. Once practiced, it all takes a very short time to have it up and secured.
One thing though. I have found connecting the awning to the van rather a faff and IMO, the benefits aren't worth the hassle involved. Also, you'll have it all to do again if you decide to go out in the van. Frankly, they are better left as a stand alone unit.
Packing away is also a faff since it will either have just rained, be raining or be about to rain. Under such circumstances our usual course of action is to open out a tarp to cover the interior of the van before stuffing the whole screwed up soggy mess in and slamming the side door shut. Under such circs, the wretched thing has to be re-erected again at home to dry it out before packing away properly. If in the unlikely event of the awning being dry when it comes to packing it away then just let all of the air out and go for a cuppa. When you return you will have to roll it into a long thin sausage about 7 - 800mm wide. It's at this point that those of us who are big boned score significantly. You have to roll along the sausage in a very inelegant fashion in order to expel all the remaining air. You may expel some yourself in the process. You may have to unroll and give it a second go in order to get it to a suitable size to go in the bag. What fun..... not!!!
During the whole process you may notice a small crowd of sniggering gawpers gathering around eager to take photos of the spectacle on their telephonic devices. Anyway, once you've lost your composure and probably your rag as well, the packed away awning will take up most of the rear compartment unless like us, you buy a small trailer.
The other thing to bare in mind is that if you have a large awning it will have alot of space to fill with other assorted items that you could probably do without, such as tables, chairs, carpets, food safes, kids, dogs and knitting etc.
So unless you really need one don't bother.
Actually being deadly serious, we have enjoyed some fabulous times with cali friends in our Air Beam awning/party tent which makes it all worth while. On many occasions we have had up to ten chortling chums joining us to help us chomp and quaff the latest shared feast on hand. We have missed these meetings with our chums greatly over the last year.