From Tent To Caravan - Easier Set-up Or Not?

[Richard_Y]

There's a thread here asking if caravanning gets easier, with lots of reassuring replies. The awning seems to be a sticking point for some.

We've moved here after decades of tenting, and now have our caravan, a Rapido pop-top, so more or less the same as a Trigano pop top, but are yet to take it out. Tenting was getting to be harder work than it used to be! How does setting up a small caravan compare with pitching and setting up a good sized tent, I wonder? (a Cabanon Biscaya, if this helps.)

 

And is an awning that much harder than a tent? (OK, I know, tents vary!) Not that we intend to use that at first, we'll get used to the large box on wheels bit first.

It's a bit late to ask, really, as we've bought it now! But it's interesting to learn people's thoughts. ..

 

Thanks & good wishes,

Richard

[cornwallconvoy]

We still do both and I can definitely set up my caravan (without an awning) much quicker than pitching our 5berth outwell tent.

 

And you don't have to dry the caravan out when you get home which is a bonus!

[Ern]

A lot depends on whether you are using an awning, and then what sort of awning you want. We have changed from a full size Isabella awning when we used to carry all the bells and whistles - ( groundsheet, carpet, table, chairs, side table, kitchen stand, fluorescent lighting, and goodness knows what else), moved on to a Isabella Magnum porch awning complete with groundsheet carpet etc, and finally we now use a very simple Isabella Shadow canopy with net shade. If the weather is nice we use it possibly

with a windshield. Most short trips we don't use an awning and travel with the caravan packed and all living areas completely ready for use. We carry the water carrier and waste carrier in the car boot with 2 relaxer chairs. Setting up on the pitch takes no more than 5 minutes. Preparing to leave takes about 10 minutes as toilet cassette, water and waste have to be emptied. We have seen people arriving on site with their caravan packed full of stuff and all of it has to be removed before they can even put the kettle on, and then they spend an hour putting a full awning up. It's another way of doing things.

[ivan leslie]

I think the simple answer is Yes, it is easier to set a caravan up than a reasonably sized tent.

[Fireman Iain]

Yes. Just yes.

 

Way easier.

 

I was one of the few voices on the previous thread that thinks setting up the van is a bit of a faff. But I come from a lifetime of tent camping, and the caravan is definitely easier and much quicker than a biggish tent.

 

Our awning is air inflated, and I find it very quick and easy, but we don't bother with it for a weekend. It takes as much airing/drying time as the tent used to after use, so not using it is another hassle removed.

[Tuningdrew]

A lot depends on whether you are using an awning, and then what sort of awning you want. We have changed from a full size Isabella awning when we used to carry all the bells and whistles - ( groundsheet, carpet, table, chairs, side table, kitchen stand, fluorescent lighting, and goodness knows what else), moved on to a Isabella Magnum porch awning complete with groundsheet carpet etc, and finally we now use a very simple Isabella Shadow canopy with net shade. If the weather is nice we use it possibly

with a windshield. Most short trips we don't use an awning and travel with the caravan packed and all living areas completely ready for use. We carry the water carrier and waste carrier in the car boot with 2 relaxer chairs. Setting up on the pitch takes no more than 5 minutes. Preparing to leave takes about 10 minutes as toilet cassette, water and waste have to be emptied. We have seen people arriving on site with their caravan packed full of stuff and all of it has to be removed before they can even put the kettle on, and then they spend an hour putting a full awning up. It's another way of doing things.

Well said Ern, we fall into the latter category to a point apart from like you the caravan is ready to go once hooked up so if on an overnight we are up and running in very short order, packed away equally quickly but we do like our awnings!

[Leedslad]

We only use our awning when we go on our mai n annual holiday for a month in France. The bed is kept made up and the awning is our living room. On other shorter trips in UK we sometimes use a Fiamma sun canopy/rain shelter but not the full awning. We take the Fiamma to France for when we make short stops for a few days en-route to our main stop where we get into full awning mode - it works for us, but we're all different and there's no right or wrong way!

 

John.

Edited January 14, 2017 by Leedslad

[JTQ]

With the OP's van the awning if I remember is quite a bit more complex affair than a proper caravan's as it needs an abutting frame to compensate for the void the popup creates.

