Awning choice help pls

[Jerulator]

Hello everyone,
I'm a newbie here at the Expedition Portal and really enjoy reading and seeing everyones project vehicles ! I recently purchased an old Clubwagon and am in the process of setting it up for long weekend camping trips etc. Right now I can't decide which awning I want to get for her. I think I've got it down to either the Fiamma f35 or the Campinglabs unit. I don't want to spend too much on this van but at the same time I try to live by the old adage "you get what you pay for". Anyone have experience with either of these fine units or any suggestions on another make/brand ? I installed the Yakima rain gutter load bars along with the load warrior basket. I prefer mounting the awning to the load bars rather than drill into anything.
Thank you
Jerry

[wayne thomas]

I used an A&E from Camping World Not expensive and held up well .

[Sergeant_V]

The Fiamma F35 was my first choice when price shopping, but I ended up getting a great deal on a gently used Eezi Awn with which I'm very happy. I haven't seen or used any of the Camping Labs products but I have heard that they are very nice.

[Riptide]

I have no experience with the F35, but I have an F45 on my Sprinter, and I'm pretty pleased with it. Although they're made in Italy, they have a presence here in the US, near Orlando, FL. So, parts are available. Some may take a little while to get, however. Bu they have treated me pretty good when I have needed something.

Quality-wise, I think it's a very good unit. However, I am not familiar with the others mentioned, so my references are limited...

[Jerulator]

Thanks all for the quick replies. Will look into the A & E unit at CW, and the other one mentioned (EZ-awn). I really like the idea of the fiamma with the permanent mount and the way it retracts. Wish I could see them and hold them etc, makes it hard not being able to inspect them. I went to the local Camping World here in Morgan Hill and was not too impressed with the customer service (I'm sure its just this local store) it was like extracting teeth just inquiring about awnings. I asked what they have or can get and they just said outright that they don't have any awnings and that was the end of it. No feedback whatsoever (for what vehicle, pricing, etc). I'm avoiding that particular store like the plague.
Jerry
Almost forgot..........Merry Christmas !

[BIGdaddy]

i have the largest camping lab awning.

It's VERY nice.

Its not the kind of thing you can "ride hard and put away wet", yet it is very strong and sturdy even in very gusty winds. Some parts of it (i.e. velcro tabs on fabric that secure around poles) simply need to be handled carefully during setup. Once the structure is complete, however, it is very rigid and strong.

I haven't tested it in the rain, but I made my kids sit under it while I unloaded a deluge from our garden hose this summer. I couldn't see them hardly, through the sheets of water coming off. It remained water proof, and kept them giggling and dry.

It was $250.00 shipped and well worth the money. Customer service and shipping time were A+.

[Adventurerider]

FoxWing by OZ, I don't have one at the moment, but have gotten play with them at SEMA and other event's, so I can't speak for the longevity but I can say that is the best bang for the buck, especially for coverage. I have a Fiamma, and will be trading for one.
Happy Holidays
Advrider

[Sergeant_V]

Wish I could see them and hold them etc, makes it hard not being able to inspect them.

You are probably close enough to Adventure Trailers (http://www.adventuretrailers.com) to take a look at the Fiamma and Eezi-Awn products.

[lostworldexpedition]

I have the longest Campinglab available and a tailgate awning as well, they have been great so far, very simple to operate. After five months on the road and a lot of use I can say they are great awnings and they come at a pretty reasonable price.

A view from the tailgate awning...
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2470/4031557722_81a0fe1c54.jpg

[Jerulator]

Thanks again for all the responses ! This site is great. I really like the FoxWing but it costs nearly as much as I paid for my van ($1200). Thanks to the testimony on the CampingLab units, I think I'm biased towards them now. I might just flip a coin....heads its cl tails its fiamma. Will let you know here what I decide and how it works out !
Thanks again :sombrero:

[Corey]

I have the large Campinglab one myself.
Been running it for two seasons now.

It has held up well, and it is on the rig full time.
I do put UV protection on the bag/case of it, and it has held up well.

I have had this out in glaring sun, rain, wind, and it holds up very well.

http://www.pnw4runners.com/camping_trips/aug09/4.jpg

http://www.pnw4runners.com/camping_trips/aug09/8.jpg

[lostworldexpedition]

I second Corey's suggestion about protection of the cover (and for any plastic or rubber exposed to the sun for long periods).

I use 303 spray, I have no idea if it is as good as the manufacturer claims, but it is insurance...
http://www.myboatstore.com/images/aerosp2.jpg

[Corey]

That is the stuff I use, the 303.
I also use it in my interior of my FJ for all the doors, dash, ect.
Even the steering wheel.

I even use it on the Safari snorkel although Safari already has UV protection built into their plastics.

[surfgeek33]

I've had both. I had a Fiamma F45Ti and Camping Lab.

Pros: Fiamma
-Easy to deploy
-covers a large area
Cons:
-Price
-Weight
-Parts very hard to get.

