Awnings are they worth it!

[LI Pets]

When I bought my AS it had no awnings, now shopping around I see they aren't cheap.

Two questions, mine would take a 21' to do the whole curb side.

What I was thinking is to get a 13' that would give us enough area to set up a few chairs etc. then get smaller awnings for the remaining 2 windows on that side.

2. I see a lot of people use the smaller awnings on the front and rear windows and the whole street side.

Can't interior shades do the same thing on the smaller windows.

[peegreen]

Awnings are more effective then shades. The solar radiation has already entered the space prior to being blocked by the shades. Think about your house sitting in an open field. A shade tree blocking the sun in front of a window provides more cooling then drawing the curtains.

[Chaplain Kent]

You are correct that awnings are not cheap but they are worth every penny you spend on them. You will be able to run your AC less and have a more comfortable interior. However, the best feature is the expanded room you gain. The awning becomes another room in a light rain and a good place to keep things dry when it rains hard. My suggestion would be to buy the largest side awning your trailer will accommodate. You will find the Carefree product to be slightly less money than the Zip Dee and it is a quality awning. Stay away from A & E, we have one and they are the pits. Our first trailer had a Carefree and we loved it. Regardless of which you choose I am certain this will be an addition you will not regret.

[ibgl6]

I need the arms and everything My guess that is going to be very costly I have a 27 footer... Do yall have any ideas or ???

[Melody Ranch]

I have found these folks able to help out alot.
http://www.cherokeervparts.com/

[coastal me]

Consider the wind.
My Airstream has all three awnings and a rock guard. Even spending almost all of my time on the coast, the awnings are very nice to have.
This summer, I have only had the curb side awning out to ventilate the fabric. The wind has been too strong at some point in time almost every day, and I'm not willing to stress the awning with too much wind.
The rear and street side awnings are nice because they are so easy to rewind.
I would consider a screen room tent. You would have the same wind issues, just make sure and secure it well. I have used tents up here on the coast, and they have been in 90MPH winds in January, and have survived! I'll see if I can find a picture of the one tent. It is a regular tent, but seems like a screen room tent with large windows.
Tents don't cool the trailer, but the initial low cost sure would be something to consider. And tents don't keep the rain out of the front door, but if it's raining here, it is also likely very windy, and I'd rather have the tent tear apart than the awning.

[LI Pets]

Spoke to Cherrokee they only sell new.

I was also looking at the pole type awnings, I think you just slide the canvas into the track and add poles. They are about 100-250.

Anyone try or have them?

[mandolindave]

They are a pain in the .....neck.
I only use it on hot days.

[SilverSurfer]

I love the 21-footer I got. Best investment yet! It makes the outside space do-able on hot days and the more shade the better. I don't think mine is a pain, I am 5'4" and can put it up and away, no problem.

[uwe]

A full size awning is an excellent addition to a geat camping experience.
Pole awnings are a lot of work to erect and take down, and need a bit of room to store. Plus, you will have guy wires to deal with. Very nice for a correct and cute vintage application.
A full size curb side awning that expands and retracts easily and quickly is what I would aim at for your trailer. ZipDee, Carefree and A&E seem to be the major contenders. I would not waste my time and money on makeshift solutions.
Keep in mind that the larger the awning, the longer you can enjoy that shade under it as the sun moves across the horizon.

[LI Pets]

Originally Posted by SilverSurfer

I love the 21-footer I got. Best investment yet! It makes the outside space do-able on hot days and the more shade the better. I don't think mine is a pain, I am 5'4" and can put it up and away, no problem.

Are you saying you use a pole system?

[Goin camping]

I've had 3 units with awnings. The first had a pole awning and I used it once. Took to long and was just a PIA. The other 2 had ZipDee awnings. What a joy. Easy to use and they make a real difference in indoor/outdoor comfort. Get the biggest awning you can. It will be worth it.

[Mel]

I agree with uwe - we have two pole awnings, and while I love the look of them for our trailers, they are a bit of work to put up (so sometimes we just skip it altogether). I can't imagine the nuisance it would be to put up a 21' pole awning - our biggest is about 12' and it's can be a struggle for 2 people!

[TIMEMACHINE]

I would go with the ZipDee. It will be worth every penny.

[azflycaster]

I have a patio ZipDee, installed it this year, repaired it this week. Beware of too much rain. I still love my awning!

[klattu]

We installed a pole/bag awning on our old class C...( not AS)
Was a great system...liked the vertical pole that supports the rod coming off roof.
Was not the type that uses ropes.
Only problem was storing it...
To far overhead to get bag zipped.
They are better suited for pop-ups, where the roof comes down to your level.
We ended up putting it on drivers side and using it as a place to park bikes and stuff.