 

In this camping game be it tent though caravan to motorhome the key IMO is to de-hassle by de-clobbering. Keep it simple.

[Steamdrivenandy]

For the last year we've had our van stored on a site. The site tow it from store and level it and return it to store after use. We've not towed it anywhere for 12 months.

 

A bit limiting but less fiddling about, though we do have to go through the usual connection and draining activities and carrying all we need for our break in the car, along with two bearded collies. Somehow erecting the Magnum porch awning doesn't see so bad when you haven't hitched up and towed to your destination.

 

I'm convinced that lots of people succumb to a built-in desire to add clutter and buy stuff that isn't really necessary and it all adds to the time taken to set up and pack away.

[Richard_Y]

Thanks all - most reassuring.

 

Planning and going light seem to be the main things. Hmmm. ... never have mastered the art of travelling light, even when as a teenager I packed more than I really needed into my canoe & headed off downriver!

 

We haven't tried the awning out yet - it was chucking it down on the day we went & checked it all over, and the dealer's promised he'll swap it if any glitches do emerge when we put it up. But as far as I know, JTQ, it slides round its track, which goes all round the van without any voids. The pop up part is above, and there's a fibreglass pole set which is, thankfully, lighter than the poles in some of the tents we've had. My only concern on looking at the material is that it all looks very plastic, which is great for drying off, but doesn't ventilate too well. That's another issue.

 

Meanwhile, again thanks for all the comments, and we'll just have to get good at taking less!

 

Now to go & buy some levelling ramps and a new Aquaroll. ..

 

Richard.

[Graygray]

We moved from a tent to a trailer tent then caravan . We have not looked back . We get away once a month. If we go just for a weekend the light weight porch awning goes up in 15mims. If longer than four days full awning all depends on weather if bad porch awning. Porch awning easy to dry out just leave it open in the garage. I found with tent you was always a bit damp in bad weather. Plus side of caravan dry. hot water. shower. toilet. fridge . heating. real bed . Need I say anymore ?

[gumdrop]

Awning erection relies on a level pitch for best results,

the caravan can be levelled easily then starting with

the back wall/corners keep it square to the caravan.

I use the ladder rubbers and peg out lightly to obtain

the best neat, taut, shape. Time to peg out varies with

weather, availability of tea/coffee and cakes etc.

I still admire a good tent or trailer tent, they all have their

charm. My caravan is up for sale but will still be in use and

it is very likely that a tent may be bought for those odd weekends

[Paul_B]

Awning erection relies on a level pitch for best results,

the caravan can be levelled easily then starting with

the back wall/corners keep it square to the caravan.

I use the ladder rubbers and peg out lightly to obtain

the best neat, taut, shape. Time to peg out varies with

weather, availability of tea/coffee and cakes etc.

I still admire a good tent or trailer tent, they all have their

charm. My caravan is up for sale but will still be in use and

it is very likely that a tent may be bought for those odd weekends

 

[Mr Plodd]

A lot depends on what sort of awning you have.

 

A "Full size" awning is a fairly large and cumbersome bit of kit that takes a fair while to erect correctly BUT is designed to be erected and left up for weeks/months at a time. Thats the sort you see attached to 'vans on seasonal pitches, the downside is that they cost serious money, a Full sized Isabella awning for my 8m van is over three thousand pounds (there are a lot cheaper makes though)

 

Then there is the "porch" type (Google "Kampa Rally" to see what I am talking about) which is a bit smaller and takes much less time to erect BUT they are not designed to be left erected for any extended period of time. They cost in the region of £300 new. Beware of the "Air" type, they are pretty expensive and bulky/heavy. I believe they can be difficult on anything other than a totally flat pitch as there is no provision to make adjustments to the height of the support "poles". Others I am sure can confirm or deny.

 

Being a flash git I have both types (both purchased for reasonable sums off Ebay) and depending on whether we are staying for 2 or 3 days or a longer period we use the more appropriate sized unit. As there are just 2 of us the smaller Kampa tends to get the most use as it provides us with sufficient extra space and can be erected/dismantled quickly and easily. If we had a family with us then we would need to use the "full size" beastie as the porch awning wouldnt give us enough space.

 

Andy

[Richard_Y]

I dunno, Andy - here I am trying to plan to take less gear & you give me ideas about another awning! We'll try going awning-less for a while, but certainly keep this in mind. Thanks!

