Zip Dee or Vintage?

[Sheridan]

I have a new Zip Dee awning in a box waiting to be installed on my 65 Caravel. I've been debating whether to go Zip Dee or Vintage pole awning. The Zip Dee came with the trailer and I have yet to put it on thinking that I might want to preserve the "clean" lines of the old trailer and just throw up a pole awning when I needed it.
I don't even know what a new Zip Dee awning for a Caravel is worth but my guess is it's more than a $300 pole awning.

I guess I'm asking for pros and cons of each based on the forums vast experience.

Thanks, Dan

[Mike Leary]

I sure do like Zip Dees; mine are original and work like new. I did have the roadside twins come open on me
during a 80 mile sidewind on the Oregon Coast; installed the lockers, problem solved.

[Jim Foster]

I would install the Zip Dee. Putting up an old style awning is a lot of work compared to putting out a Zip Dee. You will get much more use from the Zip Dee than you will having to put up the old style.

Storage is very little on a '65 Caravel. The Zip Dee is self storing, hardware and all.

Also.......on rare occasions, we have been at RV parks which do not allow things driven into the ground, which would prohibit you from using an old style awning.

Also.......If you are parked on cement or blacktop, you have no way to put up an old style awning.

Just my thoughts.

[centennialman]

I am going with the "old style" pole awning. I love the look and they go so well with the vintage trailers. For those times when there is cement or no way to drive stakes into the ground, I am making small baseplate pole anchors for the awning poles to slip into......there always is a way.

There are some great posts here about both types of awnings. They should help you with your decision.

[shermantic]

Zip Dee All the way no way on the extra hassel

[mouth012006]

Dan, I am so glad that you asked this, I am wondering my self of what type of awning to go with vintage or zip dee? I am also wanting the good knowlage of the experts on here.

[ts8501]

I love the Zip Dee on our '90 Excella. I plan to put a pole awning on the '64. For me, I like the right awning with the right genre trailer. It really is a matter or personal preference, although I would vote pole awning on a '65. Either way, enjoy your Caravel!

-Tim

[Sheridan]

Wow. I never thought about the cement or asphalt parking situation Jim, thanks but I do think there is a work-around for that with pole anchors of some sort (more stuff to store though).

I'll be pulling the Caravel with a pickup that has a shell over the bed, I could just throw stuff (poles and awning) in there.

Could someone please tell me what a ballpark figure for a Caravel Zip Dee would cost?

I'm guessing the Zip Dee would weigh slightly more and certainly have more wind drag on the road but I'm not sure if either of those factors would be significant.

How about the shade "footprint" of both types of awnings, is it larger for the pole awning or the Zip Dee?

Dan

[Sugarfoot]

I use a 13' 9" , 9 feet deep vintage pole & rope awning on my 24' Tradewind. I love the look. I can put it up and take it down easily by myself. Once I got the routine it takes 5 to 7 minutes. It would be less with a Caravel if your awning rail is in good shape. Spray silicone in the rail and on the awning bead works wonders. With rope and pole you worry about tripping over ropes rather than banging your head on awning arms.

What I like is that I can leave it up no matter what the weather. While my friends are rolling up the Zip Dees, my pole & rope is standing up to 40 mph gusts (i.e. Myrtle Beach in winter). A good rain will belly it down, but not to a breaking point. I've never camped in a totally asphalt or concrete situation, but I've anchored to trees on occassion. RV parks that prohibit tent stakes due to underground utilities have always been quick to tell me where the safe staking zone is.

That being said, I'm leaning towards a Zip Dee for my 30 footer, mostly because it is built-in, no extra stuff to carry, and putting up near 20 foot of vintage awning is a bit of a stretch when traveling solo. Besides, a 30 footer can pull off the bazooka-on-the-shoulder look a lot more easily than a smaller one. But I'm going to hate worrying about what the weather will do.

An vintage awning for a Caravel would be around $375 at VTS.

[Aerowood]

Have you checked to see if the forward awning arm will be in the path of your exit from the front door. I mean if you make a left out the door you will most likely have quite a head knocker.

[Sheridan]

Good point Kip. The forward arm of a Zip Dee awning would have to come down on the rivet line of the front curved end cap and curved lower panel just forward of the grab handle by the door. In fact I'm not sure if the grab handle would even be accessible with the awning retracted.

I'm still waiting for someone to give me an estimate of how much a Zip Dee awning would cost for a 17 ft. Caravel because, (as you may have already guessed), I'll be selling it if I decide to go for the Vintage pole awning.

