Potential owner - is the awning useful?

[Fourier]

I'm busy ticking the option boxes on my dream camper (small matter of the funding but some man maths will sort that out hopefully). This forum is a great resource for those of us yet to take the plunge, and I'm grateful for it!

Amongst other things, I'm wondering how useful the awning is? It looks like a bulky object to have permanently attached to the vehicle. Do people use it a lot? For longer trips I'm imagining a drive-away tent might be more useful?

Thanks for the opinions - and other tips gratefully received!

 

[John]

I'm busy ticking the option boxes on my dream camper (small matter of the funding but some man maths will sort that out hopefully). This forum is a great resource for those of us yet to take the plunge, and I'm grateful for it!

Amongst other things, I'm wondering how useful the awning is? It looks like a bulky object to have permanently attached to the vehicle. Do people use it a lot? For longer trips I'm imagining a drive-away tent might be more useful?

Thanks for the opinions - and other tips gratefully received!

Hi and Welcome to the forum.

Personally I do find the awning useful as it keeps ourselves and our two dogs shaded from the Sun. I find it makes it pleasant on a summers day to sit outside our Cali with the table and two chairs.

Some Cali owners also use it with either wind breaks or side panels which takes away the wind chill factor and can even keep you dry.

The side awning does have a awning rail so even with it fitted a drive away awning can still be attached to the Cali.

Finally with some help you can always remove the awning for the winter months and store it in the garage.

John

 

[DavidofHook]

We've always had a roll up awning on the side, a Fiamma.
We prefer it or a tent type awning because it is so quick and easy to use. Arrive, out of the van, wind out the awning, 6 pegs and your done. Protection from the rain or sun straightaway by the time the kettle's boiled.
On leaving it is easy to pack up and can be rolled up wet and doesn't have to be put into the van for travel.
Also has the benefit of not having to carry a bulky tent in the van, storage is not huge so we go for ease of use and reducing what you carry as far as possible.
We also attach a rain blocker to the edge of the awning. This is a sheet that extends down at 45 degrees and is pegged into the ground. It gives another metre or so under the awning and helps to hold it down In the wind.
Even on wet days on short stops you can wind it out for about 2 feet and it acts as a rain porch

 

[Anonymous]

Hi David. I have a drive away that fits onto the roll out awning, but have been trying to get details on sides, ( rain blocker ), that will fit onto the roll out for days out etc. Would you let me know where I can get details etc. it sounds the ideal solution. Roll on Summer !

 

[jerrythegerman]

Yes, agreed. One of the best options.

We use a wind break around it on overnight stops to allow us a bit of protection and leave the welly's and buggy under it.

Great on hot days when we pop out for the day. Nice bit of shade.

 

[David Eccles]

agree with all
its a must have option! really really useful.....and so easy to set up! Comes into its own especially when parking up on days out...though its also nice to have a drive away tent awning when on site of course!
plus if ordered as option its factory fitted

 

[jerrythegerman]

Thought I'd add.

I bought my Cali secondhand and the previous owner had took off and sold the awning.

From VW after the order, it was over £600 + vat (think it s a omnistor one) and so I bought the Fiamma(around £500 inc), just as good but not coloured dark grey if you are into that.

If I remember, as a option it was about £450 at time of ordering, so If you are going for it, get it now.

 

[KernowLad]

Definitely useful but I do think they look a bit "clunky" and slightly spoil the lines of the van. But we have one and it's usefulness outweighs the slight visual penalty.

 

[DavidofHook]

Hi John h-t,
Fiamma do a very good catalogue, we found it in there. Choices are a rain blocker or a sun blocker. The sun blocker is a mesh I think but, living in the UK we went for the rain blocker. It also gives you some privacy on site as well. People can't look into the side door of the van. (If you're an extrovert of course, this won't be a problem for you!)
Oh yes, if you've got an omnistor which seems to be VW's choice then you'll need to look into their catalogue of course. I understand that they do something similar to a rainblocker but I think that you may have to modify the edge of the blind.......... anyone know?
David

 

[Iain&Shani]

Stupid question....... we have one but how do I tell which make it is?

btw.....Welcome to the forums Fourier.

 

[DavidofHook]

The Fiamma has got er, Fiamma written on the side...... Also it is a square or rectangular shape viewed from the front.
The Omnistor seems to hug the van more closely and seems to be a more round shape when viewed from the front

Hope that isn't too confusing!

 

[David Eccles]

also worth noting is how the VW fitted awning is slightly adapted to make sure it does not foul the door...the front bracket is set back a little...
but then again I have only seen Fiamma ones on Bay window and Split buses close up

 

[Fourier]

Thanks for all the input - sounds like it needs to go on the list! Is it easy enough to get off? I not sure how useful it will be round town or on the school run!

