Thanks for the feed back Scott! I'm yet to set it up, Trying to make the bus more sleep friendly first.
Given up smoking....so couldnt help it....bought one today as I think its great for a short trip and easy to put up/put down Just one question......has anybody bought the tent extra for this? As iam looking for somthing quick and easy for the perth trip after bus stop
My 2 Cents We Brought an Oz Trail 3 X 3 Gazebo and it suits our needs. The addition of duramesh 3 x 3 floor was a great option pegs exactly like it is made to fit. Not water proof but water resistant. Not wind proof but can withstand a fairly high wind on my last trial. Goes up easily and quickly. Drive away no problem. Can also add mesh or walls, and a small side tent. Worth consideration, for outdoor living space... Cheers, Rowan
Hi , Just bought an awning from ray's tent city on special $69.00 bit like the anaconda one for $149….http://www.raysoutdoors.com.au/online-store/products/Boab-Pitstop-Car-Awning-II.aspx?pid=345498 haven't put it up yet so no pics. Kids giving it to me for Xmas so no early opening. Thought I would modify and put in a fly/mozzie net as an inner fly screen…will see how it works soon. http://media.supercheapauto.com.au/shared/images/thumbs/345498-thumb.jpg "Budget tight as a fishes butt"
I have a gazebo ....its free standing..but you can attach one of the walls to the side of the van Has a floor and mosquito netting built in...cost $99 aussie disposals Its great takes a few minutes to errect...as such most of the time i dont bother with it I used it a lot when i work the markets Here is it at work Airlie beach market
This is my favourite simplest set up Much easier to set up than the Gazebo in my previous post Just a tarp two tent poles some rope and a few pegs Nothing to disrupt the view
just saw this on special at Annaconda -maybe OK for the tailgate - but I note a comment in the review that it didn't suit the T5. Any one tried one? http://www.anaconda.com.au/Product/Camp-and-Hike/Tents-and-Shelter/Deluxe-RV-Shade
I fully agree with all that Syncro said, and add that being in the UK we have had 2 weeks away with the mountain road in the typical english weather, and it stood up to medium wind and at times heavy rain without so much as a leak. We do have an issue sealing the awning to our bay though as it is lowered so the sides take a little playing with to get them tight, But that is by no means a fault of the awning. The mountain road is AWESOME!!! I, from experience, would avoid the outdoor revolution awnings, we had a Kamper XL and it was just expensive garbage, we sent it back and carried on with our 70's Raleigh chalet, it was so poor.
Hi Oldman, just a question do you think the rain will get in between the oz trail awning and the pop top? I have been looking a dometic awnings for quick set up for our 24hr stops..Most awnings I have seen at rv places are attached to the roof racks.. I am not sure if my old supro fibreglass could handle a few holes, how can you tell if the fibreglass won't crack and can handle the awning?. I have a front mental roof rack like yours and a home made steel rack on the back behind the pop top. Need an awning I can do by myself..Caravan verses rv? too many choices now. thanks Wendy Sometimes I make a mess of an easy job
Hey Wendy, the awning is bolted through the fibreglass top section of the pop-top with 4x sets of 2 stainless steel keyway bolts that slot into the rear of the aluminium awning track. ( These square headed bolts are available as accessories from Oz Trail...cheap enough too... ) I've also placed a buffer of white nitrile rubber between the track & fibreglass so there's no wear by vibration/driving. The Sopru top sits back inside the lower section & gutters of the kombi, so any water that sheds off the pop-top drips onto the lower section & runs off into the gutters...just as it would do if there was no awning there. This type of awning is brilliant for shade & rain & has seen its fair share of foul weather too....just gotta peg the guy ropes down if you're expecting wind. For us, it's been the best thing for overnight / weekend stays that we could've bought. Stays any longer than that I'd recommend a free standing tent that you can drive away from & leave all your assorted cr%p inside the tent..... As for the integrity of the pop-top fibreglass....well if it's sound, not cracked or flaking away, it'll handle it no probs. Takes a bit to set out accurately - (but then I'm a fussy soab) - & fits nicely, length-wise.
Hey Mark, Thanks for that, I might steer away from caravan awnings $$$ and check out the oztrail..I am a fussy, slow,& it must look right. My top is is good nick not flaky or cracked.. So you measured etc and drilled holes for the bolts, to go through the bag awning track, then rubber, then fibreglass to the inside of the pop top roof and do you use washers and nuts? did you open some of the roof lining and then close it over the top to hide the nuts? or am I nuts.:lol: The rubber seems to be a key feature so thanks for the tip. I have caravan pop top small posts (stays) which fit inside in the corners this could also help with weight, my son thinks it might collapse on him in the wind so I bought them for his anxiety and to get him in the roof bed. Yep a drive away tent, I am thinking of going with the reimo rear tent, as a lot of caravan park spots a quite narrow but long. I have a small steel framed wooden trailer, but the speed is then an issue as we sit on 80km with it and I am trying to take less stuff. Kid, dogs trike to ride around , so much stuff… Thanks for being patient and explaining it to me , yes I now get the "why" it wouldn't leak. Cheers Wendy-jane
G'morning WJ..No need to drill through the bag track..it has two, parallel slots that run the length of the track - it's part of the extrusion. The holes are only drilled through the fibreglass, bolts go through rubber - pre-drilled - & then the track just slides on through the extrusion. That's why the positioning of the bolts is pretty critical....they must be parallel & in two straight lines for the track to slide on. The added weight of the awning does cause some sag against the stock scissor struts but if you have those stays already, it won't be an issue. Yes, spring washers & nuts - all stainless - used to secure the bolts. If you do buy the awning, just hold it up against the pop-top & it'll all make sense.....
Thanks Mark, Being an artist it will take me a while to look at it, get a good picture in my head and then ask a friend to drill the holes. I can imagine it it vital to be lined up..last time I tried to attach brackets up an indoor swing in the ceiling, I became very experienced at spakfiller, sanding and covering up 42 holes. that was years ago..:cry: yes thinking of very handy friends to ask for help. Cheers, W-j
For anyone that is looking to buy a large awning look at the coleman event 14, its a large dome awning with removable side walls and comes in at a large 4.26m x 4.26m and a center height of 2.3m. These have an RRP of $299 but BCF have them on sale at $189, i went to BCF on the way home but my local store had sold. Luckily they called Rays Outdoors (same owners) and had them hold one for me and price matched the $189. The sale ends this sunday so be quick , similar to this one. Anaconda also sell them and may price match.
I've been using a South African designed Ostrich Wing awning, which is a variation on the Foxwing design but with fewer poles (only has 1), no guy ropes and 270 degree arc of coverage. Whilst designed mainly for shade, its been able to provide me with some good dry area during drizzly outings. I did a writeup on it over at http://store.quietrush.com.au/blog/mobile-office-and-workshop-shade-for-a-long-hot-summer but you can see a top view of it below, looking back at some Teslas at the 2014 Hunter Electric Vehicle Festival: Older shot, looking up from underneath:
