Motorhome Awnings FAQ's

The motorhome awnings shown in our online shop are held in stock and are usually delivered within 48 hours. available displayed on this Web page are available to buy from stock at our UK Manchester show ground and or via our online superstore. If you buy your motorhome awning from Camperlands you can be sure of two things; guaranteed quality and great value for money.

There are various styles of motorhome awning available, predominately they involve the borrowing of three major tent designs, frame, dome and tunnel or a combination of the latter two. Cotton fabrics are commonly used but man made fabrics otherwise known as acrylics tend to dominate the marketplace. Awning frames include the use of steel, alloy and fibreglass.

Many years ago you could buy a motorhome awning specifically designed for rear fitting. Nowadays manufacturers tend to make one style, which despite claims of being suitable for side and rear use tend to fit better when applied to the side. It is sometimes possible to extend the rear tunnel of an awning to overcome fitting problems.

It is possible to purchase specialist rear mounted awnings for particular styles of vehicle but these tend to be 4x4 vans, pickups and other motor vehicles. If you come across information that could be useful regarding this topic please send an email.

Yes with exception to roll out awnings. Motorhome awnings are closely related to the tent (dome and frame) and as such are stable freestanding structures. Attaching an awning to a motorhome or camper will not necessarily make it more stable, although doing so will provide greater protection from the elements and offer more privacy.

It is important that a motorhome awning remains independent from the vehicle, otherwise it would be necessary to dismantle and erect the awning every time you moved away from your campsite pitch.

Awning manufacturers incorporate various ways of attaching their products to motor caravans and camper vans. The most common method utilizes what is commonly known as a figure 8. This is a plastic mould, which when looked at end on appears to resemble the number 8, hence the name. In actual fact the figure of 8 is two almost closed 'C' profiles, which are molded back to back. One side of the fig 8 ('C' section) slides onto the motorhome awning via the awnings extended rear gusset, the gusset would normally incorporate a strip of circular cord, which the fig 8 slides onto. The other side of the fig 8 section then simply clips and rests onto the gutter of the motor caravan. If a gutter is not present it is possible to buy and fit an aluminium rail called a J-rail, this acts as an artificial gutter for the purpose of attaching an awning and is riveted or screwed into the motorhome.

Some awning manufacturers like Royal supply clamps, which tighten onto the gutter, others such as Eurovent are not designed to attach to the vehicle at all, instead they have eyelets fitted to the gusset, which are then secured against the vehicle using guylines.

No simple answer to this question exists but it is worth pointing out some pros and cons to help you make your own mind up. Here are some of the questions you should ask yourself before buying an awning:

a) Do we want a roll-out or a freestanding awning?
A freestanding awning is arguably stronger and offers greater stability than a rollout awning such as those made by Fiamma. This might be relevant if you intend camping in areas of the country that annually experience severe wind or if you plan on staying in the same place for longer periods and rely heavily on the additional room provided by an awning. Roll-out awnings are best put away in severe conditions, this doesn't mean to say a freestanding awning is bomb proof! There are many benefits offered by the roll-out awning including ease of use, faster set-up times and convenience and versatility. Roll-out awnings excel when used for touring or when camping in warmer more reliable conditions. They are easily set-up by one person in just a few minutes with minimum effort and with the addition of front and side panels can be used as a full awning for pets, storage or to provide additional accommodation. In order to install a roll-out awning it is usually necessary to drill the wall or roof panels.

b) What is the weight and pack size of a freestanding awning?
A typical frame tent style awning with steel poles could weight as much as 30kg compared to a dome/tunnel style, which could weight as little as 10kg. Pack size is also an issue, a frame tent style awning could require more than twice the storage space making the dome/tunnel tent awning a clear favourite for small motorhome and campervan owners.

c) Are there any restrictions as to what we can and cannot use?
There could be, for instance if you wanted a roll-out awning but the type of vehicle you have meant it was impossible for you to mount installation brackets, which in most cases requires drilling through the vehicles wall or roof panels. This might include vehicles with unusual high top roofs or weak structures. In the case of the freestanding awning, it might be that your vehicle is not fitted with a gutter and you have no desire to begin drilling hole into the bodywork, in this case the freestanding awning would either utilize guylines or would sit completely unattached.

If we're talking specifics the Khyam Motordome (available from 'Caravan & Motorhome' section within our online shop) is by far the quickest awning currently on the market. The Motor-dome is based on the hugely popular Khyam Ridgi-dome tent range, which is renowned for its ability to seriously save time when setting up and packing away.

If we were to compare the frame tent styles of awning against the increasingly popular tunnel and dome tent styles, I would say that there is very little difference between them. With a little practice the average set-up time for both frame and dome would be around 25-30 minutes.

If you intend on attaching the freestanding awning to the vehicle this may not be possible however it's worth exploring the possibility of using your rollout awning as an attachment point. This is done by unwinding your rollout awning ever so slightly and then attaching the figure 8 to the lip of the front lead bar (front awning fascia). I would recommend detaching it during inclement weather.

Providing goods are still in their original packaging, unmarked in as new condition we are happy to offer an exchange, credit or refund. A charge of £10.00 will be applied for the return journey of goods and in the event a refund is made the cost of the original postage charge (if any) will be deducted. In most cases we arrange for goods to be picked up using our courier. All goods are supplied with a returns note, which should be used in the event of goods being returned, this will help us process your returned goods quickly and efficiently. All return requests must be made in writing via post, fax or email.