Awning with quality aluminium poles....does it exist

[Emma Hughes]

Yes, I ended up getting a sheltapod and using it this weekend. Good quality aluminium poles...tick...bit fiddly to put up first time but now that we know should be easy next time.

Handled pretty torrential rain and kept out kit dry in the inner tent, rain ran off the roof between the van and the main part of the pod once we figured to lower one of the poles...doh, before that collected in the middle of the awning.

Very lightweight and well made from quality materials, even the pegs are quality lightweight aluminium things. Versatile design that gives a lot of sheltered outside space inbetween the pod and the van...so lots of light.

There are a few extra bits unclear what they are for but will work them out next time we have a sunnier weekend.

Not really a one person job to put up as the poles have a habit of spring out of the connectors, but you wouldn’t use an awning if on your own I wouldn’t think...and maybe with practise and a bit of instruction reading. Handily the instructions are plrinted on the inside of the bag which is a nice touch.

Now that I know how to do it I am going to say it’s a 15 minute job to put up. A little fiddly but just what I was looking for I think given the size and weight convenience debate.

There is a youtube video showing how to put it up in your own.... should you ever want to.
//vimeo.com/199223558
Extra bits might be the optional side privacy panels, separate groundsheet or window blinds!

 

[David Bailey]

Thanks Emma

 

[stevieb]

Hi all

Hope the title above does not raise too many hackles....having tent camped for years we always had quality tents with DAC aluminium poles, you know the ones that you just shake out out to make up the pole which is completely smooth and seamless, rather than the cheap leave behind festival tent style with the the lumpy bits pole ends that get caught in the sleeve etc.

I do not want an inflatable for reasons or packed size and weight and also don’t see how huffing and puffing for 10 minutes with a pump is preferable to sliding some smooth poles. It’s seems a little emperors new clothes to me.

I know there ar opinions on whether an awning is actually needed but as there are four of us I can assure we do need done for longer stays albeit a compact one. Does such an awning with quality poles exist though?

Hello

I realise that this is an old thread but it was because on reading it I was interested in researching further this type of lightweight awning with DAC poles.

We had a Kela 3 Low which was too heavy for us as we both now suffer with back issues.

Research brought me to the Vaude Drive Van Awning which has arrived this week. Although yet to try on a site I have had a practice run in the garden very impressed with the quality so far & ease of putting up with the Aluminium DAC poles.

There is a brilliant You Tube video available to view although I’am not technically gifted enough to upload the link.

Just want to say thanks asI feel we have found our ideal awning.

Gill

 

[David Bailey]

Hello

I realise that this is an old thread but it was because on reading it I was interested in researching further this type of lightweight awning with DAC poles.

We had a Kela 3 Low which was too heavy for us as we both now suffer with back issues.

Research brought me to the Vaude Drive Van Awning which has arrived this week. Although yet to try on a site I have had a practice run in the garden very impressed with the quality so far & ease of putting up with the Aluminium DAC poles.

There is a brilliant You Tube video available to view although I’am not technically gifted enough to upload the link.

Just want to say thanks asI feel we have found our ideal awning.

Gill

Gill, no thank you!

After our second experience with the Sheltapod, which was I am sure very entertaining for our fellow campers over several hours and fiddling to try and get everything taut...only a slight exaggeration...have now given it up for bad.

We have been using our old stand alone tent next to the van, not always ideal in some campsites, so I am very interested in one of these.

I had resigned myself to an inflatable and leave one of the kids behind so that we could get it in the van....and maybe some stronger suspension. Trouble is we don’t have a tow hitch to tow the forklift to get it in and out the van.

Did you consider the XL version? Probably to big for some campsites....especially the ones that make you park sideways?


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[stevieb]

Gill, no thank you!

After our second experience with the Sheltapod, which was I am sure very entertaining for our fellow campers over several hours and fiddling to try and get everything taut...only a slight exaggeration...have now given it up for bad.

We have been using our old stand alone tent next to the van, not always ideal in some campsites, so I am very interested in one of these.