Pros:Camping Lab
-Price (great price to what you are getting)
-Light weight
Cons:
-Covers a small area

Both are well constructed and seem durable. Good luck with your decision.
:victory:

[BIGdaddy]

Does the fiamma have a hard cover? If so, i'd say thats a "pro" as far as long term ruggedness, though i see no signs of wear on the rubberized cover on my cl unit, despite constant exposure since i bought it 6 months ago.

I too, look forwardto hearing what you decide.

:)

[tdesanto]

I vote for the Fiamma. I have the Fiamma 35 and the Eezi-Awn 2m awnings. They are both similar in quality, size, weight, etc.

The Fiamma is the quickest to deploy of any awning I've seen. Easy for one person to deploy and stow. This is one of the biggest reasons for getting it, in my opinion. You'll use it more. It's so quick, you can deploy it for lunch on the trail and then put it away when you're done and ready to get moving.

The Eezi-Awn is also great, and you can get the Recvee panels for an enclosed room, but it takes more time to set up. This one is easier if you have another person to help.

[theMec]

I have a 8 ft Carefree Freedom III from Carefree of Colorado -> link here (http://www.carefreeofcolorado.com/rvmhpa_freedom.asp?m=01040108). This is a hard case unit which I believe is similar to Fiamma but is an American company. It opens w/ a manual crank. Total deploy and leg adjustment time is under 2 minutes. Same w/ closing it up.

A friend has one of the manual roll out & deploy models. I don't know what brand. It cost him $400 and he says he never uses it because it takes too long to setup.

Here's a shot of my Carefree awning. It's the best awning pic I have. Sorry. Click on it for a larger image.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2737/4078802955_1bef8d6a92.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/s_mestdagh/4078802955/sizes/l/)

[adventureduo]

I have the ARB awning (same as camping lab) and i have a Fiamma F35. If i had to choose one over the other, i'd go with Fiamma. The quality is much higher and it locks up in a durable aluminum case. The actual awning material is the same as you would find on an RV/motorhome.

[Jerulator]

Ordered the Fiamma F35 Pro from Adventuretrailers ! I inquired about the Fiamma unit via email with Adventuretrailers and they responded very quickly (good service), so I gave them a call today and talked with Mario. He was very informative / helpful. To me, this is a huge factor especially when your making a purchase by faith (never have seen the product). I went ahead and ordered it and now will be waiting like a kid on Christmas eve !
I will report back on the installation and performance of the Fiamma F35 Pro awning.
Thanks again to all who gave advise !
Jerry

You are probably close enough to Adventure Trailers (http://www.adventuretrailers.com) to take a look at the Fiamma and Eezi-Awn products.

[tdesanto]

You're going to really like it. So fast to set up, you'll get more use out of it.

[Jerulator]

I received the Fiamma F35Pro from Adventuretrailers and must say I am impressed with both (Adventuretrailers and the fiamma), I have installed the unit already and have even made a 280+ mile road trip with it installed. The installation took me 1 Saturday but should have been half of that time. I had to install and remove several times because of some mods I had to do. I had to cut down the brackets because I did not have enough exposed load bar ends. I only have 4" to work with and the brackets were about 6" long. So I cut them down to 4" and drilled 2 new holes. Seems to be holding very tight, I keep checking them for security and tightness. I have deployed the awning 1 time and that was in my front yard. Easily done by myself (no need for a helping hand).
I'm on the fence as to install the included mounts that mount to the vehicle (makes it nice to be able to relocate vehicle without taking the awning down). The problem here is I have it mounted on my 89 ford clubwagon that has the sliding door on the passenger side, should I mount them for when the door is opened or closed ? Or should I order another set and be able to mount it for both conditions (open or closed) ? Probably the latter. Also I'm not sure I want to drill into the body/door of the van.
Thanks again to everyone for you input ! :wings: I will post up some pics when the weather clears up
Jerry

[kerry]

I have a 8 ft Carefree Freedom III from Carefree of Colorado -> link here (http://www.carefreeofcolorado.com/rvmhpa_freedom.asp?m=01040108). This is a hard case unit which I believe is similar to Fiamma but is an American company. It opens w/ a manual crank. Total deploy and leg adjustment time is under 2 minutes. Same w/ closing it up.


Looks nice but the cheapest price I saw on the 8' was $906 which seems pretty pricey.

[theMec]

I'm on the fence as to install the included mounts that mount to the vehicle (makes it nice to be able to relocate vehicle without taking the awning down).

I'm thinking about this too. Here's a picture of the awning legs mounted to the truck mounts. I forget whose rig this is -> http://expeditionportal.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=27318&d=1238987647


Looks nice but the cheapest price I saw on the 8' was $906 which seems pretty pricey.

I paid about $900 mounted. The mounting was $80 and took an hour. Well worth it, I think. I don't know what the Fiamma costs but Carefree is a 20 min drive from me and the RV company that did the install is next to them. Nice to support a Colorado business opposed to an Italian one. I love Italy but ...

[tdesanto]

I forget whose rig this is -> http://expeditionportal.com/forum/at...8&d=1238987647 (http://expeditionportal.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=27318&d=1238987647)


That belongs to Mario of Adventure Trailers.