Dan

[Aerowood]

I'm going with the vintage pole awning because my wife told me that is what I want.

[Bo Walker]

I'll face this dision later on. I have no idea which way to go. Aerowood, does your wife know? HA Seriously, I want to go for convenience.

[Jim Foster]

Our '65 Caravel came with a Carefree Colorado, same as the new A&E awning.

Yes, the forward arm is in the way to make a left turn out of the door. I made anchors, similar to what is found on new trailers, to make the arms stand out at the outer edge of the awning. That gives you the room to get around of the pole awning, with no ropes and the ease of set-up of the attached awning. When no stakes are allowed, we just walk around the forward support. No big thing.

Weight is very little and no difference in wind drag.

The shade footprint of any awning on a 17' Caravel is going to be small as the awning rail is only about 8' long.

Does anyone know what awning came on a '65 Caravel new? I don't.

[toastie]

Originally Posted by Sheridan

I have a new Zip Dee awning in a box waiting to be installed on my 65 Caravel. I've been debating whether to go Zip Dee or Vintage pole awning. The Zip Dee came with the trailer and I have yet to put it on thinking that I might want to preserve the "clean" lines of the old trailer and just throw up a pole awning when I needed it.
I don't even know what a new Zip Dee awning for a Caravel is worth but my guess is it's more than a $300 pole awning.

I guess I'm asking for pros and cons of each based on the forums vast experience.

Thanks, Dan

This is our vintage awning on our 1965 Caravel, just go to my web site below and click on links, will show you where we bought the awning and poles.

[Boondocker]

Faced with the same decision on my 68 Tradewind, I opted for the vintage awning. It was way cheaper (I want to say the zip was north of $1K) and I was into the vintage look. Mine was custom made by an outfit in Illinois, they give you a lot of choices- fabric, patterns, valence shapes, and depth. I am certain that my vintage provides much more shade than a zip does. On the other hand, it is a PITA to deal with especialy taking down in a stiff breeze. If you have plenty of cash and ease of function is your goal- go zip. On the other hand, if cash is tight or you dont mind the extra hassels of the vintage, I am sure you will be happy with one of those (and oh yeah, the cool factor you get with the vintage and a good polish job).

[3streams]

Originally Posted by Aerowood

I'm going with the vintage pole awning because my wife told me that is what I want.

Ask her to reconsider- we have the vintage awning on a few- and after I had to help take one down in a storm (because it is NOT a one person job) I told my husband- from here on out- ZIP DEE! Especially on the longer trailers! The vintage ones are big PIA!

[InsideOut]

We have a vintage pole awnings for both our trailers. On our '64 GT it's the kind with the stakes & ropes. On our '56 Safari its the ropeless kind, it has a rigid frame instead. I can see that the vintage style (especially the framed one) might be more difficult to put up for a one night stay...but we are the type of campers that stay put in one spot for longer than that.

The reason we went with these instead of the ZipDee is they can stick out from the trailer farther which gives you more shade - I think it's like 9 or 10 feet, I don't recall right now (it's winter). Also, with our GT the arm of the ZipDee would prevent the door from opening beyond 90-degrees - I think even with the detachable arm thingie. The brackets are too close to the door's hinge. The Safari's door opens opposite, so that wouldn't be a problem - but we just LOVE the clean uninterrupted lines of the vintage trailers w/o permanently affixed awnings (or rooftop A/C for that matter - but that's for a different thread).

I'm with Sugarfoot, it's not that difficult to put up/down the rope/pole awning (even my myself) after you've done it once or twice. However with a longer trailer like 24+ I could see where it would be more of a chore.

We have yet to deploy our framed awning on the '56 Safari - we hope to this summer once the restoration is complete.

Oh and BTW...your wife is a smart cookie Aerowood! You are wise to listen to her ~

I've never heard of a ZipDee costing less than $1K...seems like the cost per square foot of shade is pretty high - especially with a small trailer like a Caravel...although, we have friends that just got one for their Caravel - I haven't seen it up yet though to see how much shade it provides.

Shari

[Ed Emerick]

ZipDee, but don't tell my wife I told you this. I have the poll type on the 59, she made it, it's cool but I like the ease of the ZipDee. The wife is ALWAYS right......... in public!

[Gerr]

We prefer the Vintage look. Takes a bit longer but worth it. We get endless positive compliments on it. It is free standing with no wires to trip over.