Best drive away awning

[chrissieB]

Hello to all you like minded Cali owners ,
As a newbie to the owners club having just got myself a California I'm looking for help and advice on the best Driveaway Awning, just looking for a relatively small one just to provide a bit of extra storage and maybe a blow up mattress.

Thanks

 

[Wildcamper]

I think first question to ask is "do I need a drive away awning"? We had one, but there are only 2 of us and no pets, and it was an absolute pain. Getting rid of it was the best thing we did. If there are 4 of you plus dog(s) then you may need one. They are bulky and take up a lot of space. Packing up a wet awning is not a joyful experience and then you have to get it out again to dry. Others on here love them.

 

[HB19]

Welcome chrissieB, May you have many happy travels with your new campervan. You will find loads,of threads on this forum about awnings and what’s available, what people prefer etc etc.
I am happy to relay my own experiences and hopefully this will help. It seems that many people on this forum collect a range of campervan accessories during their years of ownership and then take a pick and mix approach to their selection depending on their planned trip .. and this has certainly become the case for me since I bought my van just over 2 years ago.
I now have a largish blow up drive away awning like this one https://www.vango.co.uk/gb/awnings/150-kela-v-air-low.html
which works really well when I go away with my extended family. We have a bedroom insert which we can put up inside and there is still plenty of space for a table and chairs. The front door can be opened up for extra shade and you can attach it to the van awning when it is extended or retracted, making it possible to have some extra distance between the tent part and the van (I am sure there is a photo of this set up on the forum somewhere).
The downside is that the put up and take down is not an easy task for one person (I often travel alone), it’s takes up A LOT of space, and the drive away kador strip attachment on this style of awning can be a bit of a pain. ( I have been looking at magnetic attachments recently to see if this might be a better option going forward). Also bear in mind that the seal against the van is not in fact a seal and the rain will pour in against the van side.
I also have an awning room

Comfortz VW California Awning Kit / Camping Room with Windows | Comforts

Comfortz VW California Awning Kit / Camping Room with Windows This camping room has been tailor made specifically for the VW California T5 and T6 ( SE, Ocean and Beach). It offers a full awning room solution using the standard factory fitted wind out awning. The kit comes with easy fit panels...

www.comfortzleisure.net

which is great. It is super easy to set up and take down, takes up next to no space and is very versatile .. in that you can use any or all of the three “curtains”.
The downside is that it attaches to the extended camper awning so not great in very windy weather .. you will find loads of cautionary tales about using the van awning in the wind, although the leisure room does help to anchor it somewhat.
I also have a cheapish 2m square tent from decathlon which I use a lot. It serves as a dumping ground for anything that doesn’t need to be in the van and I often set it up as a changing and organising station to help reduce day to day van clutter. If the weathers good, I erect it so that it meets the leisure room so that we have two spaces. It makes driving away simple and keeps the extra space available for our return.
if I was looking now and starting from scratch I might go for the Gybe
https://gybe-design.com/en/lifestyle instead of my large drive away awning, which unlike my air beam awning has just one single inflation point and takes up less storage space .. again, there are loads of posts on this forum about this awning and pics too. In addition I might go for a Reims Tuffi

Tuffi - a rear tent for vans/motor homes

Rear tent for small motor homes and vans. When driving away with the vehicle, the tent can be closed completely. For connecting the tent with the…

www.reimo.com

which would serve two purposes .. it’s a drive away so no need to leave the boot door open when you are not around .. and it would allow the rear door to be left open at night for extra ventilation.
Its a bit of an essay but I hope this all helps.

 

[chrissieB]

I think first question to ask is "do I need a drive away awning"? We had one, but there are only 2 of us and no pets, and it was an absolute pain. Getting rid of it was the best thing we did. If there are 4 of you plus dog(s) then you may need one. They are bulky and take up a lot of space. Packing up a wet awning is not a joyful experience and then you have to get it out again to dry. Others on here love them.

I think first question to ask is "do I need a drive away awning"? We had one, but there are only 2 of us and no pets, and it was an absolute pain. Getting rid of it was the best thing we did. If there are 4 of you plus dog(s) then you may need one. They are bulky and take up a lot of space. Packing up a wet awning is not a joyful experience and then you have to get it out again to dry. Others on here love them.

It’s a good question, do we need one? It’s only for the occasional weekend to allow us to take extended family member away with us, so wanted something small and very easy to pop up.
I get the point about packing up when wet, sounds like a right pain!

 

[Wildcamper]

It’s a good question, do we need one? It’s only for the occasional weekend to allow us to take extended family member away with us, so wanted something small and very easy to pop up.
I get the point about packing up when wet, sounds like a right pain!

Suggest you try without and see how you get on. It may be that with the extra person it becomes a "must have" all be it at some inconvenience.

