shopping for awning for trillium 1300 - looking for advice

[Kevin Poll]

We are into our second summer with our trillium 1300. Up till now we have made due with a first-up 10 x 10 as a dining tent, but now I can see that an awning would be a welcome addition to keep the entrance area of the trailer clean and dry.

I'd really like to hear from some of you that have awnings on the smaller trailers and to hear what you like and don't like about them.

thanks,

Kevin
( I tryed searching the forums, I am sure this subject has be covered to death, but I have a hard time getting the search results down to manageable numbers of relevant threads)

[Tim Wood]

I would suggest an 8' Fiamma or one like it that cranks out. I have a Dometic Catalina 2500 on my Scamp 13 like many others and I don't like it. I broke one a few years ago on my first trip with that camper. They are a bit of a pain to work until you know after a long period of time. I know now just how to open it without breaking anything, but still wish I had something better. This is IMO others may say something different.

[Kevin Poll]

I hadn't come across Fiamma before, thanks for mentioning them, I checked out there website (looks well made).

KP

[KeithA]

Kevin,

Things to consider that you didn't mention:
- what are your options for price? Are you OK spending say $1000?
- ease of setup - do you always have 2 people to install an old school awning? Or are you specifically looking for something that can be put up easily by one person.
- how big of an issue is wind?
- how "watertight" do you want it? One problem with the FG trailers is the curve to the side makes it tough to get a good seal between awning and trailer with certain types of awnings, so some creativity is required to get a seal between the two
- are legs ok? Or do you want arms to tie back to the trailer? Are you OK with guy wires holding down the corners?
- do you want to be able to add a screen room?

I don't pretend to have any of the answers, but these were the types of things I looked at in my thread:
http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...oot-42998.html

Cheers!
Keith

[jjinc]

try shadyboy. we love ours

shadyboy.com

[Sleeka]

I just checked out shadyboy. Looks interesting. How stable us it in wind? Easy to setup? Approximate price?

Looks like a 604 number so maybe they have samples to go check out. Thanks for the link.

[cpaharley2008]

I just installed one on my Egg Camper last month- look here for some details and pictures
http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...asy-46985.html

[jjinc]

Originally Posted by Sleeka

I just checked out shadyboy. Looks interesting. How stable us it in wind? Easy to setup? Approximate price?

Looks like a 604 number so maybe they have samples to go check out. Thanks for the link.

there are some winds that need extra tie downs. I find that rope / twine from the outside corners to the ground with tent pegs work fine.
That being said, i've only had to do it once in the last 2 years.

usually we just have it out without any of the extra tie downs or poles.

[KeithA]

We had a ShadyBoy on our Westfalia. Its biggest benefit is its minimalist design. The tie downs help stop it from blowing upwards, but it will deflect downwards readily, so there is no real way to keep it super stable. Water will pool in it when it rains, but if enough water catches up, the poles will bend and the water will run off (this natural cycle!). The poles, fabric, consturction, etc are all quite well done.

We were camping on May Long a few years ago and got over 4" of snow with the awning up. It folded it right over the side of the van and I couldn't get the door open. However, after sweeping all the snow off, it popped back to right, with the only damage being the brackets attaching the case to the van being bent a little bit. I was impressed.

[Kevin Poll]

Originally Posted by KeithA

Kevin,

Things to consider that you didn't mention:
- what are your options for price? Are you OK spending say $1000?
- ease of setup - do you always have 2 people to install an old school awning? Or are you specifically looking for something that can be put up easily by one person.
- how big of an issue is wind?
- how "watertight" do you want it? One problem with the FG trailers is the curve to the side makes it tough to get a good seal between awning and trailer with certain types of awnings, so some creativity is required to get a seal between the two
- are legs ok? Or do you want arms to tie back to the trailer? Are you OK with guy wires holding down the corners?
- do you want to be able to add a screen room?

