pleased with new awning!

[JohnDalton]

I purchased this awning as cooking in the wind on small gas stoves can take ages. Now it can be used as a kitchen!. Also, on arriving to a campsite everything can be unloaded into this extra room whilst making up the beds etc. Great when weather is wet to hang up coats, take off boot etc. I'm looking forward to going away whatever the weather now!. I must say it is extremely well made, heavy duty but lightweight and fits perfectly to the canopy on my Cali Beach. 7 mins to set up!

 

[LisaKent]

loving the colour, where did you get it from?

 

[Tracey Johns]

Hi

I am interested in how much it cost as the awnings are usually out of my price range - would be really useful for using the van in the winter - a wet, muddy dog sometimes stops us using our van.

thanks for the review.

 

[Jason wallace]

Was nosing at some of these to add on my shopping list.....

It looks like the Comfortz Awning, available from the club shop and comes in that colour i believe.

https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/shop/product/vw-california-awning-kit-camping-room

 

[B J G]

Was nosing at some of these to add on my shopping list.....

It looks like the Comfortz Awning, available from the club shop and comes in that colour i believe.

https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/shop/product/vw-california-awning-kit-camping-room

Roll up doorway looks different to Comfortz?? Might be that the doorway panel is reversed compared to Comfortz photo.

Be good to have full info.

 

[JohnDalton]

I purchased it from the shop on this site. I thought it was a bit pricey at first, but when it arrived and I saw the quality I thought it was worth it and a useful addition to the van. It comes with a neat zip up bag to store it and plenty of ground pegs, straps to secure the wind skirting to the ground.
Comfortz VW California Awning Kit / Camping Room with Windows £399.00
https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/shop/product/vw-california-awning-kit-camping-room
Thank you for your reply's

 

[JohnDalton]

Thanks 'BJG' for pointing that out. It looks like I set it up inside out! with the skirt on the inside. I just looked at the photos here https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/shop/product/vw-california-awning-kit-camping-room and the skirt is on the outside. That was the only problem with it.....There was no instructions with it when it arrived!!
I'll set it up the correct way when I go camping. Thanks

 

[WelshGas]

Thanks 'BJG' for pointing that out. It looks like I set it up inside out! with the skirt on the inside. I just looked at the photos here https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/shop/product/vw-california-awning-kit-camping-room and the skirt is on the outside. That was the only problem with it.....There was no instructions with it when it arrived!!
I'll set it up the correct way when I go camping. Thanks

Looks good. I hope you have the Awning Tiedown Kit if you are using it in all weathers, al so available in the Shop.

 

[Amarillo]

Looks good. I hope you have the Awning Tiedown Kit if you are using it in all weathers, al so available in the Shop.

Is that necessary with side panels? Surely well pegged side panels are more effective at keeping the wind-out awning in place than awning guys.


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[WelshGas]

Is that necessary with side panels? Surely well pegged side panels are more effective at keeping the wind-out awning in place than awning guys.


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Your decision, but if using it during winter, if the door open or a heavy gust, unless using heavy duty pegs etc: once the wind gets inside. Unless of course you intend to clear the awning room, remove panels and wind in awning if the weather changes suddenly, even in the middle of the night.

Why do you thing tents with their walls pegged to the ground also have guy ropes and pegs etc:
Your choice - your wallet.

 

[EddieEagle]

I have an awning like this, very well made and does the job apart from not being drive offable.
Would be very surprised if awning were to get blown about when sides pegged down.

 

[Amarillo]

Your decision, but if using it during winter, if the door open or a heavy gust, unless using heavy duty pegs etc: once the wind gets inside. Unless of course you intend to clear the awning room, remove panels and wind in awning if the weather changes suddenly, even in the middle of the night.

Why do you thing tents with their walls pegged to the ground also have guy ropes and pegs etc:
Your choice - your wallet.

It was a question rather than a statement.

I can see the importance of guying the wind out without side panels, but if I recall correctly, with the side panels it is pegged out with 17 pegs (5 front, 4 each side plus 2 on each support leg). Would a further two guys add that that much more security in high winds?

