We have newly bought a 2002 Troll and are thinking about an awning.
Lots of the options fit to the awning rail, barely higher than the door, and then go up to form a valley gutter between the van and awning. YouTube videos say “fit the plastic gutter strip to stop the rain coming into your awning”.
From years in the building industry I have an aversion to valley gutters, having had to deal with numerous leaking examples! Does the plastic strip, in fact, work?
I am tempted by an alternative idea of using a “drive away” awning to suit a camper van with the “straps over the roof” attachment - upside: no valley gutter. Downside ????
Any helpful experience gratefully received. We mostly camp in the U.K. so performance in rain and wind more relevant than performance in baking sun!
Thanks in anticipation

Hi,

You will receive a lot of comment on this including which manufacturer to use. My situation is this. I really do not see that these things give the protection that many people expect. Most rain ingress comes at the two ends from rain hitting the side of the van. I favour the "drive away" system ( Khyam ) but I do not use the over the roof system. Straight forward double Kador strip works fine for me. I do not experience rain ingress other than on the odd occasion at the ends. A gutter strip will not stop that. I will probably be a lone voice on this.

Stewart

We chose a Vango Bondi Low - this is designed for VW style camper, hence the relevance of "low".

Main advantages: very light, easy to erect, only 1 pole, very flexible side and front opening, and price.
Disadvantages: van door cannot be fully opened (but this is largely because a fully opened van door overlaps the front of the caravan), roof pools in heavy rain (but I'm hoping to have solved that with a couple of extra awning poles), longevity?

Although designed for VW etc. it is not driveaway - and fits directly to the awning rail. We have not had any leaks, but it can get drafty around the sides.

Dave

Hi The Theos

We have a troll as well but ours is 2016 so I think the guttering heights will be different

We have a couple of awnings & an Isabella Shadow Sun canopy.

When we bought our Kampa Pop air awning we were advised to get the gutter strip. Initially this was quite difficult to get on but we now have it cracked. Like Colin says you tend to get water running down at the ends of the van in certain wind conditions but it is not a major problem.

The weather strip does seem to have some effect but you need to ensure that the gutter doesn't block as then water can run over the strip. We had one time in a really heavy storm where the water just seemed to overflow the strip. However as the strip is such a tight fit we tend to put it on the van and leave it on for the season

The problem with us with the Kampa is that it is heavy to put up and has a fair few pegs. I think they look better on your year of Troll. On this Forum you will find people who like the Kampa Pop Airs & those who hate them.We're somewhere in the middle.

You will find people on here who use the light weight Isabella Shadow canopy and put some kind of cover on one end. (Isabella sell one but it is very expensive). We are converts to the Shadow and have used it in very wet weather in the Lakes & N Wales

I think the idea of using a drive away camper van awning would be worth looking at as long as you don't get one that is too much like a tent and takes a lot of putting up - but that is just a personal choice as i get older.

I think there is a lot of stuff out there and you need to do some research and once the lockdown goes just wander round looking at other vans and what they do.

When its lashing it down for the third day on the run in Keswick watching water build up in the river & lake you become grateful for that extra space a good awning gives you & it keeps the van clear of muddy shoes & wet clothes.

Happy shopping

MikeT

Hi Dave,

I also have a Vango Bondi Low.....as well as a Soplair and an Oxygen2. Horses for courses.

The Vango is very light and easy to put up but it is a bit low. My head brushes the roof when near the van sides and also had quite a lot of water come in through the kador strip plus pooling on the roof. To mitigate these problems I have fitted another awning rail about 110mm above the existing. Not had chance to try it out yet but hoping that it fixes most of the downsides of this otherwise excellent little awning.

We use a Kampa pop air 290, we have had a few awnings and found this is the best, like Colin we use a gutter strip from seals direct which is a doddle to use and effective. I am not too sure if a drive way awning that goes over the roof would be suitable, you wouldn't get the tension due to the elevating Poptop.
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