T6 Awning - Any recommendations

[Lee]

I need to get an awning for my T6 Campervan, can anyone make any recommendations?

The number one priority is how easy it is to setup. I hear good things about inflatable, what are your recommendations.

We need a drive away one, essentially, we need the awning for storing gear when we go off exploring, but also to use whilst are little lad is hopefully asleep in the van.

Appreciate any recommendations.

 

[Davenjo]

We bought the Vango Kela III earlier this year ready for the "imminent" arrival of our converted van - unfortunately, we are still waiting for the van so can't comment too much on the awning yet!! However, we have put the awning up on the lawn and are very impressed with the ease of setup and quality of the materials. Also, having spoken to others we have seen with camper vans and this awning whilst camping over the summer people seem very impressed with it.

 

[Lee]

Will look into that one, looks very good.

Good look with the new van when you get it, get that awning packed and your off.

 

[Davenjo]

Will look into that one, looks very good.

Good look with the new van when you get it, get that awning packed and your off.

Van was built week 35 and now sat at Grimsby awaiting transport to dealer and then onto converter. Hoping to collect converted van on 14th October ready for a planned group trip to Ullswater on the 15th - really hoping it will be ready in time else it will be blooming cold under canvas!!

 

[Lee]

It'll be a bit nippy that time of year, sure it'll be all sorted by then, nothing like a deadline.

 

[Lee]

Quick q, is the Low version that is needed for a T6?

 

[Davenjo]

Quick q, is the Low version that is needed for a T6?

You need the low version

 

[Davenjo]

...another consideration is whether to go for the standard or XL version - we went for standard as with the XL version you may struggle on some pitches.

 

[Lee]

Gotcha, thanks

 

[VanBlanc]

It depends if you need more sleeping space than your van allows in which case you have no choice.

We gave up with Vango drive away awnings and sold ours - too cumbersome to tour with - take forever to pitch and pack away and then we sit outside as much as possible. In 28 days touring Scandinavia we only put it up twice while it took up loads of space in the van.

Now we use a simple sun canopy (modified Kyham) that we can erect / knock down in minutes and gives shade shelter and privacy when needed. Then we have a Kyham quick erect toilet tent as our drive away storage when we are stopping for more than one night.

 

[Davenjo]

It depends if you need more sleeping space than your van allows in which case you have no choice.

We gave up with Vango drive away awnings and sold ours - too cumbersome to tour with - take forever to pitch and pack away and then we sit outside as much as possible. In 28 days touring Scandinavia we only put it up twice while it took up loads of space in the van.

Pitching on the lawn took us around 10 minutes including unpacking - a lot quicker than it takes us to pitch our Karsten inflatable tent? Guessing it will take quite a bit longer when we actually have a van to connect it to, especially the first time when we have to work out position, cutting figure 8 to length, etc., but expecting to get quicker with practice. We won't be sleeping in it - our main reason for purchase was to give us more living space, especially when its hammering it down with rain, and somewhere to store kit (Cadac, tables, chairs,etc..) when we drive off for the day.

 

[VanBlanc]

Getting our Vango Kela 2 lined up to the van was always a pain and no matter what we could not get tidy sides to the tunnel. VB is on 30mm lowers and that may not have helped.

We found that the figure of 8 tends to walk off the van in strong winds, leaks through the gaps between the pieces and sags over the slider that caused the door to damage the tent.

Our canopy turns down into a storm porch which is fine to sit under. Over the winter after our T6 arrives Mrs VB is going to make a custom canopy that will give us slightly more outside space if it's ever needed. The Kyham toilet / utility tent we have is more than big enough to store everything. The pack size and weight of this arrangement is way less than the Vango awning we had.

 

[Davenjo]

The Kela 2 only came in Standard and Tall which, together with your lowered van, is most probably why you had the untidy, flappy sides and tunnel. The Kela 3, as well as being a step up in quality, comes in a Low size, which is designed specifically for VW size campers.

