When is an awning not an awning?

I can emphasise totally with the OP.  We have a Fiamma Coverstore and a Kampa Pro 330 (ie not air).  Basically, we use the Kampa in UK and the Fiamma when travelling to sunny climes.  This year because of the forecast for inclement weather we decided to bring the Kamp on our France/Germany trip - BIG mistake.  Expecting mixed weather we have experienced very hot weather with just a couple of sessions of rain but no wind.  On a site near Lake Constance the ground was like concrete and I struggled getting my nail type pegs in and then getting them out:  pegging out proved to be the longest and hardest part of the procedure.  In future I will stick to my rule of taking the Fiamma when going o'seas.  In UK if we are staying at sites for less than 5 days we will probably take the Fiamma, as has been said, if it is windy it can be rolled in in a minute or so.

I had to take my Fiamma down a number of times in the wind but the last time was 3am in the morning we were woken by the sound of the awning rattling around I found one storm strap peg had come out both canopy pegs were on the verge of coming out It would have been impossible to roll up in the wind so managed to drop it and get it out of the awning rail, that was the last time we used it, I then bought the Kampa and on this version all panels can be completely removed no more sleepless nights.

"I think it will all depend on exactly what you need an awning for as to what might be best for you. We stopped using an awning with our caravan, we just took a small waterproof beach type tent to throw fold up chairs in, a few other bits in if it rained. We preferred a lightweight plastic table with a parasol. Easy and light to take with us, easy to put up, take down, store."

agreed...to me the question is what do you want an awning for...I realise that we are fortunate to have loads of storage space in the MH garage for slinging the chairs or bikes in if the weather changes...no need for an awning or extra 'tents'..our Fiamma wind out is all we've ever needed...

if rain is gentle, straight down and the weather is warm, then a wind out canopy will give extra cover but if bad, we wouldn't be sitting in any sort of awning/tent, we would be in the van...

for caravanners, an awning seems to be a mandatory addition to the myriad kit carried, sometimes taking ages and much effort to erect and disassemble. But why would you want to sit in one of the weather is fine and when it's not, what's wrong with being in the van?

awnings also take up loads of space on a pitch, especially with a car and caravan as well...sometimes leaving no spare space to actually sit out and enjoy  fine weather🤷🏻‍♂️

If one was suffering with the conditions a few posters in this thread have reported, then surely the question is...why bother at all?

Being used to moving on perhaps more often than the typical caravanner, we always think ourselves fortunate that we don't have the 'awning ritual' on arrival and departure days...mind you, it's sometimes pretty entertaining...though not for those who find it a real struggle....perhaps don't bother🤷🏻‍♂️

the issue is .... driving the pegs into some of the rock hard gravel pitches.

When we had caravans we never used more than a lightweight porch awning and that was only on rare occasions. So, BB, an awning is not a mandatory addition. What myriad kit are you referring to? Would it be something like the amount of gear some folk stash in the garages of their motorhomes? Perhaps that’s where you got the idea of myriad kit from.🤷🏻‍♂️

As to why folk want awnings, we have a contributor to CT who frequently tells us of his multiple cooking appliances and other stuff he sets up in his awning and what great use he makes of it and I’m sure he will enlighten you at some point.

However, no two of us are the same, thankfully, and we each have the freedom to choose our method of vanning and I don’t see any need to question the ways of others. It would be so much nicer if we just lived and let live.👍🏻

We rarely  use an awning these days.  We started 25 years back with a Trio  large porch, not easy to erect, then got a Fiamma, and eventually sold the Trio.

For this, larger, van we bought a Fiamma Zip, which lasted about 10 years before the roof bit started falling apart.  A new one was very expensive, so we bought an inexpensive Sunncamp canopy porch,  sides but no front.

When DD and Co started using the van, they needed something more enclosed, so we went with a Sunncamp porch, cheap and cheerful.  We see a lot of them about.

On our present tour, after a week with DD and the boys, using the awning, we are not staying anywhere more than 5 nights, mainly just 4 nights, so we are not bothering with the awning.  We sit in the shade of the van, leave our aluminium table and chairs outside, and bring out whatever cooking appliance we decide to use.  We did the same on our Easter tour, though the weather then was not conducive to cooking, or sitting,  outside.

Much less hassle!

That's not what I was referring to. I was answering the OP's question on: '...charge for Fiamma type shades, so when does an awning become a sunshade'

There might be an issue on using a sunshade on non awning pitches and hence my reply. Awning or non awning the OP may have equal difficulty for putting pegs in which I thought was obvious and therefore didn't address, but of course it's site dependent anyway.

Of course MHs have awnings too, not only the smaller 'drive away' versions but very big ones too and on my last couple of club sites visits there were quite a few MH with awnings so it's not a totally caravan thing as has been portrayed. 

I actually think for myself  it's an advantage that caravans have over MHs, the ability to almost double your living space especially with small families, or have a porch for coats and shoes as we do, and have it up for the whole of the stay without any need to un-attach it when going off site but I'm not going to turn this thread into one style is better than another. Its what works best for one's touring style. Let people choose what they want to enjoy their time away, it's their effort and time?