Awnings that fold away extend the useable space inside your campervan. This makes longer camping trips with your family more enjoyable. By their very nature, they can be parked at the campsite even when the van is on the moving. Therefore, they are especially handy when you have to take care of those in your travelling group, heavy items, or awkward camping furniture. But how do drive away the awnings function? This is precisely what we’ll discuss in our short run-through of specifications and features.
What’s the purpose of learning to use and install one on your vehicle but you’re not sure which type of driveaway awning that is best for you? In light of this our topic, let’s begin by giving a few tips on the most modern and most convenient features. The handy drive-away buying awning guide will help you do just that.
What is a drive-away awning?
An awning is essentially it’s a tent that’s attached to the side of your motorhome or campervan. It’s made of the same kind of weatherproof and hardwearing material. You also set the drive away awning up like you would an awning. It has an opening to let you pass between your van and the awning and vice-versa.
As you can see that awnings are available in a variety of sizes and shapes, ranging from canopy-style roofs, to makeshift lounges like this Vango Airhub Hexaway in the picture above. And drive-away awnings are no different. They’re designed especially for large-sized vans, like those of the Vango Galli III Airaway awning, which comes in different sizes, including both low and tall, while others are designed to be used with SUVs. The basic function is the same.
How do awnings that are driven away work?
What makes a drive-away awning special is the fact it’s a tent that is freestanding that does not lose the shape or stability as you are driving away. That’s why it’s called ‘drive away’. It’s attached to your car after you have put it in place, but you can remove it as and when you’re required.
Why buy a drive away awning?
An awning that is well-designed can make your living space double. Certain premium products will do more than that, imitating your decor by adding luxurious features, so that you don’t miss your home comforts. It provides shelter during any weather condition, allows you to stretch out more at breakfast time and gives you more storage space, and allows children to do what they love to do. You an literally more than double your living space with drive-away awnings such as the Outwell Scenic Road 250SA Smart Air drive away awning.
If you want to go for a drive then you simply leave it there. There is no need to pack and go. Don’t bother putting all your belongings in the garage and putting your awning down whenever you want to venture further afield. Simply remove it and secure it when needed, and off you go. When you’re ready to go back to the field you’ll find it the same spot that it was when you left it.
How do connect a drive-away awning?
If you’re wondering how do drive away awnings work, it’s probably because you’re unfamiliar with the various ways they be connected to a car. You can rest assured that fitting a drive away awning to your vehicle is a single task. The attachments on your vehicle and your awning will determine the ease with which it can be installed. Still, whether you own an RV or motorhome there shouldn’t be any issues connecting your awning your vehicle yourself. Here are a few ways people generally connect an awning:
to a pre-existing wind-out awning
to the awning channel of the vehicle or rail
to the vehicle’s drain
Bars for the roof
with magnets
with suckers
To find the best option for your vehicle, first consider looking more closely at the ways drive-away awnings are able to be installed:
Wind-out awnings are a great option. If your already own a wind-out type awning, you’ll need a 4mm – 6mm driveraway fix kit such as this figure of 8 joining strip. The beading slides into channel of the wind-out window to one side and the figure of 8 slide on to the other. All three components are linked. A second strip of beading slide onto the open side of the figure of eight strip. To untangle, simply slide the figure 8 connecting strip out.
The rail or awning channel in the vehicle. In this scenario the driveaway awning must be connected to the vehicle’s rail or channel precisely as above. The awning fixing kit must be a 6mm – 6mm one. This is because the rail of the vehicle is 6mm wide. It’s the reason why Vango Driveaway 6mm to 6mm kit is a fantastic option. If you don’t currently have a rail in your campervan, or motorhome, you should consider buying one. This is the cleanest, fastest and most efficient method to install your drive-away awning onto your vehicle.
Vehicle gutter. The way you fasten your drive-away awning onto the vehicle gutter will be contingent of the size and depth. A figure 8 channel strip can easily be clipped into a shallow gutter. You can then connect the other end of the figure of 8 to beading on your awning. For removal, remove the figure of eight. If you want a deep gutter, you could try with the Vango Pole and Clamp Set, if it’s compatible with the vehicle you are using. The pole slide into the sleeve near the back of the awning and then it is secured into the gutter, which holds the fabric. Attach the awning using clamps in the middle as well as the sides, and you’ll have your problem was solved.
Roof bars. If you have awnings with built-in Velcro loops that are attached to the rear cowl, fitting them to a vehicle is a matter of tying these loops around bars on the roof. For the driver to leave and leave the awning in place you need to remove the bar on top of your roof.
The straps as well as the guy line. They’re not the best, but in the event that your vehicle doesn’t have any fittings for an awning, or if you have realized that the kit for your awning isn’t compatible with your car, you can always rely on straps. Awnings come equipped with straps and guy lines as standard, and you can always get spare ones. Simply throw them to the opposite side of the vehicle and secure them onto the vehicle with special pegs and extra straps of Vango.
Affixing strips magnetically. This is a smart alternative for vehicles without Awning attachments of any kind. They’re made to work with taller campervans and motorhomes with a body made of steel to draw magnets to remain in place.
Suction kit. The device makes use of vacuum to hold the awning up. The kit includes beading and a figure of eight strip that attaches onto the top of your vehicle. The awning simply slides onto and off of the side that is not attached to the figure of 8.
The type of awning you select will ultimately depend on the type of vehicle, your lifestyle, and your budget. The options are endless and therefore our drive-away awning buying guide will focus solely on the awning itself. No matter what your preferences are in order to enjoy your driveaway awning to the full, you should look for these three important characteristics of awnings for drive-away:
Size. Before investing in an awning, make sure to measure the awning’s size. A lot of people discover that their awning isn’t the ideal size for them at the very last minute. This is usually on the camping site. The height is the most important factor. To determine the height first, look for the awning rails at the rear of your campervan or motorhome. Find the rail that is down to the ground. Motorhome awnings are typically the tallest, followed by campervan as well as SUV-style awnings. Some awning manufacturers make awnings in a variety of sizes to fit any vehicle. Others design them for specific models, like the Volkswagen Camper awning from Vango Magra. Additionally, there are awnings with adjustable height.
Versatility. Your needs for travel may be changing over time. To enjoy your holiday to the fullest with your increasing number of travellers, you should consider space. For many caravanners choosing to include an annexe is crucial since it allows them to have an additional lounge or bedroom. Many awnings include an annexe to them. Since they’re versatile and popular they’re resale worth could also be high.
Privacy. On holidays, space sometimes isn’t very useful without privacy. There are a few driveaway awnings that have privacy screens while others will fit in an inner bedroom. The Vango inner bed is able to accommodate three drive-away awnings in no way; specifically, Vango Idris, Galli and Kela models. Vango Idris, Galli and Kela models.
With awnings that drive away, it gives you the ability to leave your pitch for daily excursions without packing it will give you more time for enjoyment and most importantly relaxation.