I had resigned myself to an inflatable and leave one of the kids behind so that we could get it in the van....and maybe some stronger suspension. Trouble is we don’t have a tow hitch to tow the forklift to get it in and out the van.

Did you consider the XL version? Probably to big for some campsites....especially the ones that make you park sideways?


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Hello

Lol I know exactly what you mean re fork lift truck!

We did look at the larger one very impressive it looks but as there is only two of us & a small dog both in our 60’s & both with glass backs the weight of the XT 5 P was an issue for us.

We have now split the poles from the awning making it even more manageable weight wise & if we were staying somewhere overnight the awning could easily be stored in the passenger footwell, something you can’t do with a Kela.

Although the dimensions are not to dissimilar to the Kela 3 Low it does feel far more spacious maybe because of shape & height.

We found the cheapest price on Amazon although it did not come with the removable ground sheet. Which we have ordered also from Amazon & now received. Like the fact you can fit the ground sheet or not as required.

It is unclear on Cotswolds Outdoor website (15% disc with club VIP) whether the ground sheet is included in their price.

We have yet to fit to the Cali but intend to fix it over the closed wind out or even with the wind out open with the legs down (space permitting). That should hopefully eliminate the fouling of the sliding door & leaks through the figure of 8 as we had with the Kela.

The only downside we can see so far is trying to put up in windy conditions. So we will have pegs handy to quickly secure or store until weather improves.

Hope this info is of help.

Gill

 

[David Bailey]

Quick question....does it attach to the Kador strip on the Cali awning, from the pictures it looks like it stretches over the roof of the van?

Thanks


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[stevieb]

Hello

No it’s not attached via the Kador.

The connecting end to the van is elasticated & is slightly curved. On the right & left of the flap a guy rope is threaded through each side with a toggle so it can be drawn up, each guy has a hook for attachment to the van.

Hope this helps
Gill

 

[motacyclist]

I had resigned myself to an inflatable and leave one of the kids behind so that we could get it in the van....and maybe some stronger suspension. Trouble is we don’t have a tow hitch to tow the forklift to get it in and out the van.

We bought one of these blow ups at the Slimbridge meet, I don’t think it takes up much space or is too heavy, see the specs. I have an electric pump but never bother using it because the dual action pump that comes with it inflates it very quickly.

Edit: here it is in the boot packed up, everything is in the bag including the pump:-

 

[David Bailey]

We bought one of these blow ups at the Slimbridge meet, I don’t think it takes up much space or is too heavy, see the specs. I have an electric pump but never bother using it because the dual action pump that comes with it inflates it very quickly.

Edit: here it is in the boot packed up, everything is in the bag including the pump:-
View attachment 34187

Thanks motacyclist....that’s actually not bad. The rule of thump for me is that if it doesn’t fit in the boot under the bed, it’s too big. Can’t help admiring your flooring though, lovely


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[Gary&Heather]

My boss tells me if we need it it doesn't take up any room if we don't need it it takes up too much room but I'm not sure if she meant me at the time

 

[SimonB]

We have a sheltapod pod. Really easy to put up. They are not huge but give extra room for 4. The new ones are much improved on last years I believe.

Hi Rosie & Mick
Was it you that had the Sheltapod at Slimbridge? I saw one there and meant to go back and take a proper look at it. Are you bringing it to Devon this weekend by any chance?
Simon

 

[larrylamb]

Hi Rosie & Mick
Was it you that had the Sheltapod at Slimbridge? I saw one there and meant to go back and take a proper look at it. Are you bringing it to Devon this weekend by any chance?
Simon

In case you missed his post, I don't think David was very impressed with his Sheltapod.

After our second experience with the Sheltapod, which was I am sure very entertaining for our fellow campers over several hours and fiddling to try and get everything taut...only a slight exaggeration...have now given it up for bad.

 

[SimonB]

In case you missed his post, I don't think David was very impressed with his Sheltapod.