Richard

[Keefmac]

Setup and packing up with the caravan is night and day easier than our 10 man tent.

 

Not bought an awning yet but ease of use will high up on the checklist!, to be fair apart from somewhere to leave wet shoes etc the caravan is big enough for us to lounge about in anyway. .

[Dillon200]

I don't know why any one would choose a tent over a caravan, We started with camping with tents then moved up to a caravan and there is no comparison so much easier and better in every way. I still have a tent and do use it a couple of times a year but that's only because my motorbike wont pull the caravan.

[harvomark]

We progressed from a tent to trailer tent and now a caravan, we use a Caravanstore Zip canopy and we can set up in 20-30 mins. A lot easier then a tent, no issues with drying and we can do short stays as we travel around.

[thebriars]

The Rapido is dead easy to set up. Before you set out find a place for everything, and don't take too much with you. Once everything is packed check carefully to see what the noseweight is.

 

In the fairly small Rapido (we had a Trigano) the awning becomes really useful. We had what sounds to be a very similar one with fibreglass poles which was quite simple to put up, and easier not being too high. I suspect it is the same one, as it is a special one for a pop-up. All the side panels used to unzip, so we used to put it up without those panels in which made it much easier ( much easier to fold away too and dry if necessary this way) .

First slide it round the channel, then peg the two ends by the caravan.

Then put the centre and one corner pole up and peg the outside corner roughly. Someone needs to hold the middle pole.

Then put the other corner pole up and peg that corner.

Next fit the panels and adjust the corner pegs, and tighten all the cross poles.

Then go round the inside and peg.

Finally peg the corner guys. Job done.

 

Ventilation was never a problem in the awning. It was a good quality awning.

I dunno, Andy - here I am trying to plan to take less gear & you give me ideas about another awning! We'll try going awning-less for a while, but certainly keep this in mind. Thanks!

Richard

 

Don't go near the porch awning! Again it needs to be a special awning. We made the mistake of getting one, and on such a small caravan it was next to useless. Within a year we had sold it and bought the full awning. Never regretted it. The full size awning is still small and was far easier to put up. The poles used to go in the car, and the awning used to live in the locker under one side of the bed between the locker side and the wheel arch.

[Steamdrivenandy]

The awnings NR used to make to fit Eriba Touring poptops used to stand up on their own, unlike most awnings that need a caravan as support to stand up. Our full awning version was used on our front lawn at the last Jubilee party when it rained in torrents.

[clemo2k1]

I too have moved on to caravanning from tenting. We come from a outwell Montana to our 4 berth compass and now even with two little kids in tow? my wife and I can get our van set up and porch awning up and all services quicker than we could get the tent all cooking electric and beds set up whilst camping. I think the main reason is there's a lot flexibility with tents in comparison to caravans. For example everything has a specific home in the van, during set up everything goes in one place and one place only and a lot of stuff is allready pre set before we arrive.

[Richard_Y]

The Rapido is dead easy to set up. Before you set out find a place for everything, and don't take too much with you. Once everything is packed check carefully to see what the noseweight is.

 

In the fairly small Rapido (we had a Trigano) the awning becomes really useful. We had what sounds to be a very similar one with fibreglass poles which was quite simple to put up, and easier not being too high. I suspect it is the same one, as it is a special one for a pop-up. All the side panels used to unzip, so we used to put it up without those panels in which made it much easier ( much easier to fold away too and dry if necessary this way) .

First slide it round the channel, then peg the two ends by the caravan.

Then put the centre and one corner pole up and peg the outside corner roughly. Someone needs to hold the middle pole.

Then put the other corner pole up and peg that corner.

Next fit the panels and adjust the corner pegs, and tighten all the cross poles.

Then go round the inside and peg.

Finally peg the corner guys. Job done.

 

Ventilation was never a problem in the awning. It was a good quality awning.

 

Don't go near the porch awning! Again it needs to be a special awning. We made the mistake of getting one, and on such a small caravan it was next to useless. Within a year we had sold it and bought the full awning. Never regretted it. The full size awning is still small and was far easier to put up. The poles used to go in the car, and the awning used to live in the locker under one side of the bed between the locker side and the wheel arch.

