Would do you think of your awning?

[Used 2B PopUPTimes]

My new camper came equipped with a popular brand of bag awning that I think leaves a lot to be desired.

Tell me what do you think of your awning and what brands/models you'd like to see reviewed in the magazine.

[CajunCamper]

My awning came with my 1996 popup when I bought it. I love it. It's basic, very simple to put up and take down. It gives us shade and keeps us dry. I also have the add-a-room that came with it as well. I love it too.

[wavery]

I recently changed from the standard awning that came with my 2002 Coleman Tacoma PU.

I installed a new CareFree awning by A&E.

I find this awning much easier to put up and stow away. I love the fact that it has the flexibility to have the vertical supports stand up straight on the ground or angle back to the trailer (for those windy days). All of the poles are attached and hinged to the outer frame so you have no loose poles to store. All of the poles fold neatly inside the frame and the awning rolls up much neater than my old one.

I am also impressed with the strength of the outer frame on this awning. It only requires 2 poles (one on each side) and no center pole is required (on my 12' PU) due to the superior strength of the frame beam.

I also like the fact that the sides of the awning have flap control tabs sewn right on. You just wrap the Velcro tabs around the horizontal rafter pole and no more awning flap and no separate, bulky clamps to stow.

The awning also has a zipper sewn all the way around the outer edge for an optional screen room. No clamps, snaps or Velcro that can come undone in a breeze.

I am very impressed with the quality of this awning and the thought and engineering that went into it. It is definitely a 2nd generation Pop-Up awning.

Here's some pics (sorry about the quality of the pics):
http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/album/559651940aSEhYE

[cyclone]

We replaced the bag awning this year with a Carefree Supersport.  The original awning was in great shape, but we almost never used it - in part, because that was just two more poles for the dog to wrap around.  It was also more than we wanted to deal with in setting up (think 2 or 3 relatively short people camping together - my sisters and I).  

We set the Carefree up with the poles angled to the camper.  It's easy to deploy, and I also really like how easy it is to roll it up if it's getting too windy.  It's definitely a great investment!

[Miller Tyme]

About 2 years ago I traded off our old original awning for a Carefree of Colorado Campout awning. Wanted to get the Supersport, but wasn't sure how it would mount to my camper with the folding  hard walls.(not to mention the extra $100).
 
 I have a 12 foot box, but ordered the 9 foot awning, so I could set up/tear down by myself. So far, no complaints, but if I haven't camped in a while, I forget the order in how the braces, etc. are set up.:banghead:

[wavery]

About 2 years ago I traded off our old original awning for a Carefree of Colorado Campout awning. Wanted to get the Supersport, but wasn't sure how it would mount to my camper with the folding  hard walls.(not to mention the extra $100).
 
 I have a 12 foot box, but ordered the 9 foot awning, so I could set up/tear down by myself. So far, no complaints, but if I haven't camped in a while, I forget the order in how the braces, etc. are set up.:banghead:

Just remember that the "Twist-lock" braces are your horizontal rafters. The poles with the "Clip-locks" are the vertical poles that can also be brought back at an angle to the braces mounted on the side of the camper.

The way to remember that is, the vertical poles have a cap on the end that slides off (exposing the ball ends) if you want to mount the poles into the socket brackets on the side of the camper. See pic#5 in the link below:
http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/album/559651940aSEhYE

Your bracket may be mounted elsewhere on the side of your trailer.

[fritz_monroe]

We replaced the bag awning this year with a Carefree Supersport.

What did that Supersport cost you?  I've modded my awning so we don't have the down poles, but that Supersport is sweet.

[dcampbell1969]

We have the stock awning.  So far it's been fine, although I do need another body to help me get it set-up.  I have a pretty good method of securing it, so I'll stick with it for a while and spend my money on other conveniences.

[cpl215]

We have the stock awning on our Coleman Timberlake.  We really enjoy it, especially since I do all the cooking outside.  It is also nice being able to keep chairs and other equipment dry during the night.  

I would really like to see the supersport reviewed in the magazine.  We have thought of getting one but are not sure the convenience is worth the cost.

[cyclone]

What did that Supersport cost you?  I've modded my awning so we don't have the down poles, but that Supersport is sweet.

I think it was around $400 - we had a few other things done at the same time (new stabilizer, storage trunk lid replaced, etc. - both were operator fault items) and I can't remember the actual breakdown of the cost.  We have a 10 ft box and they had never installed one before.  They said it was a "challenge".  And, that it took them way longer than they billed us in labor to do it.

[wohlers2]

We rented a Rockwood 1910 with a stock awning (I believe it was Carefree of Colorado), which we HATED.

We were only the second users of the camper, and one of the awning pins was already broken - thankfully, we'd brought along some tape, so were able to keep it together for the weekend, but the quality was less than stellar there.

Also, it was the kind of awning that attaches to the side of the camper instead of poles to the ground - maybe we had it set up wrong, but we hated that design because the weight of the awning hanging off the roof pulled the whole tent top off to that side, which made the screen door (held on by weak little plastic thumb screws in the Rockwood) not fit right against the roof. We ended up having to put stakes in the ground on the back side of the camper and tie the back side back to counteract the weight of the awning on the front and get the door to work correctly. YUCK!

[wavery]

We rented a Rockwood 1910 with a stock awning (I believe it was Carefree of Colorado), which we HATED.

We were only the second users of the camper, and one of the awning pins was already broken - thankfully, we'd brought along some tape, so were able to keep it together for the weekend, but the quality was less than stellar there.

Also, it was the kind of awning that attaches to the side of the camper instead of poles to the ground - maybe we had it set up wrong, but we hated that design because the weight of the awning hanging off the roof pulled the whole tent top off to that side, which made the screen door (held on by weak little plastic thumb screws in the Rockwood) not fit right against the roof. We ended up having to put stakes in the ground on the back side of the camper and tie the back side back to counteract the weight of the awning on the front and get the door to work correctly. YUCK!

WOW!!!! Seems like pretty harsh criticism of a product that you knew was broken before you ever set it up and admitted that you may have even set it up wrong yourself (with tape, no less :eyecrazy: ).

The fact is, that awning is designed to be set-up either way (straight down to the ground or back to the camper).

I'm sorry that you had problems with it. We love ours but then, we know how to set it up and it isn't broken (yet :p  give us time :sombraro: )

Seems to me like your criticism might better be directed at the people that you rented the camper from. Had they shown you how to use the awning, they would have discovered that it was broken and if it weren't they may have shewn you the proper use of the item.

[harleywolf]

Wavery wasn

[wavery]

Wavery wasn

[HersheyGirl]

On my first camper, a Jayco, it had the standard Jayco awning with all of the many twist poles etc....I hated it and somehow "lost" the poles on a camping trip.  I replaced that one with a Carefree of Colorado campout awning and just loved it.  The ease of set up was great and I loved it being attatched to the side of the camper.....also so easy to roll up and store in the bag.   I sold the Jayco and bought my Palamino camper which had a can type pull out awning.  I just could not get the thing to work for me.  I read the instructions over and over again and it just never worked for me.  I tried to pull it out one time and tore my rotater cuff and that was pretty much over for me.  Then, a few months later, both legs broke off when we were trying to put it away....so.....I took that bad boy off and bought a Carefree of Colorado campout awning and couldn't be happier with it.  I really love that awning as it is light enough for me to handle and so easy to use.  I also just got finished installing the add a room and am so happy with it.  So all in all, I vote for the Carefree Campout awning.