We have also purchased the footprint which we are hoping will assist with lining up to the van.

Another tip our converter gave us is to roll the Fiamma awning out slightly before attaching the figure of 8 and then roll it back in to apply a bit of tension to the drive away awning once everything is pegged out. Hopefully, together with the lower design, this will get around the problem you describe of the figure of 8 walking and fabric getting trapped in the slider.

We really do need the extra outside space, especially when sailing (which is a big part of our camping) for storing and drying all the extra kit we carry such as wetsuits/drysuits. For weekends and overnighters without the boat we will probably leave the awning at home.

Since we've had the awning we have made a point of speaking to people we have encountered during our summer camps using the Kela 3 with Transporters - everyone we have spoken to really likes it and would recommend it. Also, one of our friends has just traded up from a Vango Sapira to a Kela 3 for use with their Bay and loves it (so much so that when their Bay developed a serious engine problem last week they seriously considered going away using their family car and the awning for a pre booked family trip this week).

I'll put some more comments and photos up once we have used the awning for real, hopefully in about 4 weeks

 

[former member]

I'm with @VanBlanc - travel light. We just have the roll out awning and it's plenty.
Not needed a drive away one once. We took our little pop up tent this time for storage; didn't use it once.

 

[VanBlanc]

Been there myself @Dave Harris so I do get the need for space if you're out are sailing. However from recent experience if it were me I would have probably bought a bigger Khyam Utility tent.

You mention a Fiamma roll out as well. You don't need that to tension the Vango it is easy enough to do - just slacken the storm straps when you drive away and use them to tension the Vango again when you reattach. Use a couple of yellow pegs to mark the offside wheel positions or use a can of grass paint - then you you will be in the right place to connect.

Oh and let us know when you find the right position for the foot print. You will need to take a tape measure with everywhere

 

[VanBlanc]

I'm with @VanBlanc - travel light. We just have the roll out awning and it's plenty.
Not needed a drive away one once. We took our little pop up tent this time for storage; didn't use it once.

That does tend to be a climatic thing - just the roll out

We didn't do any drive away on this year's big trip but then the whole point was to tour. On the other hand a few weeks ago in Norfolk we pitched up for several days and drove out 3 times nice and easy. Going to do likewise at St Just next week.

 

[Davenjo]

Travelling light is something we have always struggled with (last couple of camps we had the luxury of using 2 large cars to get all of our gear in!!) - the portable wood burning pizza oven was maybe a step to far!

Camping has always been a bit of a compromise for us; we love the space that our large Karsten tent provides but its too much hassle to put the whole thing up for less than, say, 5 days. We also want to significantly increase the length of our UK camping season. This is why we have gone for the T6 and hoping the awning gives us that bit of extra space we want, especially in the cooler and damper months.

 

[former member]

That does tend to be a climatic thing - just the roll out

We didn't do any drive away on this year's big trip but then the whole point was to tour. On the other hand a few weeks ago in Norfolk we pitched up for several days and drove out 3 times nice and easy. Going to do likewise at St Just next week.

Keeps the rain off too! And keeps that area just outside the sliding door dry which is really handy.

 

[VanBlanc]

Travelling light is something we have always struggled with

Easy - we learned how by doing 2 weeks tent touring holidays on a motorcycle

We also want to significantly increase the length of our UK camping season. This is why we have gone for the T6 and hoping the awning gives us that bit of extra space we want, especially in the cooler and damper months.

Coldest we have done in our T5 was -5 in February. One of the few times we have used the heater.

 

[Davenjo]

Mrs H will have the heater on whenever the temp falls below about 15 degrees!!

Seriously, travelling light, especially with child, dog and boat is something we are going to have to adapt to. My daily drive is (and will continue to be) a 110 Defender and it is a real struggle to get everything we carry for a week's camping into it without resorting to loading the roof up. At least with the boat in tow I have the roof box on the trailer for all of the sailing gear.