Date: Sun, 15 Nov 2015 22:02:47 -0500
Reply-To: Jonce Fancher <streetbugs@FRONTIER.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Jonce Fancher <streetbugs@FRONTIER.COM>
Subject: Re: A Westy awning another Option
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Hi all
My 2 Cents.
Retractable Awnings and other awnings are fine pending your wants and needs.
Not to show off OR do a shameless plug but I have been making a few
awnings for The VWs from 68 to 91 Buses and Vanagons for a few years.
Not saying they are good or bad or that you should get one or need
one. But this is another option but the thing has to be taken down and set up.
Nice thing is standard Marine style hardware, Fittings and materials
that will last the test of time and Wind.
Personally I have been in some very extreme conditions and the
Tension awning that I make has always come through.
http://fanchers.com/278/Vanagon%20Westy%20Side%20Awning.htm
Easy to set up and take down just learn to tie a truckers hitch and
you will never need fancy gadgets on tieing it down that will fail.
Coupled with the Claw earth anchor that remains to be the best tie
down I have been able to find and it will take an act of mother
nature being really mad at you to pull from the ground.
http://fanchers.com/283/The%20Claw.htm
Simple and easy the way it should be. If in the Rain drop the outer
poles and to the lower position and retie the ropes and it will sheet
off away from the bus.
High winds No real issue if secured correctly. I was in some very
scary wind storms and afraid to loose my camper top more then the
awning. both hung on but was a wild ride.
I have had some customers that said they forgot to lower the outer
poles in the rain and had about 100 plus gallons of water pooled in
it. But it held. Had another that is a full timer in the desert and
leaves it up all the time and does not worry if it will be off when
he gets back. Only comes down when you take it down.
Here is all the stuff we make for the Vanagon. Again shameless plug
but if really wanting to see all or other options I thought I would
toss this out there.
I designed it since I personally will not drill a hole in my Vanagon
or put screws in. Just not something I ever want to do or would like
to do. Also If something were to break it is a trivial part and
easily replaced and can be done anywhere you can find a heavy duty
sewing machine person. No broken obsolete part that you will never find.
http://fanchers.com/72/80-91%20VW%20Vanagon.htm
Hope this helps. Again pending what your wants and needs are will
depend on what you really want. All awnings have pluses and minuses.
Chose the best for your needs. But heed warnings and do the research.
Mine might not be right for you.
Thanks Jonce
>I don't have any actual experience with the awnings being discussed here
>but I have extensive experience with many other brands and styles, used on
>many diverse camping vehicles...Here's the thing about awnings....they WILL
>blow apart or be ripped off almost every application if you are even just a
>bit 'casual' about deploying them, or lazy about fold/rolling them away
>when you leave your camp or hit the sack..... Wind on an awning can
>create much more power than most people realize....
> A cased-in awning also ads weight up high on a van and the latching
>systems I've encountered are usually pretty inadequate....I almost always
>see at least a couple of awning remnants when I drive west to Portland,
>through the Columbia Gorge against the wind...
> Awnings are great for shade and shelter but they love to self-destruct in
>sudden and unanticipated winds....Which always seem to happen.....a good
>rule is to always furl an awning whenever you leave your camp....no matter
>how calm and beautiful the day is ....Staking down the corners is very
>often NOT adequate. The fabric will be destroyed or the struts will bend
>or the whole thing will pull out the screws or rip right out of the
>body.....
>
>On Sun, Nov 15, 2015 at 6:16 AM, Dennis Jowell <dennisjowell@gmail.com>
>wrote:
>
> > Questions on installing a Fiamma awning on the Westy. I noticed that there
> > is at least 2 different ways of installing the Fiamma. GOWESTY brackets are
> > drilled and screwed to the vehicle while VanCafe is bolted to the vehicle.
> > Does anyone have experience which bracket is better? Is the difference more
> > stability than the other? I have a lot of rough roads out here and didn't
> > want the awning to fly off when driving, etc.
> > Laters,
> > Dennis
> >
> > Dennis Jowell
> > Scotch Hollow Farm
> > Newbury, Vermont
> >
> >
> > > On Nov 14, 2015, at 3:18 PM, Rocket J Squirrel <
> > camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> > >
> > >> On 11/14/2015 11:30 AM, Stuart MacMillan wrote:
> > >> It was a clear, sunny day at a coastal campground, well away from the
> > beach,
> > >> where It's always breezy. With no warning a sudden gust came directly
> > at it.
> > >> Lifted it up at a 45 degree angle, and then it was basically a bow with
> > an
> > >> arrow in it. I tied it down every time I used it after that.
> > >
> > > Oh dear. Well I always stake down the two outer corners.
> > >
> > > --
> > > Jack "Rocket j Squirrel" Elliott
> > > 1984 Westfalia, auto trans,
> > > Bend, Ore.
> >
>
>
>-----
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Jonce Fancher
www.fanchers.com
56 Single Cab
66 Square back
66 Sunroof Bug
66 Porsche 912
71 Sunroof Bus
78 Convertible Bug
85 Vanagon Westy Zetec
1 Understanding wife 2 Kids and Molly ( Beagle / Terrier Mix )
