Awning looks cheap and seems flimsy...

[kgb]

I'm looking to buy a MP and have had a good look at a couple of models in the showroom setting. Everything looks great and good quality, except the awning! Had a play and it's really flimsy and ugly.. Interested in thoughts or advice from owners who have a MP and the awning. I'd be considering a separate awning with sides.

 

[Katie]

It’s a bog standard Thule omnistor awning. You can get other makes eg fiamma but I don’t know if they’d be much difference. You can also purchase separate sides.
You need lightweight really for carrying around on the side of a small van. If you want something more substantial, you could get a drive away awning but you need to be prepared to spend a bit more time putting it up and transporting it in the back of the van.
The only thing I don’t like about the awning, which would apply to all cassette awnings, is the way it spoils the roof line of the mp.
We’ve had our Penelope for nearly two weeks now and not tried the awning out, due to the diabolical weather. Have had a couple of days out though - the heating is well worth the extra money. Very pleased with the drive - no wallowing and quite car like.

 

[Roy C]

The awning is an optional extra so you could just go for a separate drive-away awning. I’ve decided to go for both - the wind out awning for just one or two nights and the drive-away awning for longer stays. I have invested in a tie-down kit since I am concerned in securing it in case of a sudden gust. I haven’t got the drive-away awning yet but want something that goes up with the minimum time and effort since I bought a campervan to avoid half the first day pitching a tent and and half the last day taking it down! The inflatable ones look interesting but they are bulky and heavy.

 

[kgb]

It’s a bog standard Thule omnistor awning. You can get other makes eg fiamma but I don’t know if they’d be much difference. You can also purchase separate sides.
You need lightweight really for carrying around on the side of a small van. If you want something more substantial, you could get a drive away awning but you need to be prepared to spend a bit more time putting it up and transporting it in the back of the van.
The only thing I don’t like about the awning, which would apply to all cassette awnings, is the way it spoils the roof line of the mp.
We’ve had our Penelope for nearly two weeks now and not tried the awning out, due to the diabolical weather. Have had a couple of days out though - the heating is well worth the extra money. Very pleased with the drive - no wallowing and quite car like.

Katie. Thanks for the reply. I agree the awning doesn't exactly add to the aesthetics! Also I wasn't sure how one person would manage to put it up without help.. I think I'll ditch the awning and look at other options if and when needed. Would like to keep the kit down to a minimum so will try without once I get my MP. I've plumped for the heater also, expensive but I'm hoping to be off grid in the winter so I think I'll use it.

Just toying with the Mercedes bike rack or maybe adding a towing bar and going for a tow bar fitted bike rack. Could work out more cost effective and would have the bar for other things. Not sure if the back door would open with a tow bar fitted rack, they do swivel down but not sure how far..

 

[kgb]

The awning is an optional extra so you could just go for a separate drive-away awning. I’ve decided to go for both - the wind out awning for just one or two nights and the drive-away awning for longer stays. I have invested in a tie-down kit since I am concerned in securing it in case of a sudden gust. I haven’t got the drive-away awning yet but want something that goes up with the minimum time and effort since I bought a campervan to avoid half the first day pitching a tent and and half the last day taking it down! The inflatable ones look interesting but they are bulky and heavy.

Hi Roy. Thanks for the reply, I''m looking into the drive away awnings also and have seen the inflatable ones so will explore these. Having looked at the awning in the showroom I think you're wise to invest in a tie down kit. It didn't look as though it would take much wind..

 

[kgb]

Found this awning which looks good but a little on the pricey side... http://www.gybe-design.com/mercedes

 

[Katie]

That one does look good. One thing to bear in mind if ease of use is paramount with your mp, as it is for us, is the time it takes to erect an awning.
The optimistically stated time of five minutes won’t include pegging it out, which is often the most time consuming part of the job. You also need to consider where you will store it, especially when wet. Over many years of caravan ownership, we tried out all sized awnings but found, that for just the two of us, they were too much trouble and ended up with a cassette awning. However, many other people take a lot more away with them or have children and an awning is ideal for them.
One thing we did buy was a small Quechua pop up tent - literally under 30seconds to get out of bag and erect. It stores under the seats in the back of the mp and will be used when we stay on sites for more than a day, to put the Porta Potti and other bits and bobs, if we go out for the day
Look on the VW California forum for ideas of other drive away awnings - there’s lots to choose between.

