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Awnings, canopies, sunshades and windbreaks � Making the most of that expensive pitch �

Air awning

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Air awning

in Making the most of that expensive pitch Tue Aug 18, 2015 7:01 pm
by Magpie •

| 675 Posts

Doing my homework on air awnings - like the Vango. Have talked to several owners on sites who seem to think they are great - any thoughts or comments? Just wondered - if you have one with a built in groundsheet how do you get on with caravan sites where you are asked to use eco friendly groundsheets that don't kill the grass?

RE: Air awning

in Making the most of that expensive pitch Tue Aug 18, 2015 7:10 pm
by Basherdent (deleted)

Just bought movelite oxygen2 will be using it this weekend we usually use hard standing so understand that a footprint needs to be used. I found that the vango looked dark and seemed to envelope the whole van will let you know my findings on my return

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RE: Air awning

in Making the most of that expensive pitch Tue Aug 18, 2015 10:21 pm
by Magpie •

| 675 Posts

Thanks. Will be interested in how you get on. Still want to find out if the integral groundsheet is eco friendly though - don't want to be guilty of leaving large bare patches after pitching for a few days on grass.

Last edited Tue Aug 18, 2015 10:46 pm | Scroll up

RE: Air awning

in Making the most of that expensive pitch Tue Aug 18, 2015 10:24 pm
by victoriana (deleted)

Could you not put a sheet under the built in one if not? Just a thought

RE: Air awning

in Making the most of that expensive pitch Tue Aug 18, 2015 10:49 pm
by Magpie •

| 675 Posts

Do you mean on the hard standing to stop the stones cutting through? I guess it might work but it would just get nasty and soggy if it rained. It wouldn't help to make a non-eco friendly groundsheet kinder to the grass.

RE: Air awning

in Making the most of that expensive pitch Tue Aug 18, 2015 10:57 pm
by victoriana (deleted)

Sorry I ment put an economic ground sheet under the built in one. Would that work on grass

RE: Air awning

in Making the most of that expensive pitch Tue Aug 18, 2015 11:00 pm
by Magpie •

| 675 Posts

I've just e-mailed Vango - will find out what they say.

RE: Air awning

in Making the most of that expensive pitch Tue Aug 18, 2015 11:05 pm
by hob (deleted)

Quote: victoriana wrote in post #6
Sorry I meant put an economic ground sheet under the built in one. Would that work on grass

It is the lack of light that kills the grass putting anything underneath it would not stop the damage caused by light loss, I have so far never used a ground sheet although I have recently acquired one that has loads of holes in it like a honeycomb which should be ok.

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RE: Air awning

in Making the most of that expensive pitch Tue Aug 18, 2015 11:17 pm
by Pepé Le Pew •

| 2.752 Posts

Quote: Magpie wrote in post #7
I've just e-mailed Vango - will find out what they say.

The Airbeam sewn-in groundsheets are waterproof, so you will leave patches in the grass.

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#10

RE: Air awning

in Making the most of that expensive pitch Wed Aug 19, 2015 9:16 am
by hampshireman (deleted)

If you put another sheet under the fitted one that surely makes the footprint problem worse?

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#11

RE: Air awning

in Making the most of that expensive pitch Wed Aug 19, 2015 9:42 am
by Basherdent (deleted)

Could you not just cut out the centre of the sewn in ground sheet so that only the edges are sewn in thus negating the need for footprint on gravel

#12

RE: Air awning

in Making the most of that expensive pitch Wed Aug 19, 2015 9:48 am
by Pepé Le Pew •

| 2.752 Posts

Quote: hampshireman wrote in post #10
If you put another sheet under the fitted one that surely makes the footprint problem worse?

I think you're right, Derek.

The sewn-in job on Airbeams is a similar material to that used for the main tent. It's waterproof, but quite thin and not very resilient. If it's used on a hard standing without a footprint groundsheet underneath it you'll not only feel every single stone but you increase the chances of something sharp poking a hole in it.

I can understand the logic of using this stuff as a floor from the standpoint of making the entire thing lighter and easy to pack away, but it isn't ideal.

Having had an Airbeam I arrived at the conclusion that while they are absurdly easy to put up and take down, they aren't a riotous success as either a tent or an awning, seeming instead to fall somewhat uneasily between the two.

The groundsheet issue is a good example of this kind of slightly unsatisfactory compromise, as is the one size fits all approach to attaching it which gives a rather untidy and flappy result no matter how assiduously you adjust things and how careful you are with where you bang in your pegs.

If you can live with those things (and, as mentioned before, the fact that they are a bit dark inside), then on balance I think I'd recommend one.

.

Last edited Wed Aug 19, 2015 9:56 am | Scroll up

#13

RE: Air awning

in Making the most of that expensive pitch Wed Aug 19, 2015 9:56 am
by Aaron Calder •

| 3.834 Posts

Quote: Pep� Le Pew wrote in post #12
(and, as mentioned before, the fact that they are a bit dark inside),

I wasn't going to comment, but when we visited your van for dinner that time, Pete, I noticed how dark your awning was inside when compared with our Soplair. It would perhaps be fine in bright, sunny weather but rather oppressive at other times.

Have you and Mrs Pete noticed much difference now that you have a more traditional type of awning?

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Last edited Thu Jul 13, 2017 5:55 pm | Scroll up

#14

RE: Air awning

in Making the most of that expensive pitch Wed Aug 19, 2015 10:12 am
by Pepé Le Pew •

| 2.752 Posts

Quote: Aaron Calder wrote in post #13
Have you and Mrs Pete noticed much difference now that you have a more traditional type of awning?

Yes mate, we have. Most definitely.

We are not experts in all this stuff, not by a long shot, but we did realise quite quickly that there is no perfect solution to the thorny issue of Eriba awnings.

You can't have it all ways. You simply can't have a sturdy tailor-made awning which goes up in five minutes and packs away into something the size of a crisp packet any more than the other way round.

It's all about where you are prepared to compromise.

Having tried both, we are firmly of the opinion that for us the size, airiness and neatness of fit massively outweighs the time it takes to put it up and take it down.

P.S. I don't know why you didn't say something about it at the time. If someone mentions tact and discretion you aren't always the first person that springs to mind

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Last edited Wed Aug 19, 2015 10:14 am | Scroll up

#15

RE: Air awning

in Making the most of that expensive pitch Wed Aug 19, 2015 10:13 am
by Magpie •

| 675 Posts

Just discovered that the Kampa mini-pod has a 'Full clip-in groundsheet' for campsites where groundsheets are not allowed. That would solve the problem of stone damage on hard standings and yellow patches on grass. I wonder if other makes have the same facility. My research will continue! (Not in a hurry we have an AL porch awning but are looking for something even quicker).

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