Layout/gear list.

Haven't decided on the hitch yet, need to do some more homework. Judy and I are happy with the final layout. Thanks for your hospitality when we came over. Our discussions helped us make a few adjustments.
Ian & Judy.

Hi
We also changed one of the cargo doors to extra large and were glad we did so. On reflection, we would have upsized both. We also had lights in the cargo area, very handy.

Regards
tassietracker5

I feel that I must make a comment on your statement ""both types are vunerable to wind gusts without walls so both need to be pegged down "", We have the Aussie Traveller Coolabar awning, and yes it does take a few minutes to set up, but once it is up and pegged down it does not flap or move around. While at Tamworth last year a strong wind came through camp while we were away, our awning was intact but the van next door with your type of awning had been ripped from the van.
On another occasion in Victoria, again while away from the van, trees had been blown down around the van, but no damage or movement to the awning. I am convinced that they are far more secure type of awning.

I know that I can go away from the van and not worry about the awning being blown around while away, but with the standard type awning fitted to most vans, I wouldn't like to leave them up while away from van in windy areas.

Brian

Brian
regarding vunerable it works like this
for any roof that is basically flat (as these are) that the wind can get underneath then the wind exerts the same upward force regardless of the material its made from plastic canvas corriugated iron concrete etc the difference in uplift is the mass (weight) of the material that the roof is made from
ie upward force minus mass = uplift
the weight of the materials in the 2 awnings is similar so to say that both awnings are vunerable is more than reasonable
now if both awnings are pegged down then thier ability to resist uplift comes down to the strength of the material how well they are fixed to the van & how well they are pegged down
if you check with A T they will tell you that both awnings are vunerable without walls
im sure you peg your awning down & if you didnt then srong wind would wrap the awning up onto the van roof this is what ive seen with roll out when not pegged down ive yet to see an awning of any sort that ripped from the van but be still pegged into the ground & if it did happen then it was either a fantastic pegging job or a lousy awning installation job

A T also make an antiflap kit for roll out awnings which adds to the strength & holds the walls up & acts as weather flashing have a look at thier web site

they are both very good awnings the choice is personal but without wall they are both vunerable cheers

cheers

Hi,
I think the strength of our type of awning in strong winds comes from the 4 support braces that go from the outside edge of the awning back to caravan, and if your awning has similar support braces then they would be the same and not flap at all. I think it is the flapping of the large expanse of the material forming the awning that causes the problems.
The van that had the awning ripped off beside us was a Jayco and it was ripped out of the ground as well as off the side of the caravan.
Brian

And if you take that one step further, the fact that you do have the 4 supports in place tends to shape the awning more like a aircraft wing with it's flaps down and then you have force exerted downwards proportional to the hieght off the ground of the outside edge..Or something like that...

kingy where did you get that from an aicraft wing is designed to produce up lift by changing airflow rates between the top & underside of a wing the difference in airflow gives a difference in pressure between the top & btm & hence uplift when you put the flaps up on a wing they equalise the pressure so that the motors & gravity drive the plane when the flaps are put down they act as a brake
if my memory serves me correctly the extra ribs across the roof that give the roof the shape are more drop in at each end rather than a structural fixing they are dsigned for down load rather than up load so they dont really help with uplift

look what im trying to get across is it doesnt matter how tough an awning is at some stage a wind will come along that will be stong enough to lift it up so if its attached to the van & not pegged down then the front of the awning will lift if you peg it down then the lift force is countered by the rope & pegs but pegs can & do pull out if you add walls then the wind force required to pull the pegs out needs to be much greater so going back to my original statement that both types are vunerable to wind gusts without walls etc
still holds dont be fooled that the coolabah is impregnable its a good strong but clumsy to erect awning
the rollout type with antiflap kits installed attaches to the van in 6 places & then you can add extra cross bars to shape the roof as the coolabah if you wish
i would expect that the BTI attachment to the van would be of equal strength regardless of awning type so if the pegging is the same & the framework of the awning is equal then its down to the strength of the material cheers

I think my plane was going backwards...lol...

hi agree with shoe lockers we had same installed cheers

Isn't is amazing how active Cyclone Angie is now on her "New Job" Ha!
Amazing Socialist Goverments, LOL....

The new drawer system came about with our discovery of a rail system that would work. Thus, the drawers still have to be slid out of the way, but yes you can get drawers and extra large cargo doors now...

Don't come back to Oz without a good cowboy hat to suit yer handle "Cyclone Angie"