Awning tips urgently needed!

[AlisonF]

As mentioned by some owners, the tunnel height needs to be 180-205cm (low). A lot of awnings are 190/205 as minimum height. The Vango's Kela3 low is ok but Kela2 is too high. Khan motor some classic fits well. I use the lad or strip in slide out awning rail and use a yellow guy rope pegged in line with tyres as a guide to lining up on return to site.

Kela2 works fine without the factory fitted awning. Used mine for the first time this weekend and was very satisfied.

 

[Blue Beach]

We've just come back from another try with our awning this weekend. We went to another site very close to home (we are lucky living in Devon that we have such a great choice near by)

I put the awning up by myself (with the 'help' of my four year old daughter). This was a mixed experience. We had been attaching with the kadar strips which I found are really tricky to do on your own, at least that is how it felt to me. With two pairs of hands you have someone who can feed and hold the weight of the tent, where as on my own I was inching it on, then jumping over the tent to pull it along. It took me bleedy ages to do, but I finally did it, I went on to peg the awning out. Then a gust of wind pulled the whole thing out of the figure of 8 again and left me uttering lots and lots of swear words... As I had to drive away to pick up the kids from school I decided to skip the old attaching it to the van bit and get on with putting the rest of the tent up. It does go up very easily, although the pump was quite hard work and builds up a sweat. After just a few minutes you are left with a great looking tent. Having put up big frame tents before having the van, it does feel very satisfying. Plus I would never have been able to put up my old tent on my own.

When I came back to the site with the rest of the family I parked a bit closer than I had originally and used the long straps over the top of the van to secure the awning to the van. This also meant the attachment was higher than before and stopped it fouling the door so much. I then pegged the side bits out wide giving a great space between the awning and the van, very useful for the kamping Kazi. It work pretty well except for a drip that comes on the inside of the vw awning and leaves a puddle which we need to rectify. I think we have decided to get a pole and try briwy's technique as it seems more sensible, and leave the kadar strips for another day.

I love the space it give us, having a beach it means we have a kitchen space and place to eat (keeps kids and food out of the van), plus we have loads of 'stuff' that we just keep out the way.

We have booked a holiday in France this year and looking to have to take the awning up and down every 3 or 4 days. At one point this weekend, that thought was making me weep, however I feel a bit more confident about it now, plus we will have a bit more practice in the time before then too. I hope to put a few pictures up if I can get them off my phone.

 

[Blue Beach]

 

[Blue Beach]

Ps, looking at the photos, it's not the best awning pitching I've ever seen but I was quite proud of it as it did it by myself. (In wind, rain and with my daughter's help)

 

[hirsty]

kudos Helen - I've never put up a tent anything like that size & if I'd have managed that solo I'd be well chuffed!

there's a lot to learn in this lark, thanks for sharing.

 

[Lewis]

Ps, looking at the photos, it's not the best awning pitching I've ever seen but I was quite proud of it as it did it by myself. (In wind, rain and with my daughter's help)

This looks great - thank you for posting such a detailed review - will be a great help to us, and other forum users, when using the Galli for the first time. Looking forward to getting one when our van is delivered in (hopefully) July.

Out of interest how much space does the awning take up in the back of the van when packed down?

 

[Blue Beach]

It's currently in the garage drying out but we plan to pack it into the bag tomorrow so I'll take a photo then next to something for scale. It is quite big and heavy - I was a bit surprised when I first saw it.

 

[AlisonF]

Helen, thanks for the update. I also found with using the kador strip straight into the rail (I don't have the VW awning) that any gusts were pulling it out at the ends. This last time in Eskdale (with the help of @T4WFA ) I used the drive away kit - which has a loop in the end of it which you use to pull it through. I then tied a piece of cord to that and fastened it to the nuts used for the topper on the near side. Basically preventing the kador strip from pulling away from the van as the cord was across the top of the tailgate to the other side of the van. Maybe I should get some pics next time.. But anyway we had some strong gusts in Eskdale and it didn't come away, whereas it had in lesser gusts at an agility comp the week before...

Your Galli looks fab by the way.

 

[Skylark2.0]

Sounds like a right pain in the doo dah but looks great. Very impressed that you put it up by yourself.
We have an awning that is supposedly easy to put up but takes 3 of us. Most importantly a 6footer stood in the middle holding it up.

We first used it on a French trip and we were amazing at putting it up in the end. We gave up on the whole attach to van thing unless it was raining.

Now we just take less stuff and leave the awning in the loft!

 

[Blue Beach]

 

[Lewis]

...so I'll take a photo then next to something for scale.

View attachment 13694

Hilarious! Thanks for posting! Really appreciate your helpful posts on this.

Looks like we might need a bike rack and the Flexbag to create a bit more space.

 

[igmac]

great post, thanks. Iv'e just bought one of these awnings, haven't used it in anger yet but I have put it up a couple of times in the garden to get used to it. It's a great awning and i'm really looking fwd to our next trip, my only frustration is getting it back in the bag, it's a real struggle and i'm thinking i'm doing something wrong! I let the air out by turning the valves then fold it long ways four times then role it as tight as I can, each time it's really hard to pack in the bag! any ideas?

Ian

 

[Blue Beach]

Hi Ian.
I had exactly the same problem when I first tested out the awning. I have got slightly better at it, indeed last time I put it away I did a bit of a dance and it seemed to go back in the back without any swear words required. The only tips I have for you, and you may be doing this already, are;
- when deflating the poles, fully twist the air taps to open and then leave it to do its thing for about 10 mins. Just ignore it and pack something else.
- keep tent doors open to help get air out
- do a quick roll of the tent across ways, to squeeze any left over air out of the poles.
- fold the tent up in quarters with the air tap things on the last quarter to be folded.
- roll up, utter a few words of luck under your breath, get a spare clean child to lie on the bit you are rolling as an optional extra to squeeze air out

I hope that helps a little, I do share your pain though.
Helen

 

[marshian70]

Doesn't your pump inflate one way and take air out the other?

 

[igmac]

thanks Helen, some really good tips there, I do most of what you suggested but not leaving doors open and rolling out the air, so will try that and see how we go. I may have to borrow a small child, as unfortunately ours grew up!

the pump does reverse to deflate but is pretty useless because the suction just creates a seal at any fold in the beam so it's much better to fold/roll towards the valves (in the open position of course).

Ian

 

[marshian70]

thanks Helen, some really good tips there, I do most of what you suggested but not leaving doors open and rolling out the air, so will try that and see how we go. I may have to borrow a small child, as unfortunately ours grew up!

the pump does reverse to deflate but is pretty useless because the suction just creates a seal at any fold in the beam so it's much better to fold/roll towards the valves (in the open position of course).

Ian

Ian
We do both, I tend to use the pump first to get as much out as possible, then fold with valves open. It works for us.