 

[chrissieB]

Welcome chrissieB, May you have many happy travels with your new campervan. You will find loads,of threads on this forum about awnings and what’s available, what people prefer etc etc.
I am happy to relay my own experiences and hopefully this will help. It seems that many people on this forum collect a range of campervan accessories during their years of ownership and then take a pick and mix approach to their selection depending on their planned trip .. and this has certainly become the case for me since I bought my van just over 2 years ago.
I now have a largish blow up drive away awning like this one https://www.vango.co.uk/gb/awnings/150-kela-v-air-low.html
which works really well when I go away with my extended family. We have a bedroom insert which we can put up inside and there is still plenty of space for a table and chairs. The front door can be opened up for extra shade and you can attach it to the van awning when it is extended or retracted, making it possible to have some extra distance between the tent part and the van (I am sure there is a photo of this set up on the forum somewhere).
The downside is that the put up and take down is not an easy task for one person (I often travel alone), it’s takes up A LOT of space, and the drive away kador strip attachment on this style of awning can be a bit of a pain. ( I have been looking at magnetic attachments recently to see if this might be a better option going forward). Also bear in mind that the seal against the van is not in fact a seal and the rain will pour in against the van side.
I also have an awning room

Comfortz VW California Awning Kit / Camping Room with Windows | Comforts

Comfortz VW California Awning Kit / Camping Room with Windows This camping room has been tailor made specifically for the VW California T5 and T6 ( SE, Ocean and Beach). It offers a full awning room solution using the standard factory fitted wind out awning. The kit comes with easy fit panels...

www.comfortzleisure.net

which is great. It is super easy to set up and take down, takes up next to no space and is very versatile .. in that you can use any or all of the three “curtains”.
The downside is that it attaches to the extended camper awning so not great in very windy weather .. you will find loads of cautionary tales about using the van awning in the wind, although the leisure room does help to anchor it somewhat.
I also have a cheapish 2m square tent from decathlon which I use a lot. It serves as a dumping ground for anything that doesn’t need to be in the van and I often set it up as a changing and organising station to help reduce day to day van clutter. If the weathers good, I erect it so that it meets the leisure room so that we have two spaces. It makes driving away simple and keeps the extra space available for our return.
if I was looking now and starting from scratch I might go for the Gybe
https://gybe-design.com/en/lifestyle instead of my large drive away awning, which unlike my air beam awning has just one single inflation point and takes up less storage space .. again, there are loads of posts on this forum about this awning and pics too. In addition I might go for a Reims Tuffi

Tuffi - a rear tent for vans/motor homes

Rear tent for small motor homes and vans. When driving away with the vehicle, the tent can be closed completely. For connecting the tent with the…

www.reimo.com

which would serve two purposes .. it’s a drive away so no need to leave the boot door open when you are not around .. and it would allow the rear door to be left open at night for extra ventilation.
Its a bit of an essay but I hope this all helps.

Thanks for such an informative response, given me plenty to consider.
The 2 most important things are size, definitely need to keep it to the minimum we can manage with and also making sure it’s simple and quick to set up and take down.
After browsing and looking at what’s available and in stock I’m liking the Vango Cove ll. Has anyone got any feedback on this model ?
Also can these awnings fit to anyside of the van, almost every photo on line shows them fitted to the passenger side.

 

[HB19]

Thanks for such an informative response, given me plenty to consider.
The 2 most important things are size, definitely need to keep it to the minimum we can manage with and also making sure it’s simple and quick to set up and take down.
After browsing and looking at what’s available and in stock I’m liking the Vango Cove ll. Has anyone got any feedback on this model ?
Also can these awnings fit to anyside of the van, almost every photo on line shows them fitted to the passenger side.

i am sure they can technically fit on any side of the van because they attach to the rail with a kador strip but of course it changes the direction of the entry ways etc . Calis have their sliding door on the drivers side but T6 conversions usually have their sliding doors on the passenger side, so I presume the shape of the tunnel connection is symmetrical and attachable either way. My only question would be, why connect to the van if you are not entering it from the door?

 

[Ch1pbutty]

My only question would be, why connect to the van if you are not entering it from the door?

It’s good for storage.

 

[HB19]

It’s good for storage.

Yes, but why would you want the hassle of connecting and reconnecting it to the rail? I suppose you could lob things out of the side window if it’s raining but you’ll still have to go around the van to retrieve anything. Am I missing something??

 

[TheDoc]

Just bought a Vango Tolga. It’s made for vw height vans and is not too big - you can stand up in it and it will easily fit a double bed. I used it this weekend and naturally with no help from the kids who were on tictoc I put it up myself in about 15 mins. Second time round should be quicker. I’ll only be using it if I need the space (depends on whose with me) or if I stay longer than a weekend. YouTube links
review:

Up and down:

I’ve a carpet and groundsheet protector which made it feel plush inside.

