We have purchased a 03 Coleman Cheyenne. [:D]
I am wondering what size fake grass/ outside carpet to purchase this winter to go under canopy. I assume it is 10 long, but how wide is the canopy? What size ground cover do folks suggest ? Also, I recall a discussion on fake grass vs. outside carpet on the old board but neglected to pay much attention to it. What does everyone use to cover the ground under the canopy ?
TIA
Farmer
farmerYou might want to check with the dealer for the exact size. Having something under the canopy helps keep a lot of dirt out of the PU. I have very cheap carpeting that dries quickly. The best thing I have seen is a mat. They are made of woven plastic. They dry really quick, just minutes. They thing you don t want is anything that will hold water. The heavier rugs take a long time to dry.[:)]
farmerThe current awning on my camper is 9 1/2 long and extends 7 from the camper. It s a 10 Carefree Super Sport. I purchased a 6 x 9 Carefree Pati O Mat to place under the awning. This size provides Frances and I plenty of room under the awning but does not extend outside the awning fabric to catch rain. The polypropelene mat styles that Tracy mentioned are probably better in rain than mine but I did not like them strictly for aesthetic reasons...earl
farmer---
farmerI have the fake grass. It s cheap, easy to shake out sand, and easy to powerwash when I get home.
farmerIf the canopy installed on your Cheyenne is a Coleman, then it is probably a 7 wide and 10 long, but you should talk to your dealer and measure yours yourself while it is set up.
During the past 2 years, I have used nothing more than and 8 x 10 poly tarp that I bought at Wal-Mart as the " grass" under my canopy. But, I have been considering purchasing a mat from a place in Florida called RV Mats at: http://www.rvmat.com/htmats.htm
They seem nice and sturdy and extremely easy to care for, but perhaps a bit pricey. I am considering getting a 7 x 14 mat to stretch from one end of the canopy out to the end of the storage box on my Bayside. Does anybody have any experience with these mats from RVMats? I d appreciate any info.
P-MANDave, from their site they do look nice, but looks can be deceiving. I like to actually get my hands on a piece of the material before I d buy it. Others of this type ended up being about the quality of the generic blue tarp and just about as great to walk on. It kind of looks a little to much like cloth and less like something I d put down as a " rug" or " floor" and since where we go we get a lot of sand it doesn t look like it would hold much compared to the fake grass & hardware store mats.
farmerI got my plastic woven mat at an RV show, and I love it. It is a strong weave, but very lightweight. It dries quickly, does not absorbe water, can be sweeped with a broom, and can be packed away in a very small space. It is much stronger than a tarp and easier to use. Mine is 8x6, which is a bit too small for me, and I think that I paid 36 dollars for it. I want to get a larger one, as I like it so much. Hope this helps.[:)][:)][:)]
farmerThe fake grass works for us.Haven t done much beach camping where sand could be a problem,though.
farmerWe use the fake grass from Home Depot. I bought the heavier stuff and so far it works great. The piece we have is 8ft wide and 12ft long. Yes extends past the awning a bit but that s not a problem. I set the awning poles on the " grass" and that helps hold down the edges.
farmerWe bought a pre-sized mat from an RV store that doesn t quite cover the inside of the AAR, mistake. Probably will visit Home Depot and torch the edges as suggested for a bigger piece. The fake grass is great to keep a lot of the dust, dirt, leaves, dog hair out of the camper. I also keep a plastic fake grass welcome mat directly under the step for double protection. And I also have a small cotton welcome mat inside the door. (But they call me Mrs. Clean).
farmerThe mats that P-MAN and HersheyGirl are talking about are great!!!
We have used both fake grass and carpets and the mats are 1000% better. The are lightweight and the dirt easly shakes out of them.
