Using the Fiamma wind-out awning.....

My Symphony came with a Fiamma Pro wind-out awning. I'm used to using drive-away awnings with my Doblo and useful to increase living/cooking/storage space. However for the life of me can't see the point or usefulness of the wind-out as there is no side shelter from wind or rain. If I were in a hot climate use as a sun shade yes. But in the UK ?? I wonder how many folk with wind out awnings use them. If so how effective are the side panels that can be purchased for these awnings ? Cath

burlingtonboaby wrote:

Minniesmum wrote:My Symphony came with a Fiamme Pro wind-out awning. I'm used to using drive-away awnings with my Doblo and useful to increase living/cooking/storage space. However for the life of me can't see the point or usefullness of the wind-out as there is no side shelter from wind or rain. If I were in a hot climate use as a sun shade yes. But in the UK ?? I wonder how many folk with wind out awnings use them. If so how effective are the side panels that can be purchased for these awnings ? Cath

Have a look at www.windblockers.net we have a set, which we use with our awning, the awning comes out even on away days to Filey.
Fiamma have a range of side wind blockers too

Boaby

great thanks for link !! I LOVE Filey and its just down the road from me too. One of my fav campsites is Saxby Hall farm near Hunmanby.

Ours came with a wind-out awning too. We very seldom use it. As you say, it's OK for a sunshade but not much else. We have a windbreak which we put around on the occasions we do use it. If you fit the "Safari Room" type of thing you have to dismantle the whole lot again before you go anywhere.
If it had not have been on the van when we bought it, I would not have bought one.
Horses for courses, we never usually stop long enough in one place to warrant using an awning. On the occasions when we are staying somewhere longer than a day or so (like club rallies) we may use our drive away one.

Frank

boxerman wrote:Ours came with a wind-out awning too. We very seldom use it. As you say, it's OK for a sunshade but not much else. We have a windbreak which we put around on the occasions we do use it. If you fit the "Safari Room" type of thing you have to dismantle the whole lot again before you go anywhere.
If it had not have been on the van when we bought it, I would not have bought one.
Horses for courses, we never usually stop long enough in one place to warrant using an awning. On the occasions when we are staying somewhere longer than a day or so (like club rallies) we may use our drive away one.

Frank

. I echo your sentiments Frank. I wasted money on awnings for my Doblo and rarely used them other than a cheap small fishing tent bought from Lidl years ago.

Minniesmum wrote:I wonder how many folk with wind out awnings use them.

I have a similar Fiamma to yours on my van, specified by the original owners from new. I've never used it in 6 years. In fact I took it off a few weeks ago to clean it up and was surprised at the weight that I've been carrying around for all that time for no purpose! They are very well built, and therefore very heavy, but not hard to remove - just 3 small bolts on mine, as the weight is hung on heavy duty alloy brackets.

Having said that, I can understand why the previous owners had it, as they spent a lot of time in southern parts of europe.

Hi there,

If we are anywhere for more than three days we stick up the Windblocker.

It is weird how something you can see through actually provides so much privacy!

This is what it looks like in on open field ...........



..... and this is with the windbreaks up!



Setting up the Windblocker itself takes about thirty minutes and taking it down takes about fifteen minutes.

The Windblocker itself weighs less that a kilogram and fits into a cloth shopping bag and for what it provides by way of extended living area etc we think it is well worth the effort and can fully recommend it.

Hope this helps.

Best regards,

Dutto wrote:Hi there,

If we are anywhere for more than three days we stick up the Windblocker.

It is weird how something you can see through actually provides so much privacy!

This is what it looks like in on open field ...........



..... and this is with the windbreaks up!



Setting up the Windblocker itself takes about thirty minutes and taking it down takes about fifteen minutes.

The Windblocker itself weighs less that a kilogram and fits into a cloth shopping bag and for what it provides by way of extended living area etc we think it is well worth the effort and can fully recommend it.

Hope this helps.

Best regards,

thanks Ian. I can see me considering getting the Windblockers next Spring for extended breaks on site. Def useful living space. ;)

[/quote] thanks Ian. I can see me considering getting the Windblockers next Spring for extended breaks on site. Def useful living space. ;)[/quote]

Can recommend.
Check this out:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5ENan1m1oE

http://www.windblockershades.com/

PB

To be honest we’ve had roll out awnings on most of our van conversions and not used them much for their original purpose. However if you use a drive away awning you can hook the elastic bit with the bungee cord over the back of the Fiamma awning and peg it down to the ground either side. This makes an excellent tunnel in to the van and keeps everything nice and dry . Much better than attaching your awning to the channel in the Fiamma awning front face. Found an old picture of our Topaz showing what I am trying to describe:-

John

Hi there,

This is the extra "living room" that the Windblocker gives - bear in mind that I don't have a fish-eye lens and the table is in the middle of the area.



Best regards,

Ian

Dutto wrote:Hi there,

This is the extra "living room" that the Windblocker gives - bear in mind that I don't have a fish-eye lens and the table is in the middle of the area.



Best regards,

Ian

Looks great I guess if you are staying somewhere for any length of time it's ideal.

Used our wind out Fiamma a lot on our previous van. 2 to 3 mins to put in or out, great place to hang stuff to dry, shade from the sun (I know its only an occasional option in UK), eating al fresco when conditions aren't perfect, and shade from the sun when conditions are. Also allows side windows to be opened for cool air flow from a shaded area.

Even if only stopping overnight it usually came out. Never bothered with the sides as we used it to be outside in comfort, not to try and create another room.

When I wanted more space, if stopping in one place for a few days, I took an old frame tent.

So when we got our Symbol without an awning, it was one of the first things we added.