My take on the awning colour. On first encounter with an MP in the flesh, I thought the awning looked completely wrong and very awkward, attached to a vehicle with a slightly curved roof. The awning on the California, on the other hand, works very well aesthetically. Indeed, I decided if I was to order a new MP I would omit the awning.
I subsequently bought a pre-reg MP which was already fitted with a silver awning. It’s definitely worth having and works far better at keeping the sun out than our previous Fiat Ducato based Westfalia where the height of the awning often made it difficult to provide enough shade. Also, I’ve now got used to the look of it and whilst I am not convinced by the aesthetics, I think the practicality of the awning trumps the appearance.
Regarding colour, I read somewhere (possibly on this forum) that the advantage of a distinctive awning is that it at least signals that the vehicle is a camper and not an airport taxi, particularly if it’s black. When I see a V-Class approaching the first thing I do is look for an awning so I can decide to wave or not. My sister lives near Gatwick and the roads are clogged with black V-Class airport taxis which I definitely don’t wave at!