I would look into them if I were you.
farmerI use the astro turf from Home Depot also. It seems to work alright but is already showing signs of wear after only a few uses. A few of the NCC members (sammyslave and gsm x2) use some kind of woven matt that they purchased at dog showes. Seems like very durable stuff and is probably what I ll get next. They are both members of the board if you want to ask them a question about it.
farmerI m using the lightweight fake grass and even hand-sewed some bias binding for the edges (!!!) so I hope it lasts a while.
I d love to get the proper RV mat. A friend has one and it is great. I believe somewhere in the $60 range.
Here s a link to the dog mats that I think would be OK for a smaller popup:
http://www.cherrybrook.com/index.cfm?do=list&categoryid=420
farmerHersheyGirl do you know the brand your mat is?[:)]
farmerI use the cheap stuff from HD also. It is 10x8 as I recall. It does a great job helping keep the trailer clean. We camp in the desert and the sand gets every where! I keep meaning to sear the edges but haven t gotten around to it yet. It sounds like a great idea.
farmerFarmer,
Just for giggles and grins, may I suggest the indoor/outdoor carpet pieces from " Sam s Club" .
I have two sections (6 X 9 ) which I lay side-by-side on the long axis. This gives me a 12 wide by 9 deep area an extends beyond the edge of the awning 1 foot on each of the three sides.
These are very light and roll easily for transport. When it comes time to clean, just throw it over the clothes line, wash with hose, brush with broom and re-roll for the next trip. I used it very extensively this past camping season and it still looks new.
Happy Camping.
farmerFarmer,
We use the grass type carpet which works just fine. It dries quickly and keeps the dirt down. It is also cheap. In fact I throw mine away at the end of the camping season and buy new for the new season. The last one I bought was 12 X 15 and I left it like that. I paided around $10 if I recall correctly.
farmertlhdoc,
I don t even know if there is a brand name on the mat. Once the snow clears a bit, I will go to the camper and check it out..[8D][8D][8D]
farmerAfter doing a lot of reading about this on the old board, I went with what a lot of members recommended based on their experience. At that time, they were pretty much in agreement that the cheapest, thinnest, lightest-weight " fake grass" was the way to go. So I went to Lowe s and got me a piece. Only I got it in a brwon tweed color that one of our creative members referred to as " astro-dirt" It was dirt cheap (sorry, couldnt resist[;)][&:]) very lightweight, folds up small, and loosely woven so that the dirt and rain go right through it. I have left it out all winter under our canopy (8x14) and it still looks to be in fine shape after a year of heavy Georgia rains and some pretty chilly temps.
I may someday go with one of the purpose-made mats mentioed here, but for right now, my astro-dirt meets all my needs for groundcover. [:)]
farmerOur Starcraft Starstream AAR is 12 feet long. We have used both indoor-outdoor carpeting and the cheap " grass" type. The grass type shakes out easily, hoses cleans and dries rapidly. It just does not look as nice. It also folds up into a plastic bag and when we take it out, any remaining dirt has fallen out
farmerHi everybody[:D],
We have a 7 ? X 15 awning on our Kiwi and bought a " Leisure Mat" (7 X 15 ) from Camping World. It has an open weave and is real easy to shake clean or hose and dry. I have also used the green outdoor carpets for about 15 years, while tent camping, and found them easy to use/maintain.[:D]
Opie431As a suggestion for those looking to get an outdoor carpet... go a little bigger than just the size of the awning.
It comes in handy having a couple feet all around the outside when the AAR is up, and it s wet outside. That extra bit on the outside makes a handy shoe wipe before stepping into the " living" quarters. Also if it does rain, the skirt of the AAR stays cleaner, and it keeps sand, dirt and twigs out of the door zipper.
HTH and have a great day![:)]
Opie431Thanks for all the informative responses. [:)]
Now I have something to browse for at Wal-Mart/Home Depot/ Lowe s, if it ever stops snowing here. [:D]
I planned a shopping trip today but instead spent most of my free time moving snow or pulling out stuck tractors. [:(]
Farmer