Thanks for this. I have been watching the design evolve from the first ones that were crowd funded. We have had some Khyam dome tents when they first came out, and the original Sheltapod seemed a bit fragile compared to those. The latest design has more guy rope points available and some other ideas which I think might improve the flexibility of it as well as the durability.
I'd like to see one and hear the views of the owners as well, good & bad views.
At the moment I use a small 2/3 man dome tent as a "cupboard" on site where any overspill is put to leave more space in the Cali. We use the awning room from time to time, but it immobilises the vehicle so I'm very interested in other driveaway options that don't require huge amounts of space to store when not in use.
Simon

 

[larrylamb]

At the moment I use a small 2/3 man dome tent as a "cupboard" on site where any overspill is put to leave more space in the Cali. We use the awning room from time to time, but it immobilises the vehicle so I'm very interested in other driveaway options that don't require huge amounts of space to store when not in use.

We, like others, use a Quechua Base seconds pop up tent as storage etc. Not sold anymore unfortunately but they do come up frequently on ebay etc. Very pleased with it, easy to use and store.

 

[Emma Hughes]

Gill, no thank you!

After our second experience with the Sheltapod, which was I am sure very entertaining for our fellow campers over several hours and fiddling to try and get everything taut...only a slight exaggeration...have now given it up for bad.

We have been using our old stand alone tent next to the van, not always ideal in some campsites, so I am very interested in one of these.

I had resigned myself to an inflatable and leave one of the kids behind so that we could get it in the van....and maybe some stronger suspension. Trouble is we don’t have a tow hitch to tow the forklift to get it in and out the van.

Did you consider the XL version? Probably to big for some campsites....especially the ones that make you park sideways?


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Im surprised you are having so much difficulty with the sheltapod as we find it really easy to use. My husband puts it up pretty much on his own while I entertain the kids, with just a bit of help from me to put up the canopy and push the poles through. The key is make sure the front pole arch is vertical... with guy ropes up... then pull the back-most peg taught then work your way forwards pegging. Still the most flexible awning solution we have found. Here is us a couple of wekends ago!

 

[Blueeyedboy]

We have used a Kyham motorhome classic for 4 years on our T5 no problems at all. Been in terrible storms, torrential rain for days and just perfect.
Campers next to us at the time had air beam and they went flat overnight.
Best awning we had was twenty odd years ago with poles and slip over cotton canvas.
Wouldn’t change the Kyham tho.

 

[Emma Hughes]

Thanks for this. I have been watching the design evolve from the first ones that were crowd funded. We have had some Khyam dome tents when they first came out, and the original Sheltapod seemed a bit fragile compared to those. The latest design has more guy rope points available and some other ideas which I think might improve the flexibility of it as well as the durability.
I'd like to see one and hear the views of the owners as well, good & bad views.
At the moment I use a small 2/3 man dome tent as a "cupboard" on site where any overspill is put to leave more space in the Cali. We use the awning room from time to time, but it immobilises the vehicle so I'm very interested in other driveaway options that don't require huge amounts of space to store when not in use.
Simon

we have found our sheltapod to be great.... and I really don't like tents. Quick to put up once you have done it a couple of times. Enough space for all our clutter.... we don't use it to sleep in. It also survived unexpected 25mph winds though we did roll up the canopy!

 

[Speleo62]

In case you missed his post, I don't think David was very impressed with his Sheltapod.

Yes bringing it with us. Got to have somewhere to put the body boards and wet suits. Will be adorned with its light show too !

 

[ArunAlec]

We, like others, use a Quechua Base seconds pop up tent as storage etc. Not sold anymore unfortunately but they do come up frequently on ebay etc. Very pleased with it, easy to use and store.

I also use a Base Seconds, a great compromise. I recall a recent post which detailed an alternative pop up that was very similar to the Quechua.

 

[David Bailey]

Hello

I realise that this is an old thread but it was because on reading it I was interested in researching further this type of lightweight awning with DAC poles.

We had a Kela 3 Low which was too heavy for us as we both now suffer with back issues.

Research brought me to the Vaude Drive Van Awning which has arrived this week. Although yet to try on a site I have had a practice run in the garden very impressed with the quality so far & ease of putting up with the Aluminium DAC poles.

There is a brilliant You Tube video available to view although I’am not technically gifted enough to upload the link.

Just want to say thanks asI feel we have found our ideal awning.