I don't pretend to have any of the answers, but these were the types of things I looked at in my thread:
http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...oot-42998.html

Cheers!
Keith

Keith,
those are all really good questions, here is where my head is at on the subject:
I'll spend the extra money for quality, I really only want to buy an awning once and I know that if I get one that does it's job really well it'll be a pleasure every time I go to use it. (above $500 it'll have to be really cool)
Ease of setup, the easier the better but if an otherwise great product requires careful setup I could live with that.
wind and water: well water and shade is kinda what an awning is for so if it can't keep the area in front of the door dry then what am i spending money for? I have seen other campers with poorly set up bag awnings luffing in the wind and there too I would rather get something that can tough the elements.
legs are expected but i do like the way the case awning on the outback has bent legs that tie back to the trailer.
the screen room for me isn't really on my radar (we have a seperate 10x10 first up), I prefer to cook and eat a bit farther from the trailer, but I'd love to see how others are using their screen rooms, maybe there is some cool setup that might be intriguing.

I'm going to check out the linked threads, i bet there is some great info in there,

thanks,

Kev

[Kevin Poll]

James, I had checked out the shadyboy website in the past and it is a very cool take on awnings, I am impressed with the weight and design.
I haven't ruled it out but i think I am looking for something a bit sturdier.

Jim thanks for the link that egg yolk awning looks GOOD, extremely light too! you said that you keep a 10' section in the trailer when travelling along with some other parts, does it collapse at all, does it lay flat or do you have to prop it up diagonally (our trillium isn't more than 10' long on the inside)? I don't mind stowing some stuff inside when travelling but like to keep things tidy so that the girls can make an emergency pitstop inside if they have too when on a long road trip.

Kev

[David Anderson]

Originally Posted by Kevin Poll

We are into our second summer with our trillium 1300. Up till now we have made due with a first-up 10 x 10 as a dining tent, but now I can see that an awning would be a welcome addition to keep the entrance area of the trailer clean and dry.

I'd really like to hear from some of you that have awnings on the smaller trailers and to hear what you like and don't like about them.

thanks,

Kevin
( I tryed searching the forums, I am sure this subject has be covered to death, but I have a hard time getting the search results down to manageable numbers of relevant threads)

Hello Kevin, We bought an awning for our trillium 1300 1976 from Shademaker. They also make the add a room . We are into our second season with it and love it. We paid $ 180.00
You can reach them at 773-995-0998. or shademaker@comcast.net or
RV Bag Awnings

I hope tha this helps.

david

[Rodre]

Originally Posted by Tim Wood

I would suggest an 8' Fiamma or one like it that cranks out. I have a Dometic Catalina 2500 on my Scamp 13 like many others and I don't like it. I broke one a few years ago on my first trip with that camper. They are a bit of a pain to work until you know after a long period of time. I know now just how to open it without breaking anything, but still wish I had something better. This is IMO others may say something different.

From the Fiamma websites FAQ section:

Q - Can I use my awning to protect me from the rain?
A - Our awnings are designed to shelter you from the sun and not the rain. Therefore we highly recommend closing the awning in case of rain, snow or winds. In case of light to moderate rains, install the center rafter, lower one leg and raise the other to allow for water runoff. If it is raining hard enough for water to pool on the fabric, roll it in! Water pooling can stretch the fabric causing the awning not to close properly. Stretched or damaged fabric due to water pooling or any type of storm damage is not covered under warranty.

locates at:

Fiamma Inc. - Service

Funny because they sell a curved rafter arm here:

Fiamma Inc. - Products

that states:

Curved tension rafter eliminates water pooling and noisy flapping of fabric in the wind.
The tension Rafter PRO is easy to install without making any holes in the awning. It keeps the fabric tight, eliminating water pooling from rain and any noisy flapping of fabric in the wind. Plus, there is more clearance for vehicle doors.?The rafter is made of two sturdy anodized aluminum telescopic bars. Ideal for awnings with extension up to 8’2”, it adapts from min 56” to max 104”. length. Complete with rubber ends so it can be installed on other awning brands. Limit usage at high temperatures.


So which is it?