 

[chrissieB]

It’s got to fit over the sliding door or a total waste of time and not really fit for purpose. Not the best scenario if the tunnel entrance is over the drivers door also.
Definitely needs more research and advice before ordering, there must be plenty out that have them fitted to there California.

 

[HB19]

It’s got to fit over the sliding door or a total waste of time and not really fit for purpose. Not the best scenario if the tunnel entrance is over the drivers door also.
Definitely needs more research and advice before ordering, there must be plenty out that have them fitted to there California.

The tunnel entrance is a real dilemma for me. I know it’s important to make the connection with the sliding door but not then being able to use the drivers door effectively can be a right pain. I haven’t found a drive away awning yet that doesn’t block off the drivers door so if someone out there knows of one please shout out.

 

[HB19]

It’s got to fit over the sliding door or a total waste of time and not really fit for purpose. Not the best scenario if the tunnel entrance is over the drivers door also.
Definitely needs more research and advice before ordering, there must be plenty out that have them fitted to there California.

Just checked out the Vango Cove .. it looks really smart actually. All the usual downsides but actually a really good size, shape and colour.

 

[Nick.C]

Hello to all you like minded Cali owners ,
As a newbie to the owners club having just got myself a California I'm looking for help and advice on the best Driveaway Awning, just looking for a relatively small one just to provide a bit of extra storage and maybe a blow up mattress.

Thanks

We have just brought a Kampa cross air and are really impressed. It is definitely a step up from our last small awning.

 

[Chunkymunky]

We have just brought a Kampa cross air and are really impressed. It is definitely a step up from our last small awning.

Same Nick. Very happy with it- you haven’t located a secret source for the bedroom annexes have you? I’m finding it easier to locate rocking horse muck than one of them in stock anywhere!

 

[Nick.C]

Same Nick. Very happy with it- you haven’t located a secret source for the bedroom annexes have you? I’m finding it easier to locate rocking horse muck than one of them in stock anywhere!

Afraid not, had to wait for the awning to come back into stock and then it was a bit of a search to even find the carpet.

 

[andyinluton]

The tunnel entrance is a real dilemma for me. I know it’s important to make the connection with the sliding door but not then being able to use the drivers door effectively can be a right pain.

Why do you need the drivers door to open? with the seat swivelled you are not going to be getting in & out that way. Whats wrong with using the slider?

 

[Gavin123]

We have a Cross Air too. Super quick to put up And take down. No internal opportunity to add a ‘bedroom’ though so it’s just one big space.

 

[GrahamB]

We got an Outdoor Revolution Movielite T4PC and after a trial weekend away I am very happy. Its a big awning, but with dogs and 2 kids on board we wanted the space for bigger trips. It also has a big front porch shape which is great for cooking. Airbeams are quick to inflate, I’d say 20 mins to pitch and about the same to take down. Polycotton is supposed to be more comfortable in hot weather but it is heavy - the pack is big and weighs 25kg. But space was not an issue, we slid the bench seat forward about halfway and had plenty of room for kit and passengers.

By comparison I have had prior experience of an awning room on a hired Cali before we got ours and tbh for me it was a bigger hassle. Hard to put up in the slightest breeze and of course has to be taken down when you go anywhere leaving no onsite storage. For a more compact solution the Gybe looks like a great option.

 

[YELRAV]

We have the vango galli iii low rsv drive away awning. If we are away for more than 2 days we take it. Great to have a bit more room. Can Chuck in stuff that we don’t need when parked up (car seat / cycling helmets), dry towels and even set up the table and chairs in it so we can dine.
Yes agree fighting with it to put in back in the bag is a pain but on wet horrible days it’s nice to stay dry and have some room.

 

[Amarillo]

If you don't need privacy, the Hexaway is an awesome awning.

 

[kp64zl]

I‘ve a Vango Galli III. I really don’t like the bulk of it in the van. The awning takes up almost 1/2 of the rear parcel shelf. On top of that there’s the pump bag, the carpet bag, the groundsheet protector etc. It’s a pain to put up, even more of a pain to put down and pack away. I don’t connect it to the van so may have well bought a large tent at half the price. It’s designed for the South of France or similar with lots of ventilation. So first thing I have to do in the uk / Scotland is to Duck tape over the ventilation hole (it’s large) …..RANT OVER

On the other hand it’s very useful when going away for longer trips (usually me + 2 children) as it does give us lots of space… but to be honest the best trips are those without the awning when we can go fast and light.

 

[Barbara]

For those of who who also have an Eriba caravan. My Vango Agora Air VW Drive Away Awning also fits the Eriba, needs a bit of careful fitting so the door will open but works well. It is possible to put the Eriba table on the outside of the caravan under the awing, but the caravan door will not go under it.