Might be easier to decide which option boxes I'm NOT going to tick...sigh

 

[MKRW]

owned the cali for 1 month 4 trips 900 miles and not yet used our awning!

am looking for a drive away for when we do go camping, as with 5 of us we need the extra space.

am sure we will use it when its sunny........... :?:

 

[jerrythegerman]

Stupid question....... we have one but how do I tell which make it is?

btw.....Welcome to the forums Fourier.

I noticed a small sticker on the inside of the ali cover when it was out in a showroom...I'm sad and notice things like that.

Fiamma now has produce a specific one for the Cali (its about 4 inch longer) and brackets to suit.

It doesnt catch on the door unless the canvas angle is very much lower at the door end.

I tend to keep the driver door side high, low at the rear for run off.

I also got the rubber trim on the back edge so it stops rain running down between the gap and the van. Not sure if that is a VW thing or Fiamma, it came with the van.

Oh, I have a spare set of brakets for a fiamma if they are any use to anyone?

 

[David Eccles]

keeping driver end slightly higher than rear end is a good tip - thanks!

 

[KernowLad]

owned the cali for 1 month 4 trips 900 miles and not yet used our awning!

am looking for a drive away for when we do go camping, as with 5 of us we need the extra space.

am sure we will use it when its sunny........... :?:

2500 and three months ownership and we're the same!

 

[gatvol]

In my experience one of the LAST things you want to do with any car is allow dealers to touch them more than absolutely necessary, and this includes

Range Rover main dealers until I found a fantastic bloke who fixed them in his garden with his sons
VW vans main dealer
Audi main dealers and independents
VW cars main dealers
Mercedes main dealers and independents
Nissan main dealers

:censor

Nissan in Warrington were the only main agents in the past 10 years who have not caused collateral damage or the need for repeat visits when touching my cars. Nissan recognise this too which is why they were the only approved importers of certain fast models like the Skylines in the past

Thus I would suggest that any option you are after is factory fitted wherever possible

 

[jerrythegerman]

I couldnt agree with you more. My last outing to my Local VW Cali dealer left me less than satisfied. They can sell them to you but I am afraid to say the struggle to fix them.

It hurts me to say, but they are just not engineers/Mechanic's anymore. If the computer say's "no", you've had it.

My last service was a joke, I almost laughed when they provided me the cost. It's not the money (these are not cheap units after all), it's the quality of it.

Simple things like managing to pour about half a litre of oild down the back of the block, most of the pipework and onto the exhaust. Made it smell like a Diesel tug boat on the trip back home!!

My recent fun and games with the aux heater left me no more confident.
One dealer ship came back after one hour saying it had a fault and could not turn it on (I handed this info onto the supposed cheif tech when I drove in!!) and that resolution may be a new head up unit (£560) but as the had no stock, they could not prove it to be the answer and that I would have to pay for the unit, if it fixed it or not!!?

The second closest dealer reasured me they could resolve it and then blew it all by saying that it was too warn now anyway and would not work. I explained to him he was talking about the pre-heater and I the Air-top. He than stated that they were both the same...I went on to explain that one heated water and one air.

Needless to say, it didnt go in there either.

Seems to me that the techs dont have specific training on Cali's just van and maybe then, only based around fault codes. I'm sure there are good ones but I've not found them yet.

Oh, as a side job, I build and restore classic race and rally cars for customers, and have done for around 20 years, more in the last 10.

The reason the Cali went into VW for it's last service was it was near on the same for me to buy the oils and filters than for them to do it!! Made sense...then.

Anyway...If you do go for the Fiamma aftermarket one. It takes about 1 hour to fit and is really easy. Two man job to lift the actual unit onto the brackets, that's all.

Rant over!!

 

[DavidofHook]

We've always had a roll up awning on the side, a Fiamma.
We prefer it or a tent type awning because it is so quick and easy to use. Arrive, out of the van, wind out the awning, 6 pegs and your done. Protection from the rain or sun straightaway by the time the kettle's boiled.
On leaving it is easy to pack up and can be rolled up wet and doesn't have to be put into the van for travel.
Also has the benefit of not having to carry a bulky tent in the van, storage is not huge so we go for ease of use and reducing what you carry as far as possible.
We also attach a rain blocker to the edge of the awning. This is a sheet that extends down at 45 degrees and is pegged into the ground. It gives another metre or so under the awning and helps to hold it down In the wind.
Even on wet days on short stops you can wind it out for about 2 feet and it acts as a rain porch

I see that Tronic has said that my post is 'Old News'. Must have got out of bed the wrong way.
You're right........ it is old news! I posted it in April 2012. But it was still useful to those who were making the enquiry about awnings.

Since then I have bought a side awning that can be either fixed on the awning arm or on a separate rafter. We got this as a very useful one off from Nick at Comfortz and will give us much needed protection form the sun when we go over to Europe this summer.