That's reassuring and useful too, thanks. .. I was beginning to wonder if one of those porch awnings might be a good idea, so you've saved me some trouble !

We will, however, stick to our original plan of not taking any awning at first, until we get used to working the van.

 

Nice to know you found the Trigano so easy, too! I can't help wondering why there aren't more of this pattern going about, they seem so very sensible.

Edited January 15, 2017 by Richard_Y

[John_b_45]

We progressed from a tent to trailer tent and now a caravan, we use a Caravanstore Zip canopy and we can set up in 20-30 mins. A lot easier then a tent, no issues with drying and we can do short stays as we travel around.

 

Same for us. I would say that the canopy can be out and pegged in less than 5 mins. We might zip in one end against any wind and the front and other end if it's raining heavily. The end takes longer to zip in and adjust than the front which simply slides in a channel and zips vertically at the corners

Abroad we might only stop from overnight to maybe 4 or 5 nights in one place and consider the canopy a "must" The front goes in when we stop for our usual 14 ish days on the Mediterranean but here we never need to use both ends and only add the front for a bit of extra security! Eating, cooking, socialising is under a large sun umbrella in the open - absolutely no need for an awning.

 

Like many we started the outdoor life in a ridge tent, progressed to a frame tent and then to a caravan. We have had full awnings in the past but never used them except for long stays - at least a week. We bought an inflatable awning a few years ago convinced we could pop it out for a 2 night stop or longer - how wrong we were!

 

If we are in the UK and the weather is poor we stay in the van - plenty of space for the two of us, toasty warm and comfortable! We never use the table that came with the van - it saves a few kilos and stays at home. Instead we take a larger collapsible but sturdy table to use outside with two comfortable Lafuna chairs. They go under the canopy when we have warm weather.

 

I carry a BBQ which lives usually close to the front outside gas point on the van. Once the van is levelled and water/waste/wheel clamp sorted the canopy, BBQ, chairs, carpet if we use it and outside gas rings complete with a collapsible canvas cupboard are out and ready. I would guess at 20 mins maximum.

 

We were staying in Devon last year and across from us was a large caravan with a full awning. I've no idea how long it took to erect but we never saw anyone using it! At least if we decide it's not suitable to be outside the wasted time erecting a full awning compares very well with the 5 mins to roll out or put away our caravanstore zip.

 

It's taken a while to get to where we are but out set-up suits us. There will be others who would never caravan without the full awning but many now simply erect a porch for speed.

 

Each to their own and clearly much is determined not only by individual preferences but the sort of caravanning done!

 

 

.

[thebriars]

Nice to know you found the Trigano so easy, too! I can't help wondering why there aren't more of this pattern going about, they seem so very sensible.

 

I think the main problems are cost and interior. Being designed for the French market where users tend to live outside during the day, they are a bit bland inside. The cost is also another problem, they are expensive for what they are, and of course are affected by exchange rates. However they are really lightweight and well made. Our new Trigano lasted 5 years bone dry before we sold it. The 3 new British caravans we've had all leaked within their first year. I really regret selling it.

 

Just watch your head getting in and out. I got into the habit of putting my hand on top of the door frame as I got out to avoid banging my head.

 

The other thing we did was got a set of feet for the table which had a single pole in the middle. then we could use it outside. They are not easy to come by, but some motorhomes and many boats use this type of fitting.

We progressed from a tent to trailer tent and now a caravan, we use a Caravanstore Zip canopy and we can set up in 20-30 mins. A lot easier then a tent, no issues with drying and we can do short stays as we travel around.

 

You can't fit one of these to a pop-up.

Edited January 15, 2017 by thebriars

[Steamdrivenandy]

You can't fit one of these to a pop-up.

 

My first Eriba Touring pop top had an Omnistor pull-out awning in a 'plastic' box fitted to the awning rail.

 

My second Eriba Touring came with a Fiamma Caravanstore Zip and associated sides and front. Travelling with the Caravanstore in place wore a mark in the body's paint at the front contact point and in the edge of the rear offside plastic window edge. The Caravanstore bag filled with water whenever it rained and you had to keep clear whenever you undid the bag's zip or you were drenched. The other problem was the three 'walls' were made of flexible plastic and when sealed inside, especially in hot weather the fumes were obnoxious. It was a relief to go back to a normal awning made of non- smelly materials.