Gill

I Gill

Sorry to resurrect an old post but we have bought a vaude van drive which we hadn’t used yet. Watching the setup video and seeing that the canopy stretches over the roof of the van...wondering how that works with the roof up? I can find no pictures... they all have a regular van with no pop up roof. We have the xt version which I would presume works with the same principle.

Thanks any advice appreciated.

David


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[stevieb]

Hello

It just so happens we have just returned from a great 12 day stay in North Norfolk using our Vaude awning for the first time.

We had practiced in our garden putting it up but not attached to the van.

On site it went up a dream & we decided to attach it to the van by putting it over the closed wind out cassette. At the rear end of the cassette we wrapped the excess material & elastic around a few times then attached the hook in the access hole for the wind out handle.

At the front we looped the elastic around the drivers wing mirror with the hook holding the two elastics together.

It was an absolute dream to detach when leaving site & so easy to reconnect. Although we still used a string marker on the ground to re-align.

Having said all that it has not been tested in the rain or wind. Also we didn’t feel the need to use the Vaude ground sheet on this occasion & just used our existing rubber carpet on the grass.

Steve wasn’t sure about the provided star pegs but they proved to be excellent & we have ordered more from Amazon.

It packed away so easy compared to the Vango Kela 3.

We are so pleased we made the change thanks to your original post.

Hope this helps & hope you will be as pleased with yours.

Gill

 

[David Bailey]

Hi Gill, actually I think we helped each other in it as I would never have discovered it without your suggestion of the vaude drive van.

Thanks, for taking the time to respond, will definitely keep it then.

I like the idea that you can attach it to the open boot as another option depending on the campsite, plus if they don’t allow a ground sheet you don’t have to use one.

Interestingly I also bought the half sized inner tent that I think is designed for the smaller drive van that you have, hoping it will fit the xt. The idea is to have somewhere to put our bags etc while still leaving the end open for light and air.

Thanks again.

David


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[ioich]

Hi Gill, actually I think we helped each other in it as I would never have discovered it without your suggestion of the vaude drive van.

Thanks, for taking the time to respond, will definitely keep it then.

I like the idea that you can attach it to the open boot as another option depending on the campsite, plus if they don’t allow a ground sheet you don’t have to use one.

Interestingly I also bought the half sized inner tent that I think is designed for the smaller drive van that you have, hoping it will fit the xt. The idea is to have somewhere to put our bags etc while still leaving the end open for light and air.

Thanks again.

David


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Hi David, I'm resurrecting this thread again as I haven't been able to see the Vaude wning being used on the rear with the door mounted bike rack(folded). I'd really like to know if it's compatible if you have any exprience of that.

Thanks!
Julian

 

[David Bailey]

Hi Julian

so we did not have the rear mounting one, but the side mounting xt one. The thing about the vaude is that the bit connects to the van is elasticated so you can connect it to anything so long as you can find something to wrap the bungi to and it gives a good seal from the elements. So I would imagine it would be fine over a bike carrier without bikes on.…but maybe not as seamless as in the pictures. I would imagine it would just go over the top. Will still have our xt one if you want to try before you buy..although we sold the van 18 months ago. Don’t suppose you are anywhere near Oxted in Surrey, you are welcome to borrow it and see how you get on.

thanks

david

 

[ioich]

Hi Julian

so we did not have the rear mounting one, but the side mounting xt one. The thing about the vaude is that the bit connects to the van is elasticated so you can connect it to anything so long as you can find something to wrap the bungi to and it gives a good seal from the elements. So I would imagine it would be fine over a bike carrier without bikes on.…but maybe not as seamless as in the pictures. I would imagine it would just go over the top. Will still have our xt one if you want to try before you buy..although we sold the van 18 months ago. Don’t suppose you are anywhere near Oxted in Surrey, you are welcome to borrow it and see how you get on.

thanks

david

Thanks David
We're actually in Turin, Italy! But hopefully heading to the UK shortly if the quarantene arrangements for France get lifted. Are you selling the XT one? I fear it'd be too big for us. I have seen in a video the smaller version attached to the rer without bike rack though -