Driveaway Awning advice please! What to buy....

[The Robbo's]

We found it to be a real pain to atach the awning via the figure of 8
& much preferred having the wind out awning out by 3' with the drive away awning free standing.

We also looked at a Inca Java free standing kitchen tent.

 

[marshian70]

Have you got any pictures of the various set ups you use. It's quite difficult to imagine having not used one!

For us, one of the advantages of a driveaway awning would be letting the dogs out into it without them being able to wander off and find their own fun... I'm beginning to think that some kind of windbreak contraption to contain them might be the better solution.

What shelter do you use?

I'll try and find some pictures. We have a Decathlon/Quechua MSH blow up. The nice thing about it is you can attach bedroom pods if needed. Unfortunately they don't make our model anymore, but Decathlon have recently released something similar I think, although I've not studied it in any detail yet. We have a dog too. A driveaway is no barrier to a dog escaping if it wants to, unless it is zipped up in the tent part of course, so no different to a tent/shelter ultimately.

 

[Geezso]

The figure of 8 kador kit the club sells allows reattaching in seconds. Very quick and simple. Before it came we actually drove the van away to un thread the kador, also simple with one driving and one guiding the strip. A minutes work.
Don't let the strip put u off, we found the 'join' to the van great, an extra room instead of 'an outhouse'. I considered many options and a pop up tent/ free standing wouldn't have worked for us.
But each to their own, the awning looks better too imo

 

[Geezso]

 

[marshian70]

Have you got any pictures of the various set ups you use. It's quite difficult to imagine having not used one!

For us, one of the advantages of a driveaway awning would be letting the dogs out into it without them being able to wander off and find their own fun... I'm beginning to think that some kind of windbreak contraption to contain them might be the better solution.

What shelter do you use?

This is what we had and what we have now. You can park the Cali right next to the shelter if desired, so you can literally step straight out of the van in.

 

[Tigger]

View attachment 13811 View attachment 13812 View attachment 13811
This is what we had and what we have now. You can park the Cali right next to the shelter if desired, so you can literally step straight out of the van in.

Thanks Marshian70. Which Quechua is that? How much space does it take when packed up?

That also looks like a tow bar mount bike rack in the top pic? You are several steps ahead of us, we have 2 humans, 2 lab size dogs, 2 mountain bikes and a few wetsuits and are wondering how we will fit it in! You have room for all this!

 

[marshian70]

Thanks Marshian70. Which Quechua is that? How much space does it take when packed up?

That also looks like a tow bar mount bike rack in the top pic? You are several steps ahead of us, we have 2 humans, 2 lab size dogs, 2 mountain bikes and a few wetsuits and are wondering how we will fit it in! You have room for all this!

Its the Quechua MSH. Unfortunately they are no longer available to buy new from Decathlon, so second hand is the only option. Just the shelter part (without sleeping pods) goes in a bag which fits snugly under the rear shelf and I would say takes up around 1/3 of the space.

 

[Flood51]

We brought a Vango Sapera 2 on offer at the end of season and its massive and comes with a bedroom and its very easy to put up. Had an issue at one campsite because it has a sewn ground sheet (non breathable) and some sites make you move it around on grass plus its a little over 7m wide with the Van. We use it for non touring holidays where we are in one place with 2 or more guests for a week or more. We also brought a Vango Idris 2, Kela size but toggled in groundsheet same size as the Kela but lighter material and most importantly blue to match the Van. We use the Idris more than the Sapera so we probably should have started with that and squeezed guests in.

 

[Tigger]

We brought a Vango Sapera 2 on offer at the end of season and its massive and comes with a bedroom and its very easy to put up. Had an issue at one campsite because it has a sewn ground sheet (non breathable) and some sites make you move it around on grass plus its a little over 7m wide with the Van. We use it for non touring holidays where we are in one place with 2 or more guests for a week or more. We also brought a Vango Idris 2, Kela size but toggled in groundsheet same size as the Kela but lighter material and most importantly blue to match the Van. We use the Idris more than the Sapera so we probably should have started with that and squeezed guests in.

Flood51 how big is the Idris when packed up? Is it easy to put up/down?

Thanks
Tigs

 

[Flood51]

Hi Tigger, its quite bulky about 35cm diameter by 75cm long. We brought the low one, they do standard and tall. The Idris doesn't come with an inner bedroom but you can buy this as an extra. There are youtube video's on the Kela (same size) which show how easy it is to erect. Because it has a toggled in groundsheet its slightly more fiddly but not by much and the versatility when on grass pitches is very helpful. We brought a couple of Vango poles which are good to prop open the front entrance into a sun porch. If you are going to use the groundsheet make sure you also buy a "footprint" when your on a hard pitch to protect the groundsheet, goes underneath. We just brought a cheap tarpaulin on eBay but Vango do sell one. To be frank its more difficult to roll it up and put it away than erect , two people make this much easier or some grandchildren to pat it down and get the air out by rolling on it. If you can wait until the end of the season they discount these things by about £100 in October.

