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Awnings…
Posted on November 25th, 2009
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| Posted On: | November 25th, 2009 |
Love them or hate them..... Awnings or is it 'Y'awnings.....
A necessary purchase or not?? Families might say that they are an essential piece of caravanning 'kit', especially if you are holidaying in Ireland! It cannot be argued that they do provide additional and valuable extra space and there is no right or wrong answer. I think there are many considerations you need to take into account before investing, including:
1. How long will you be spending on the site?
2. Will you have help erecting the awning?
3. Do you need it to provide additional sleeping accommodation or just extra space?
If you spend extended periods of time in one location, then an awning is very useful. You need to consider weather, however, and consider whether you feel at ease leaving your awning erected while you are not around. Some camp sites insist on awnings being taken down, if you are away from your caravan for a certain number of days as it is not their responsibility to keep them protected, minded or stopped from being wind-swept some night!
If you have a large caravan then....your awning (if it is a full size) will also be quite large, heavy and sometimes difficult enough to handle. You will certainly need a few pairs of hands 'on site' to assist you getting it on your caravan. A good alternative for short stays and for easy erection is a porch awning. They provide valuable extra space for shoes etc., but can be taken down relatively easily if you are leaving or if high winds or adverse weather is expected.
All this debate aside, awnings are a part of some families' caravanning experience because they need the extra sleeping space. This being the case, it is essential that the awning you purchase is the correct size for your caravan and that you ensure that the skirts and groundsheets are fully in place. Inner tents are also essential item to ensure privacy and another way of excluding drafts.
The trend, it would appear, is for families to opt for an awning whilst many older couples caravanning on their own may choose a good size caravan without the need for an awning. For me, I have a very comfy 5 berth caravan (Swift/Ace Jubilee) and the full-size awning that came with it is HUGE! So for me, its a porch awning eventhough I would park my caravan up for 4-6 weeks on the one caravan site in the summer. Its handy to erect and easy to take down on my own if necessary. It provides me with just enough extra space for the 'beach equipment' (buckets, spades etc) together with shoes and coats. I also have a little table out there so that food preparation can be done outside too. 
