Buy all your VW California Accessories at the Club Shop Visit Shop

Pop top and wind

gareth230380

gareth230380

Messages
52
Location
Maidstone, Kent
Vehicle
T5 Beach
We’re heading out tomorrow for the weekend and the weather for the next 48hr is 40mph wind.

i’m going to pitch the awning and fix down properly which should be fine but what wind speed is safe to put the pop top up in and any advise for a first time trip in windy conditions please?
 
No problems leaving your roof open.
Maybe some ear plugs if you are not a good sleeper?
 
Gusting wind is the greatest danger.

Having had tents and caravans with awnings and witnessed tents and awnings suddenly become airbound I would not risk an open canopy awning, tied down or not being extended. What function will it serve in high winds?

My top up or down guide is based on how much difficulty I have standing still or walking in the wind.
 
Sorry, it’s a van go manga awning, not the one on the van
Just got back from Cornwall and it was wet and windy in the nights. We do find it noisy with the wind - more so with a topper on. I’d wind awning in on van. As for the vango awning just make sure it’s well pegged and guy-roped down. I hate the wind.
 
Hello, good morning from the New Forest. We are on our first trip and it is really gusting here. We have put our roof down now but,more as going home today and,it’s not yet raining. We managed 8 hours sleep but wind was a bit blustery. Just seen a crow flying backwards! Our Hutch was shaking but we were snug and safe. Love it!AC3BA7CB-B3F4-4A69-8C3C-0D755F9AF0EF.jpeg
 
Three Cliffs Bay last night, many on here will be familiar with the exposure levels. Steady 45 mph with gusts well over 60 mph at several points through the night. Kept the roof down but Vango Galli attached. Galli performed admirably, not a comfortable night with regular checks and violent buffeting making for a sleepless night for me, although Mrs KB and the eldest reported a fine nights sleep in the Cali :Depressed. But it held up well with no issues. More than I can say for at least half a dozen tents which were totalled during the night, and there were only a few of us who stuck it out - apparently most had either legged it early or didn't turn up at all.
 
Three Cliffs Bay last night, many on here will be familiar with the exposure levels. Steady 45 mph with gusts well over 60 mph at several points through the night. Kept the roof down but Vango Galli attached. Galli performed admirably, not a comfortable night with regular checks and violent buffeting making for a sleepless night for me, although Mrs KB and the eldest reported a fine nights sleep in the Cali :Depressed. But it held up well with no issues. More than I can say for at least half a dozen tents which were totalled during the night, and there were only a few of us who stuck it out - apparently most had either legged it early or didn't turn up at all.
Three Cliffs is a cracking spot, but a tad open to the elements!
 
We’re heading out tomorrow for the weekend and the weather for the next 48hr is 40mph wind.

i’m going to pitch the awning and fix down properly which should be fine but what wind speed is safe to put the pop top up in and any advise for a first time trip in windy conditions please?

The storm last weekend (Saturday) was pretty wild down West Wales. No awning, no pop-top. Not worth the risk.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
We are down in Weymouth and it’s blowing pretty good here. We had the pop top up last night and that was fine but woke up to find 2 of the 3 figure of eights connecting the kador strip on the deck.
no pop top up tonight and disconnected the galli 3 from the van to use as a stand alone tent. The sister outlaw and niece have joined us for thier first ever night camping they are in the awning looking like rabbits caught in headlights with the buffeting wind noise.
As the top down the little one is in my bad with Mrs gas and I get the floor in the awning. I feel a bad back coming on for the morning
 
was blustery in Cardiff today

10ce1e546610f05c120060de537b5104.jpg

It was! Just one of a few trees I saw blown down.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
would be very brave or foolhardy to have awning or roof up today.
Both..
tail to the wind, Cali cozy around the top, screw in pegs for the drive away awning and guys.
we’re in a Brecon, so had the full monty last night..
(taken Monday pm after setup)
82A6BBC6-271E-489F-A9FD-808F5F191430.jpeg
 
Both..
tail to the wind, Cali cozy around the top, screw in pegs for the drive away awning and guys.
we’re in a Brecon, so had the full monty last night..
(taken Monday pm after setup)
View attachment 65037
Well done.
 
Well done.
The only casualty was my Stormtech lightweight breathable jacket which was hanging up inside the driveaway awning with all the doors zipped shut when I went in this morning it was nowhere to be seen, somehow it had been sucked out of the tent and blown halfway up the campsite, I found it in the hedge.
 
would be very brave or foolhardy to have awning or roof up today.

On several occasions we have wound in the canopy and left up the driveaway and pop top, and on one occasion never put up the pop top or driveaway and slept four in a bed with excess baggage stowed in and around the driver and front passenger seats.

In strong winds it feels really hairy up top, but I do wonder how often the canvass is damaged or van blown over with the pop top left up in very strong winds. Surely it would not survive the strongest of the Caribbean hurricanes, but would it remain standing in the great storm of 1987? I wouldn’t like to bet on it by sleeping (or trying to sleep) up top, but I’d be willing to wager 50p if someone else would spend the night up there (in their own van).
 

Similar threads

Anthony1
Replies
12
Views
3K
Elly Swanson
Elly Swanson
J
Replies
59
Views
15K
WelshGas
WelshGas
L
Replies
26
Views
11K
RichardH
RichardH
Collieboy
Replies
31
Views
8K
Jay20cali
Jay20cali
DavidGPhillips
Replies
3
Views
1K
bvddobb
bvddobb
Back
Top