How to use a drive away awning?

[MLR]

Hi all, any tips on the best way to drive back to a drive away awning?
We have used our drive away awning (Vango Galli compact low) for the first time tonight. It has a three piece figure of 8 rail and a Reimo multi rail along the van and a long fabric (kador?) strip that goes between them.
Putting them up in the wind was a bit of a mission and it's a bit slack between the awning and the van itself.
We are off for a day trip tomorrow. Any tips for the best way to reattach to it tomorrow please? I'm thinking it's going to be tricky to drive up to it close enough, but not too close, to attach without lots of slack between the awning and the van again. I have a feeling I could be there for ages shuffling backwards and forwards. Or is there some special trick to it?
Thanks!
Mike

 

[Salty Spuds]

Hi all, any tips on the best way to drive back to a drive away awning?
We have used our drive away awning (Vango Galli compact low) for the first time tonight. It has a figure of 8 rail and a rail along the van and a long fabric strip that goes between them.
Putting them up in the wind was a bit of a mission and it's a bit slack between the awning and the van itself.
We are off for a day trip tomorrow. Any tips for the best way to reattach to it tomorrow please? I'm thinking it's going to be tricky to drive up to it close enough, but not too close, to attach without lots of slack between the awning and the van again. I have a feeling I could be there for ages shuffling backwards and forwards. Or is there some special trick to it?
Thanks!
Mike

When we had our drive-away, (before we gave it up as a bad job,) I made up a couple of pieces of orange webbing about a foot long with eyelets in either end. When we put the awning up, I fastened the webbing to the ground by the offside wheels with awning pegs. When we drove off, the webbing stayed in place & gave me something to aim for when we came back.

 

[Howzat]

Just got my awning and thinking through the same dilemma. Maybe some sort of spray paint?

 

[MLR]

That's a great idea. I was also wondering about adding some adjustable straps to go between the awning air beam closest to the van and the edge of the awning that slides into the kador so that I could use them to take up the slack when I drive back to it. Obviously not doable for tomorrow but might be a useful mod for the future. So what do you use instead now if you have given up on drive away awnings?

 

[MLR]

Just got my awning and thinking through the same dilemma. Maybe some sort of spray paint?

Another great idea thanks. I might try a stealth option of a pile of stones in the meantime.

 

[Deleted Member]

I put down two tent pegs where my wheels are before I set off and then reverse back into the exact same spot on my return.

When setting up my Galli I connect up the Galli rail strip to the van first, via the figure of 8 and cador strip, then inflate fully, then pull the whole thing taught and straight. Then once everything is square I peg it all down.

I think the latest Galli has a much bigger carrying bag, but I also watched a good YouTube video for packing the thing away as that was the hardest bit for us.

 

[Pete C]

Similar to above. Once it is all set up, we push in a tent peg beside each of the opposite side wheels, then link them with a length of yellow cord. Makes it very easy to see where to re-position the van when you come back to it.

Pete

 

[Ayjay]

Two tent pegs joined together with a length of fluorescent guy line. Knock them in 1” out from the centre of the wheels and just line yourself up against them when you return. Works well for me anyway.

 

[MLR]

Thanks all, I will give it a try today

 

[cgtmiles]

You can also slacken off the guy lines on the opposite side of the awning to make it easier to reconnect and then retighten remove the slack

 

[cgtmiles]

I’m not sure where you are but I’m impressed that you are pitching anything this weekend with the storms!

 

[MLR]

You can also slacken off the guy lines on the opposite side of the awning to make it easier to reconnect and then retighten remove the slack

Great, I'll try that too thanks

 

[MLR]

I’m not sure where you are but I’m impressed that you are pitching anything this weekend with the storms!

Strangely enough there is only one other van here. I figured if we can get the awning up here we can do it anywhere

 

[MLR]

Is this in the right position at the front? (Level with the rear edge of the passenger door?)

 

[MLR]

The kador strip seems to stick out far too far at the back. I'm wondering if it's one for a LWB or just a generic one for different kinds of van?

 

[Ayjay]

Just cut the Kador to size. Also, If I were you, I'd be trimming that groundsheet to just under the size of the awning footprint - as it is in the pictures, as soon as it rains, water will flow over it and straight under the tent. The cut edges will probably be OK but I used gaffer tape all along them on mine to prevent any fraying. That said, 10/10 for even managing to unroll that awning if the wind is anything like we've got here in not so sunny Gloucestershire at the moment!

 

[MLR]

Good point on the groundsheet thanks. I'll trim it to size. Happily the wind has died down here now. Hope it has in Gloucestershire as well!

 

[NicolasH]

The tent pegs by each wheel really does work and is super simple. Good one for getting away so early in the season.

 

[Shaun Witts]

After 3 uses, each one slightly better pitched than the last, I have not yet been satisfied with the connecting tunnel to my van from my Kyham Tourer Lite awning. Initially I had too much slack in it, but the next time I resolved that as mentioned above, by pulling the erected awning away from the van after it was attached and then pegging it down. However, despite that, I find that my sliding door always rubs on the roof of the tunnel when open, leading me to leave it half closed most of the time to prevent it wearing through the fabric. Is this a common problem or is my Kyham awning perhaps too low?
I have never ”driven away” yet, but I have made a mental note to peg a cord level with the offside wheels for guidance.

 

[MLR]

After 3 uses, each one slightly better pitched than the last, I have not yet been satisfied with the connecting tunnel to my van from my Kyham Tourer Lite awning. Initially I had too much slack in it, but the next time I resolved that as mentioned above, by pulling the erected awning away from the van after it was attached and then pegging it down. However, despite that, I find that my sliding door always rubs on the roof of the tunnel when open, leading me to leave it half closed most of the time to prevent it wearing through the fabric. Is this a common problem or is my Kyham awning perhaps too low?
I have never ”driven away” yet, but I have made a mental note to peg a cord level with the offside wheels for guidance.

We have found the same thing with the door rubbing on the awning. I try to hold the figure of 8 plastic strip up and away from the door when I come in and out but it's still not ideal.

Our return today was a lot easier thanks to all the advice. The tent pegs worked brilliantly (although I did have to hang out of the driver's door with a torch to spot them as it was dark). Between that and the loosening and retightening guy ropes tip it is a lot tauter between the awning and the van now and fits pretty well.