Nothing can beat the charm of enjoying nature on your road trip in a caravan. But as caravans often have limited space, so it creates some problems for the caravanners. Are you looking to expand your living space while not spending money on purchasing a big caravan? Then an awning is perfect for you. You can purchase different types of awnings from the market, but the question arises that can you make your own caravan awning?
Luckily, yes! You can make your own caravan awning. The process is simple, and the things you’ll need for this are readily available in the market. Just spare some time and read the guide in the post to make your own caravan awning.
In this post, you’ll find the easiest way to make your own caravan awning and some budget-friendly awning ideas too.
How To Make Your Own Caravan Awning
You’ll be relaxed to know that the process of making your caravan awning is quite simple. If you’ve heard that it’s challenging to make your own caravan awning, then you won’t believe that after this step-by-step guide given below:
• Begin with measurements. Measure the length of your caravan to get the caravan tarps according to the desired length of your awning. Determine that how wide a caravan awning you want. Note down the size of the caravan tarps you’ll need.
Note: The most common depth of the caravan awnings is 9 feet, but that doesn’t mean this is the perfect awning size for your caravan. If your caravan is small or big, you can decrease or increase the size of the awning accordingly.
• Park the caravan at the place that will have enough space for the size of the awning you’re constructing. It’s better if the surface is soft earth because it’s easier to drive tent stakes into that. If you’re on a tar surface, the tent stakes should be made up of large metal nails, so you don’t have a problem driving them in the tar roadway.
• Place the remaining tent poles in the grommets of the caravan awning until the awning is fully secured. In the end, fasten the caravan awning with awning stakes.
That’s it! You’re done making your own caravan awning. Now you know to make your own caravan awning whenever you’re on the road.
How To Secure A Caravan Awning In High Winds
Now, as you’ve learned how to make your own caravan awning, the next step is to learn how to combat with winds to keep your awning secured. During road trips, wind storms are common, and some timely precautions can help you protect your awning. Here are some ways to secure a caravan awning in high winds:
• Pitch all the poles of the awning as firmly as possible.
• Always get high-quality awning pegs. Make sure that they have been entirely hammered into the ground.
• Place pets at every other point while constructing the awning. Keeping a 45-degree angle serves as the best resistance to help the awning standing in winds.
• Ensure to utilize storm straps that are well-fitted to the awning.
Moreover, if you want to stop your caravan awning from flapping in the wind, you can secure it with clamps or using a tie-down kit. A caravan awning protector, made up of UV-resistant plastic, is also a good way of protecting your caravan awning.
How To Maintain A Caravan Awning
Either you make an awning for your caravan yourself or make a purchase; in both cases, maintenance is a must. In the first scenario, you’ve to invest some money and a lot of time, and in later you spend money that you can’t waste due to your carelessness.
With proper care, your caravan awning can last for many years in the best condition. So, here are some tips to take care of caravan awning:
• Before you keep the awning for road trips, try setting it up at home. If you encounter any problem, you can easily learn how to solve that without stressing out. In contrast, if you keep your awning without testing, any setting problem on-road may lead you to panic, which will result in damaging your awning.
• Don’t feel embarrassed to ask for help if you struggle setting up your awning. Asking for help from neighbors or friends is better than doing it wrong and damaging your caravan. An experienced help may be all that you need.
• Always check the direction of the wind before setting up your caravan awning. Sometimes winds are so sudden that you don’t get time to close your awning. Therefore, it’s always better to take the wind’s direction into account for protecting your awning.
• Regularly check the weather updates. If the weather forecast predicts a storm or bad weather, take down your awning to avoid any damage.
• Make sure that no moisture remains in your awning when you take it down before leaving. Even a little amount of moisture can lead to mold on your caravan awning, and damage the awning fabric. The wise option is to remove your awning a day before leaving and let it dry in the afternoon.
Summary
A caravan awning is a great way to increase the space of your caravan. But if you purchase caravan awnings, they can be costly. Making your own caravan awning is a better idea than purchasing one.
Yes, you can make your own caravan awning. The process is simple and begins with measuring the length of your caravan to determine the size of the caravan awning. For fixing the caravan awning, it’s secured with clumps and tent stakes.
Make sure that you fasten the awning tight enough to protect it from the winds. Checking weather forecasts frequently can also help you avoid damage to the caravan awning. If the weather seems stormy, take down your caravan awning before the storm begins.
Proper maintenance of the caravan awning is essential to make it long-lasting. It will help you save the money and time required to make the caravan awning again.
