Has Anyone Used a Screen Room or Cabana Awning?

[CampyTime]

Hi Everyone,
I'm hoping to get feedback on those of you who have used an attachable screen room on their awning (e.g.. bag awning with screen room) or the Cabana dome awning/screen room set up.
I have a Scamp 13, 2012. Do the screen rooms get in the way of the door opening? How about get in the way of the door being latched open to that door holder thingie on the outside of the trailer?
Although I'm pretty set on the classic bag awning, 7 footer, when I thought about the screen room, I then came across that cabana dome thing from Dometic. I downloaded the install PDF file, and it looks like a lot more work to set up than an awning, but those with experience will know much better. Although it's pricier than the bag awning (looks like around $570 bucks), I at least wanted to see if anyone uses and likes it out there (or doesn't like it).
Blizzard in W.New York over - with our luck here, it's on to the next weather fiasco!

Chilly in NY,
Wendy

[mary and bob]

As you know we use a separate screen room. You probably also know that screen sides are available for the shade maker bag awning, about $170. I think that you need to rethink the Classic awning and pay the little extra for the custom made 7' Supreme. Wish we had known it was available when we ordered. A week ago we decided to head home early because of weather issues. Packing up on a real cold morning in SC we had problems with the twist lock poles on the Classic awning. Couldn't get some to release and had to pull them apart to roll up the awning. Waiting for warm day to mess with it. Only got about 2" of snow this last storm, but 20 degrees and windy.

[CampyTime]

Hi Bob,
I did call Sid on his ability to modify the screen room for a "newly modified" Supreme at 7 feet. He can do it, and I have his e-mail response. Something about having to drop the height of the awning rail height from 99 to 96" as when he customizes the screen room, he has to cut the fabric triangular piece at the top. I know darn tootin' well I'm not explaining it properly, but his answer and reasoning are in my e-mail.
After all of that, and knowing I really liked the screen room option for the future, I figured the heck with it and go with the classic. From what I've read here and others have told me via e-mail, the awning rail is approx. 6" or so above the drip cap over the door. I figured any lower to accomodate the needs of a modified screen room and I'd be running into trouble. I can see, in the end of the day, it's really weighing the differences and making a decision based upon what speaks to you the most. I was indeed all set to do the supreme awning, until I received his e-mail answer. Then I began to question it again.
Good thing it's still winter...and that's what I'm using the time for. Reading and learning! Glad you made it home OK. Terrible blizzard here yesterday.

Wendy

[Carol H]

Wendy use the search option on this site (google option at the bottom of the drop down works best) for some opinions on whether or not he screen room is a feature you will actually want. A number of folks have found they didn't use theirs as often as they thought they would for various reasons. Others have opted for an easy up type pop up with sides instead again for various reasons.

[mary and bob]

Pluses and minuses to everything. I think you'll find as we have that when the awning is out at an angle where the door clears it, it will not shed rain good. I've had to lower the pole that is farthest from the door when it is raining for good runoff. Look at the camper on the home page here, how does that awning shed rain!! We did have some good wind last day out and the awning held up great. Ground to awning rail measurement may differ on your trailer from ours. I'm sure I get what Sid is talking about. The height you set your poles at will affect how the screen sides fit too, so they will have to be set at the correct height which may affect door clearance. First thing I would do is get the rail, tape it on the trailer, use a pole or string or something to visualize the awning projection and check clearances and measurements.

[Jon in AZ]

I much prefer a separate collapsible awning. For one thing, it's way cheaper (around $100 for a 10'x10' and maybe another $50 for solid or screen sides). For another, it doesn't require putting more holes in the fiberglass shell. Third, you can put it wherever you want. We often turn the trailer door one way for privacy, since it's our bedroom, or to avoid campfire smoke, and locate the awning elsewhere to take advantage of the best views. Fourth, the awning stores nicely on the front gaucho, where it adds to the tongue weight (helping offset bicycles in the back) and does not add drag to the shell. Fifth, we can leave the whole thing at home when we don't anticipate needing it. And last, we can use it for other things when we're not camping.

Our awning can be placed right beside the trailer and the door will clear (we also have a 13' Scamp, which is pretty low). The only drawback is that it would allow some water between the awning and the trailer in a rainstorm. But, hey… I live in Arizona!

[keekers]

In another group I saw the suggestion to put the pole legs up on those plastic bed risers. Haven't tried it myself.

