Reattaching Drive to awnings

[Nogob]

Hi all, I’ve got an Outdoor Revolution drive to awning attached to the van with a figure of 8 although I think the issue I have would apply to any similar awning.

It works really well for us but I do have an occasional niggle that I wondered if other members might have a solution to?
When we first pitch, with the van in situ, everything’s fine. But once we move and come back, the awning won’t fit as well unless I park in exactly the same position. Obviously there’s a bit of play but if you park a couple of inches either way then you either run the risk of stretching the fabric within an inch of it’s life or else creating a saggy old rain trap that you can bet will deposit itself over me when I’m on my 4am loo run!
I generally use tent pegs or something similar as a guide, and 9 times out of 10 it’s fine but the odd time when I’m struggling and churning up the grass trying to get the right position, I think I bet someone on the forum has a much better way of doing this.

Does anyone have any tips they could share? Thanks in anticipation.

[dave_aber]

1. Park up.
2. Erect and attach the awning.
3. Position a tent peg at the bottom centre of the driver's side front wheel.
4. Position a tent peg at the bottom centre of the driver's side rear wheel.
5. String a day-glo guy rope between the pegs. (Push the pegs right into the ground so they are not sticking out)
6. Drive away, see sights, eat ice cream, etc.
7. On your return line up using the guy rope and amaze the rest of the campsite with your incredibly accurate reversing.

[scanner]

Yes you MUST reverse back in, you'll have much more trouble trying to drive in because the front will swing the wrong way as you try to turn in and get in your way (or knock the awning over).

[dunslair]

Or do what I do. Use a tent and park near it in a random manner like a dafty when you return full of ice cream.

[mikeonb4c]

I use one long length if fig 8 rather than the 3 short lengths commonly sold. This evens stress out better plus makes connection easier. Other than that, I just use the tent peg trick and reverse accurately. I use a prop in my awning tunnel to give it pitch and so ensure water doesn't pool.

[Nogob]

1. Park up.
2. Erect and attach the awning.
3. Position a tent peg at the bottom centre of the driver's side front wheel.
4. Position a tent peg at the bottom centre of the driver's side rear wheel.
5. String a day-glo guy rope between the pegs. (Push the pegs right into the ground so they are not sticking out)
6. Drive away, see sights, eat ice cream, etc.
7. On your return line up using the guy rope and amaze the rest of the campsite with your incredibly accurate reversing.

Brilliant. Thank you.

[briwy]

We've started to use one of these if we know that we are going to use the van while the awning's up;
http://www.towsure.com/product/Motorhom ... veAway_Kit
The one we've got actually connects the awning to the slot in the Fiamma but it's possible to get one which fits into the normal figure of eight.
So much easier to drive the van next to the awning, (you still have to get it in the right position) and then thread this strip on once you're parked up.

[mikeonb4c]

We've started to use one of these if we know that we are going to use the van while the awning's up;
http://www.towsure.com/product/Motorhom ... veAway_Kit
The one we've got actually connects the awning to the slot in the Fiamma but it's possible to get one which fits into the normal figure of eight.
So much easier to drive the van next to the awning, (you still have to get it in the right position) and then thread this strip on once you're parked up.

That looks like the Fig 8 long strip I use - just clips to the rain gutter? Or have I misunderstood? Used to be impossible to get it posted - I got mine from Camperlands Northenden. Price around £10 a length I think from distant and faulty memory

[Simon Jones]

Looks to have the addtional joiny strip so means its easier to slide it on rather than clip over the gutter.

[briwy]

We've started to use one of these if we know that we are going to use the van while the awning's up;
http://www.towsure.com/product/Motorhom ... veAway_Kit
The one we've got actually connects the awning to the slot in the Fiamma but it's possible to get one which fits into the normal figure of eight.
So much easier to drive the van next to the awning, (you still have to get it in the right position) and then thread this strip on once you're parked up.

That looks like the Fig 8 long strip I use - just clips to the rain gutter? Or have I misunderstood? Used to be impossible to get it posted - I got mine from Camperlands Northenden. Price around £10 a length I think from distant and faulty memory

Its a rubbish picture mike.
Its basically a cloth strip about three inches wide with a figure of eight stitched on down one side. The other side has a round piece stitched in which slides into the fig 8 on the van gutter. So, you park up and slide the strip into the fig 8 on the van and onto the awning at the same time, just feeding it on. It saves having to drive the van onto the awning. Trust me, it works, honest.