Using a Thule Omnistor

We have always used Isabella Shadow`s in hot climes. very easy to put  can be taken down at 3am in a minute or so, light and easy to carry.

When I looked into this a few years ago I was led to believe that travelling with such an awning could invalidate the caravan warranty.  Clearly it is possible to get damage to the side of the van and also the awning rail which could lead to damp ingress. Although you should carry the awning in the van this is not really practical.

Having said that, the Omnistor and Fiamma are popular and you do see them a lot on continental vans in Europe..

We purchased one at the end of last year, a 3.0M and a pair of clips for stopping the roof from flapping. I have lowered the awning light on our Swift Challenger so that it is functionally better for travelling and for use at night. Although we have no experience yet of using it, we have had it on the caravan and are delighted with it.

Hello, we are thinking of getting a thule omnistor 1200 also. Can you tell me if you ever bought a roll out canopy, if so, which one, how big did you buy and how do you find it.

Thank you very much

Jules, I think your questions have been answered in earlier posts.  The size is limited by the straight length of your awning rail and the weight both on the payload and your physical ability to roll it up by hand.  Make sure you get one wide enough to give enough shade.   I find my Fiamma (very similar to the Thule) excellent and it is now fitted to my caravan ready for my trip to Italy in 10 days time.  I leave it fitted when towing but take it off when I get home.

We used to have an Isabella Shadow and Shade. These are excellent, but only 2M deep, so in very sunny climate the shade is a bit cramped. Our Thule Omnistore is 2,5M deep, as is the Fiamma, and we find this is significantly better. Someone mentioned the need for a stepladder, especially if you are not a tall person. I found a great set of (3 step) stepladders which are light and compact and weigh less than 5Kg, which easily go in the front gas bottle locker.  Well worth it. 

We use a Thule 6200 wind out awning.  Very rarely put the sides in these days.  The stuff we keep outside isn't spoiled by the weather, and the canopy generally keeps it dry.  We tie it down well and I can only think of one occasion when we have wound it in because of the wind.  As there are only two of us, and Lizzie the dog, we don't put it out in the winter - there's enough room for us in the caravan.  We used to have a Quest Rollaway (a rollout in a bag that sat in the awning rail) but we found it quite difficult rolling it in above our heads.  We used to take 2 sets of step ladders to enable us to wind it in and zip it back into the bag.

The Thule windout fits onto brackets which are bonded to the roof of the van.  No holes - it doesn't effect the warranty (we checked this out).  It suits us really well....

David

We bought an omnister 1200 bag canopy in June used it for a beautiful weekend away and loved it inJuly we went to Southport it was really sunny and 36 degrees so the natural thing to do was put our canopy up within an hour it stared ripping away from the bag at the awning rail collapsed and broke the legs never again.