Date:         Tue, 17 Aug 2010 19:12:58 -0600
Reply-To:     Richard A Jones <jones@COLORADO.EDU>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Richard A Jones <jones@COLORADO.EDU>
Subject:      Re: Which awning is best
In-Reply-To:  <201008172247.ABL61111@Colorado.EDU>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

I'll jump in here with the comment that what's best for you and what's
best for me has a large factor of "age"....

I had a Carefree Sidewinder II for more than 10 years.  10' model.
Great!  The instructions said "two people" to put up and take down,
but I could do it myself.  (Roughly like the Fiamma F35.)

Then after one shoulder surgery and headed to the other, I realized
that when alone I probably couldn't wrestle it if the wind came up.
After you get on Medicare, you realize you can't do some things
anymore.  ;-)

So I got a Carefree Freedom III (like an earlier model of the
Fiamma F45i) which is a crank-out.

So there are apples and oranges with awnings depending on who is
cranking!

Final note:  Don't buy Carefree.  Fiamma is better--newer design
and cheaper.  Buy from Steve at Eurocampers (or GoWesty.)  One
thing I recently noticed is that GoWesty is now making their own
version (knock off?) of Vanagon mounts for about half the price
of Fiamma mounts.   So buy the awning from Steve and the mounts
from GoWesty.  ;-)

Also, I had a 10' which was nice with the roll-out, so I got
a 10' crank-out.  I think I'd get a 9' crank-out now--they are
much heavier and stress the gutters.  This on a Syncro that
gets on rough stuff sometimes....

Richard

PS: last week under the awning:
http://jones.colorado.edu/VW/awning.jpg
Not visible is a strip that covers the gap 'twixt the gutter
and the awning box over the door.

PPS: another idea from my PO--an awning rail under the
poptop.  I guess he had an awning in a bag somewhere that he
slid onto it:
http://jones.colorado.edu/VW/VWAwningRail