I'm not sure how we'd manage if winds were too strong for popping the roof up and putting out an awning. We can all sleep on the lower berth, but where can we put the child seats and other gear?


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[Digger]

I suppose it all depends on the strength of the wind but if strong would you risk damage and expense for the sake of a few guy lines. We know VW awnings are not the strongest unless used correctly and like WelshGas I would err on the side of caution in stronger winds.

 

[westfalia]

I'm not sure how we'd manage if winds were too strong for popping the roof up and putting out an awning. We can all sleep on the lower berth, but where can we put the child seats and other gear?

We always take a small pop-up tent to store stuff in.
Once you´ve mastered how to get it back in the bag its easy.

 

[WelshGas]

View attachment 27207 I have an awning like this, very well made and does the job apart from not being drive offable.
Would be very surprised if awning were to get blown about when sides pegged down.

I note you have guys on the toilet tent?
A large side panel with the wind blowing on it only has to loosen a few pegs and the wind then gets under the awning.
Personally I don’t take the risk £15 for Tiedown Kit ver £500 for replacement awning or repairs. Your choice.

 

[EddieEagle]

The guys hold the toilet tent up, cheap and nasty toilet tent.
The legs on the awning are pegged down. The three sides are quite heavy in themselves and with proper hard ground tent pegs X 13 ( whoops, unlucky? ) I am happy that, apart from an Airbus spooling up on the other side of the hedge, it will still be there in the morning.
I actually carry two buckets, some webbing straps and fill said buckets with stones, earth or water and hang them from awning arms should I have chosen to park at the end of a runway.....
My main concern with this set up is you can’t easily drive off for the day.

 

[Amarillo]

Our typical four night setup is windout fully out and driveaway attached to the windout. The Driveaway acts as a guy for the windout. If it is raining, the side panels only for the safari room go on the windout.

If we are just staying one or two nights we sometimes use the safari room alone with all three panels, but do not have guys for it.

If the weather was so poor that I felt the safari room needed guying, I wouldn't deploy it, similarly, if the weather was that poor, I would not want to pop up the roof.

In such a situation, making up the lower bed only for the four of us to sleep would be impractical - piling up child seats and luggage on the front seats and dashboard, then moving the five of us to locations in the van during a tempest to make the bed is an interesting thought.

This means that during a storm, when putting out awnings is not a wise choice, we'd have to "sleep" out the storm in our seats (or find a hotel).

So this then makes me wonder if guys for the wind out would help me. On those nights when I use the safari room alone, is there a category of tempest where I'd be happy deploying the safari room guyed but not unguyed, given that I'd be happy with an unguyed safari tent in any wind where I'd be happy using the pop up roof. In other words, would I use a guyed safari tent to make up the lower bed in conditions where I would not use the pop up roof? Unlikely.

Guys are certainly a prudent choice for the windout awning on its own, but in my opinion add little security to a fully pegged safari tent. If the weather is so bad that a fully pegged safari tent needs guying, don't use it.


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[zerofour]

On our wind out awning we always peg the feet with rock pegs no matter what the weather. For overnight stays we use the tie down kit too as it only takes a couple of minutes. We also use the comfort awning sides which are pegged. It's going nowhere!

The main issue with this setup is water pooling in heavy rain on the wind out awning roof – even with one corner lowered. I have purchased a curved awning rafter which may solve the issue but we've yet to use it.

 

[zerofour]

loving the colour, where did you get it from?

The burgundy red is nice, doesn't look as dark inside as our grey one.

 

[Amarillo]

The main issue with this setup is water pooling in heavy rain on the wind out awning roof – even with one corner lowered. I have purchased a curved awning rafter which may solve the issue but we've yet to use it.

We use our tailgate prop vertically to solve this issue.


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[Amarillo]

The burgundy red is nice, doesn't look as dark inside as our grey one.

The burgundy is a lovely colour. We have the burgundy topper and it goes beautifully with our yellow beach.


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[Fast Freddie]

We have the Comfortz awning too - has been very good and I think its a great option that packs away in a small space yet gives you that wonderful extra space. Recommended.