 

[Billabus]

If you carry a drive away awning in a Cali, you generally have to pitch it even if you are doing a quick one-night stopover, as they are so big in the bag.

We have avoided having to pitch just for overnight stops by perching our awning in its bag and upright on the rotated passenger seat. Cosy but do-able. Just

 

[Annik]

I really don't get why people have these drive away awnings, take up so much bloody room and you lose the freedom of what the Cali was designed for.

 

[Astronomy]

We also purchased a Vango Kela 3 low last weekend.

Only purchased it the previous day and so only pitched it up once, the room it gives you to store your gear is great and the only draw back I could see was that it doesn't fit snug to the van when using the 6mm strip and the 'S' TUBING, this could be down to inexperience though. I think that you can get nearer I suppose if you use the slings and throw it over the side using the straps.

Looking forward to having a play with it again.

 

[Loz]

We also purchased a Vango Kela 3 low last weekend.

Only purchased it the previous day and so only pitched it up once, the room it gives you to store your gear is great and the only draw back I could see was that it doesn't fit snug to the van when using the 6mm strip and the 'S' TUBING, this could be down to inexperience though. I think that you can get nearer I suppose if you use the slings and throw it over the side using the straps.

Looking forward to having a play with it again.

Could you use a few magnets to hold it on better?

 

[RedCali]

We have a quechua base seconds pop up for sale in the " for sale " section.

 

[Nicholas Poole]

If I get the Vango Kela 3 Low, can I attach it to the awning if my fixed VW awning is extended, or does the vango have to be up close to the van? Also, does anyone know if the vango comes with everything, or do I need to buy the figure of eight strip?

Just booked for Weymouth!

 

[Nicholas Poole]

If I get the Vango Kela 3 Low, can I attach it to the awning if my fixed VW awning is extended, or does the vango have to be up close to the van? Also, does anyone know if the vango comes with everything, or do I need to buy the figure of eight strip?

Just booked for Weymouth!

actually, I think the Robbos might have already part answered my question above - what about the figure of 8 strip anyone?

cheers

 

[hebethomas]

Hi
My suggestion although not an awning as such would be the Quechua base seconds. Available from Decathlon on WWW. The have a pop up and an air base one.

It's more than likely what we will end up with.

T

thanks for that -will take a look when next at Decatholon

 

[Astronomy]

Could you use a few magnets to hold it on better?

Yep, I was thinking the same, but for 500 quid I was expecting a bit better.

 

[daz60]

Khyam , easy and fast to put up

 

[NZCol]

Anyone got any hot tips for a Vango Kela 3 low + footprint + carpet before I go and buy online at full RRP (ish) ? Need it soon ! Cheers

 

[Canary Bird]

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/air-seconds-base-xl-inflatable-camping-shelter-id_8358157.html

Hello Jet4415! Just so that I understand correctly, your teenage sons sleep in the base shelter? ... or in tent connected to the shelter?

I ask as I have 3 sons (2 teenagers) and we'd love to have a drive away that had sleeping possibilities.

We are looking at the base xl, but with the clip in base, my wife is concerned bugs and mice will get in.

However, it costs 2.5X more than the Arpenaz Family 4.1, that has a shelter area and a separate sleeping area. The Main standup area of the Arpenaz Family 4.1 is smaller, but adequate for a table & chair.

Also, my wife thinks a shelter & additional sleeping area tent won't get the use that justifies the base xl price when the kids move out.

... but I love the base xl look

What are your thoughts?

 

[2into1]

Some of the price difference is the Arpenaz involves a lot of pole threading, whereas (if I've kept up) the Base shelter is pop up. (edit... I hadn't kept up, it's air. They still do the pop up at £139 but no ground sheet..... But it is massively popular with van owners in the size/packed size/speed trade-off).

 

[Canary Bird]

Hello T4WFA, Yes ... it seems like a hug price jump for the air/pump up ... as it doesn't seem that much faster ... I know I am comparing apples & oranges, but it weighs more too, plus the space for the pump. I think I am trying to convince myself that the Air Base Shelter XL is better, but not sure how! I do think it connects/meshes best with the van/awning and the guide wires seem less in the way.

 

[Teejay]

Hello T4WFA, Yes ... it seems like a hug price jump for the air/pump up ... as it doesn't seem that much faster ... I know I am comparing apples & oranges, but it weighs more too, plus the space for the pump. I think I am trying to convince myself that the Air Base Shelter XL is better, but not sure how! I do think it connects/meshes best with the van/awning and the guide wires seem less in the way.

I'm pretty sure that Quechua does not provide the pump in the price.