[stephanie reed]

I have a quest easy up type screened room. I use the bed lifts to raise it ti ckear the door on my uhaul

[mary and bob]

Those of you using the bed risers, do you anchor the canopy/screen room down in any way. I've seen a wind take them more than once. Anything I set up is staked down, and if the possibility of wind exists I also use guy ropes at each corner. And I don't use the plastic stakes that come with many of those canopies.

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by mary and bob

Those of you using the bed risers, do you anchor the canopy/screen room down in any way. I've seen a wind take them more than once. Anything I set up is staked down, and if the possibility of wind exists I also use guy ropes at each corner. And I don't use the plastic stakes that come with many of those canopies.

Great point, and relevant whether you have an attached or detached canopy. We don't get a lot of rain in Arizona, but one thing we do get plenty of is wind! I use metal stakes (steel, not aluminum) and guy ropes if it is windy. Not sure how that would work with the risers. In my mind, wind is yet another reason for a detached awning. If something does happen to go badly wrong, it is far less likely to damage the trailer shell.

[knighth001]

I'm with Jon, I like having a separate screen room. Gives us flexibility in our camp setup. We used to put it right up next to the camper so the door opened into it. But I've since liked setting it back and to the side if I can.

I stake mine down pretty good. If I were using bed risers (I've got a pair of wood ones sitting around here somewhere), I'd probably take my drill and screw the poles into the risers. Then use the tie outs to stabilize.

[stephanie reed]

My bed risers are hard plastic. I drilled holes in them and attach them to holes in poles with a bolt. I take them off when in storage. I stake the corners and sides. I also have three tarps I tie strap to the sides and roll up in case it rains. Been in some nice storms and no problems. I found some vinyl tape I tape the material to the camper by door side. It leaves no glue and doesnt hurt camper. Keeps rain out between camper and easy up. If you put tape on when dry it will hold like regular duck tape. If you look at pic you can see tarps rolled up

[Carol H]

I like having the trailers awning and a separate free standing pop up. I don't take the pop up if heading out for a short week-end trip and the weather is good.

I like the free standing pop up as often the campsite tables are set a far distance from the trailer and I can put it up over it or sometimes I just put it up over where the camp ground has the fire pit set up and use my propane fire pit under it, can get more people in out of the rain to enjoy the fire than I can under the trailer awning.

[Hazel in Sk]

We have an awning and a canopy available for our Trillium. The awning is very heavy rubbery material and no matter how hard we tried we couldn't get it taut enough to shed rain. Maybe it was misused before we bought it from the original owner and got left with a puddle in it ong enough to make it stretch a bit?

Our camopy is the standard 10'x10' and we have both the walls and the bug screens. Putting up one wall is handy for making a bit of shade on hot days. We like to put in a couple of stakes and pull the wall away from the frame.. Usually we attach some rubber straps to the bottom of the wall and attach them to the stake. It sure increases the confort level as it makes the camopy seem bigger inside, creating more room for getting around the table and campchairs.

Once when we were camping in a fairly remote area there was just us, a couple with a tent and a couple with an R-Pod. The R-Pod people got all set up with a screen room and then took off in their car. After supper it started to look like a storm was on its way. It wasn't long before the wind picked up a LOT. I grabbed the coffee pot and and cups and put them somewhere safe and then helped hubby with the canopy.

The R-Podders drove back in just as their screen room started to flap away from the fastenings. The tenters had moved their car to create a windscreen for the tent which now wore extra lines (some were tied to the car). It didn't look like it was going to suffer any damage!

The four of us ran over to help the R-Pod folk and had quite a time getting everything down and stuffed safely in their car - darned hard work for six of us.

We hustled back to our site and got inside just as the storm got started. We got hit by the fiercest storm I've ever experienced. The thunder sounded continual - one bang hadn't quite died away when the next one started. There was barely a moment of dark between the lighning flashes. The camper was rocking from the blasts of wind - very exciting couple of hours. Did I mention the torrential rain?

The R-Pod couple pulled out at about 6 am. We got up and so did the tenters - both couples and all the equipment safe with no leaks.

What we learned was (we already knew this but had gotten complacent) - don't go away from the campground and leave 'stuff' lying around or not fastened down well.

[mary and bob]

[QUOTE=Carol H;446723

I like the free standing pop up as often the campsite tables are set a far distance from the trailer

And sometimes those tables are really really heavy!! We usually put the table in our 12 X 12 screen room. Sometimes it's put the screen room over the table rather than move the table. The campground we wintered in has the aluminum tables, NICE!!

[Carol H]

Have stayed at many provincial and state parks where you couldn't move them even if you had 10 people to do it - they are often set in cement or in some cases chained down.