Any caravanners given up on awnings? Alternatives?

[tinseloatcake]

We went away this weekend and remembered that we are really falling out of love with our awning. It is not very big, and barely fits all 5 of us in and the piles of junk that we carry around with us.

But we have always shyed away from really big awnings as we dont have the patience to put them together, and never really find it worth the effort. We actually don't often sit in it, but of course we might if we liked it more. It is also very dark and makes the van dark inside.

We are thinking about a canopy type thing instead, and the wishlist includes

• not dark
• somewhere to put shoes on etc coverd
• somewhere to leave shoes etc out overnight and not worry about them getting soaked in unexpected rain.
• somewhere with shade for continental travelling
• possibly somewhere to sit and eat, although we struggle to eat with bugs/wasps around and often therefore eat in the van, unless we had a totally sealed unit.
• something that will withstand some weather - we are fair weather travellers but of course get caught out, and have been in some whopper storms in france which the current awning has dealt with fine.

Anyone else had this decision?

Thanks

We like Quest’s Screen House. As standard, you get a double door and three sides in mesh. These are stand-alone units, but easy to put up because of the hub system of poles – it literally just pulls up and pops into place, and is equally easy to bring down again. More poles are supplied for extra stability.

We ditched the awning for a pull out awning. Much prefer it as it feels like you are sitting outside. We have a laundry basket for shoes they fits under the caravan by the door. We have it out in thr day and push under at night. We also have a little side table for coffee machine etc and we just cover it over with a throw if it's really chucking it down in case and rain comes around the sides...but it doesn't really. Only takes a couple of minutes to put it up and we don't start thr holiday putting up an awning

Interesting. Thanks both.

Dh really wants an event shelter like that so I will show it to him.

We don't manage to shove our shoe box under the van, we were thinking about a pup tent for the crap to go with the canopy thing. That would be largely storm proof too.

Isabella awnings
Ours was fab, all the walls zipped out or could be half open folded down from the top, It was water tight not draughty, but thats why they are much more expensive, but worth it

We love our awning. It’s full length, steel pole job so huge. It’s takes us about 60 minutes to put it up. It’s got a carpet, a skirt to keep drafts out. We use a gas heater in it so it’s toasty warm and have got lovely fairy lights. We sit in it every night when the kids have gone to bed.

We went awning shopping last weekend, some of the new air awnings can be put up in 10 mins and then just needs pegging down.

We have one of those. It doesn't take 10 mins to put up, more like 20. That isn't the problem for us, it is more that it is small and dark and generally pointless. (It's a 390 so not tiny but feels tiny)

I have an air beam drive away awning. I love it - our van is pretty small so the awning is our dining room and the van is living room/bedroom.

Our portaloo also goes in the awning.

Ours if from decathlon and has a SIG and takes minutes to put up