 

[Roy C]

Katie. Thanks for the reply. I agree the awning doesn't exactly add to the aesthetics! Also I wasn't sure how one person would manage to put it up without help.. I think I'll ditch the awning and look at other options if and when needed. Would like to keep the kit down to a minimum so will try without once I get my MP. I've plumped for the heater also, expensive but I'm hoping to be off grid in the winter so I think I'll use it.

Just toying with the Mercedes bike rack or maybe adding a towing bar and going for a tow bar fitted bike rack. Could work out more cost effective and would have the bar for other things. Not sure if the back door would open with a tow bar fitted rack, they do swivel down but not sure how far..

I got the tow bar for a bike rack to swivel down out of the way. Have seen posts elsewhere showing they work but haven’t got mine yet. However with the tailgate window opening that would at least allow partial access to the rear. One advantage compared to the VW.

 

[Steve]

We have a tow bar bike rack for our Volvo. Great for carrying bikes. However you need to think about what you will do with the rack when you are at your destination.
We take the bikes off and stick the rack in the back of the car. Not an option on the MP unless you put it behind the sliding door. Not something I would do.
When we had VW campers one of the great benefits was having a permanent bike rack.

Steve

 

[Steve]

Sorry got carried away and forgot about the awnings.
Awnings. We've had both. The sun awning attached to the van was great and used 80% of the time. Ours was Fiamma and more robust than it looked.
We'd definitely have another one as a must have.
Not so sure about the drive away awning. We had one with our first van and we used it a couple of times. However with our second van and two kids
we used two tents. One for travelling with when we were just overnighting similar to Katie above. Then when we were on site for a while we used a bigger tent because two of us also slept in the tent and two in the van. It was a good combination and offered a lot of flexibility.
I guess it depends how you will be using your van.

Steve

 

[Roy C]

We have a tow bar bike rack for our Volvo. Great for carrying bikes. However you need to think about what you will do with the rack when you are at your destination.
We take the bikes off and stick the rack in the back of the car. Not an option on the MP unless you put it behind the sliding door. Not something I would do.
When we had VW campers one of the great benefits was having a permanent bike rack.

Steve

Good point although I thought I’d store the bike rack in the awning or separate storage tent when not taking the drive-away awning.

There is an equivalent Mercedes tailgate mounted bike rack that can be kept on permanently but that would negate the benefits of the split tailgate access.

 

[mptripsaway]

Good point although I thought I’d store the bike rack in the awning or separate storage tent when not taking the drive-away awning.

There is an equivalent Mercedes tailgate mounted bike rack that can be kept on permanently but that would negate the benefits of the split tailgate access.

Check out the Atera Strada vario3, the sides fold in making it easy to place inside the MP so it doesn't get nicked when out cycling and it locks onto tow bar at other times.

 

[Sobo]

Just for bike rack info - we have a mercedes tailgate mounted bike rack, and it is removable. It's quite big when you take it off, so you'd need somewhere to put it, and you couldn't store it inside the van, but there is the option to take it off.

 

[Steve]

Hi Roy,
I will be frequently transporting the bikes to the start of a ride and leaving the vehicle in a public car park.
The Altera looks really neat as a solution. I have an Altera now but it is heavy and doesn't fold like that one!
I wouldn't mind putting that behind the sliding door. Good solution (tho' not cheap).

Steve

 

[kgb]

Sorry got carried away and forgot about the awnings.
Awnings. We've had both. The sun awning attached to the van was great and used 80% of the time. Ours was Fiamma and more robust than it looked.
We'd definitely have another one as a must have.
Not so sure about the drive away awning. We had one with our first van and we used it a couple of times. However with our second van and two kids
we used two tents. One for travelling with when we were just overnighting similar to Katie above. Then when we were on site for a while we used a bigger tent because two of us also slept in the tent and two in the van. It was a good combination and offered a lot of flexibility.
I guess it depends how you will be using your van.

Steve

Thanks for the info Steve